KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Georgia found itself in unusual territory Saturday, trailing an opponent by a touchdown early and still trailing by three well into the second quarter. But the rest of the game belonged to the Bulldogs.
The nation’s No. 1 team fatigued a seemingly indefatigable opponent and scored 34 unanswered points on the way to a 41-17 victory over Tennessee.
With the win, executed before 100,074 on a cold night at Neyland Stadium, gets the Bulldogs to 10-0 for the first time since 1982 and gives them an undefeated 8-0 slate in the SEC for the first time since divisional play began in 1992.
Give running back James Cook the MVP nod for the Bulldogs. The senior from Miami became only the second Georgia back to go over 100 yards rushing this season with 104 on 10 carries and he accounted for three of the Bulldogs’ four touchdowns, two on runs and one on a 23-yard pass from quarterback Stetson Bennett.
Bennett had a pretty good night himself, scoring on a nine-yard run, finishing with 40 yards rushing and adding 213 yards and a TD on 17-of-29 passing.
Georgia’s defense deserves high marks as well for making the necessary adjustments after the Vols jumped on them in the first quarter. The Bulldogs kept Tennessee off the scoreboard from the 1:38 mark of the first quarter 3:38 remained in the game. Senior linebacker Channing Tindall led a Georgia defense that totaled six sack with three of his own. That included one that stripped quarterback Hendon Hooker with 10:46 remaining. Travon Walker recovered for the Bulldogs at the 27, ending the Vols last meaningful scoring threat.
But coach Kirby Smart certainly wasn’t happy about several explosive plays logged by Tennessee and Hooker, including 51- and 53-yard receptions and 200 yards receiving by wideout Cedric Tillman. Tillman score The Vols became the third Georgia opponent to gain more 300 yards, finishing with a season-high 387 yards.
The Bulldogs effectively took control of the game between the end of the second quarter and the end of the third. It seemed somewhat anticlimactic when Georgia had to kick a short field at the end of its second third-quarter possession, and ninth of the game. But the score gave the Bulldogs a 27-10 lead and capped a 13-play drive of 5:07. Including the Bulldogs’ scoring drive at the end of the second quarter, that made two drives totaling 24 plays, 164 yards and 8:12 of game clock.
After winning the opening coin toss and deferring to the second half, Georgia’s defense quickly found itself on its heels. The Vols flew down the field on their opening possession, averaging 7.7 yards per play and scoring on a nine-yard touchdown catch by Velus Jones. Tennessee faced just one third down on the drive and took advantage of an interference call against freshman cornerback Kelee Ringo. At the 11:43 mark of the first quarter, it was the largest deficit Georgia had faced all season.
The Bulldogs’ offense answered nearly as quickly. After Bennett’s 14-yard run on third-and-7, two Cook runs covered the final 43 yards, the second one going 39 yards for touchdown. The game was tied 7-all less than six minutes into it.
After exchanging punts, Tennessee took advantage of another interference call — this one against senior Derion Kendrick on third-and-12 — to get into Georgia’s red zone. Facing fourth-and-3 at the Bulldogs’ 7, the Vols settled for a 24-yard field goal and a 10-3 lead. That was the way the first quarter ended.
But Georgia owned the second quarter. The Bulldogs got a 40-yard field from Jack Podlesny at the end of their fourth offensive possession of the game to tie the game at 10-all at the 9:42 mark.
On Tennessee’s ensuing possession, Kendrick intercepted Hooker’s overthrown pass on first down at the 38. Georgia took over at the Vols 40.
On third-and-nine at the 39, Bennett hit Ladd McConkey over the middle for a 15-yard gain and huge conversion. Another 15-yard gain on a Cook run set up Georgia first-and-goal at the 9.
On what looked like a busted play with Bennett trying to execute a face to Kenny McIntosh, who’d already left the backfield for the right flat, Bennett instead ran the football around right end and cut up field at the hash marks for a 9-yard touchdown run and 17-10 Georgia lead with 7:24 remaining in the half.
Georgia’s defense forced two Tennessee punts with one of its own between. Taking over at their own 10, the Bulldogs put together an 11-play drive that ended with Cook’s second touchdown of the day. This one was a 23-yard pass after a beautiful double move by Cook down the Georgia sideline. The best thing about it was it came with only 37 seconds remaining in the half.
Tennessee was forced to let the first-half clock run out after Hooker was sacked by Georgia’s Robert Beal on first down.
