The seventh-ranked Dawgs
dominated the Tennessee Volunteers 41-0 on Saturday at Neyland Stadium,
recording their 800th win in school history in front of a sell-out
crowd of 102,455.
Georgia improved to 2-0 in the conference
and 5-0 on the season for the first time since 2012. That year, the Dawgs
overtook Tennessee 51-44 for their fifth win of the season. The Volunteers drop
to 3-2 on the season and 0-2 in the SEC.
The Georgia defense headlined the contest,
holding the Volunteers scoreless with 142 total yards and just over 22 minutes
on the field. The group forced Tennessee’s lowest offensive numbers
of the season and caused four turnovers, including first career
interceptions for junior defensive back J.R. Reed and sophomore defensive back
Tyrique McGhee.
Offensively, senior tailback Nick
Chubb fueled the team's 294 rushing yards with 109 yards of his own, including
75 in the first half. Freshman quarterback Jake Fromm recorded three
touchdowns, including two rushing as he hit 7-of-15 passes for 84
yards. Sophomore kicker Rodrigo Blankenship extended his
torrid total of touchbacks, producing five on his seven kickoffs on
the day.
“Defense creates offense,” head coach
Kirby Smart said. “That comes from how you practice and the culture you create.
We’re getting better at that, but we certainly have a tough test next week with
Vandy. The fans had a big part of the day, they had great energy. Our players
are certainly appreciative of what our fan base has done.”
It took one play to end Tennessee’s first
offensive possession of the game with an interception from McGhee, positioning
Blankenship for a 38-yard field goal and the 3-0 Georgia lead.
Midway through the first quarter,
sophomore wide receiver Mecole Hardman’s 19-yard punt return
began Georgia’s 7-play, 54-yard scoring drive. Back-to-back first-down
completions from Fromm to both junior wide receiver Terry Godwin and
senior wide receiver Javon Wims placed the Dawgs in the red zone.
Following two consecutive Georgia timeouts, Fromm connected with an airborne
Wims in the end zone for the 10-0 lead.
In the second quarter, Georgia utilized
the run game, beginning with an 87-yard march down the field on 11 plays. Chubb
collected 42 yards on three-straight carriers to place Georgia in Tennessee
territory. The offense continued the drive with a pair of 3rd-and-7
conversions, capped by Fromm’s first career rushing touchdown.
The next Tennessee possession, Deandre
Baker broke up the junior quarterback Quinten Dormandy pass to
freshman wide receiver Josh Palmer, deflecting the ball into the
hands of Reed. The native of Frisco, Texas returned the interception to
Tennessee’s 26-yard line. Five plays and 26 yards later, Fromm ran four yards
into the end zone to seal the 24-0 first half.
In the second half, Georgia tacked on a
touchdown apiece in each quarter. A blocked punt from junior inside linebacker
D’Andre Walker paved the way for a 6-play, 55-yard offensive drive. Fromm
completed a 19-yard pass to Godwin, and senior tailback Sony Michel
provided a 21-yard rushing touchdown on the next play for the 31-0 edge.
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