Flashing back
When No. 1
Tennessee came to Sanford Stadium
Olivia Sayer
It was the talk of the town.
The anticipation began on Friday, when the SEC Network trucks pulled into the front lawn outside of the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries. Although they were up the hill, one could make out the faces of Paul Finebaum, Laura Rutledge, Jordan Rodgers and others, as they played corn hole, ate hot dogs and talked SEC football.
On the other side of campus, students lined the fence outside of the College GameDay set, aiming to be in the background of The Pat McAfee Show — before it was a cool thing to do so. It was there that McAfee learned the “What’s that coming down the track” chant he infamously used a year later at the SEC Championship to turn Georgia fans against him.
All the publicity warranted what was looming. Tennessee, who was ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history, was coming to Athens. And this season, the team actually had the chance of leaving victorious.
Saturday began with students camping out at Myers Quad soon after the clock struck midnight. Nine hours later, Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and McAfee took their positions, and in front of a sea of red and black, all picked Tennessee.
To say Athens was fired up for the game would be an understatement. Students crowded the gate on Reed Plaza four hours before kickoff and came up with creative ways — including Geometry Dash, chanting and heckling those that wore opposing colors — to entertain themselves.
I think everybody was mad. ... The fans were mad. I mean, I know the team was mad. It was like the audacity of the Tennessee Volunteers to be ranked No. 1.
STETSON BENNETT | FORMER GEORGIA QB
Once inside of the stadium, it was a mad rush to the student sections, as everyone waited eagerly for the game to begin. The same level of excitement will not be as prevalent when Tennessee comes to Athens this Saturday, but it will
be close. The former eastern division rivals are playing in what will be an elimination game for Georgia, who sits at 7-2 after a 28-10 loss to Ole Miss. Should the Bulldogs suffer their second consecutive loss, they would presumably be knocked out of the 12-team playoff.
Georgia actually fumbled on its opening drive in 2022, contrary to the “blowout, demolition-like football” many remember the game to be. Tennessee was in prime position to go up early on the Bulldogs, but two false starts limited the Volunteers to just a field goal.
The 92,746 in attendance took all of the doubt and slights against Sanford Stadium’s game day atmosphere personally. Fans delivered, causing seven false start penalties with noise levels that reached 132.6 decibels, according to the scoreboard. The mentality carried over to the players.
“I think everybody was mad,” former quarterback Stetson Bennett said on the “Unreserved with TJ Callaway” podcast. “The fans were mad. I mean, I know the team was mad. It was like the audacity of the Tennessee Volunteers
to be ranked No. 1.”
Bennett had a valid reason to be irritated, as a Tennessee fan leaked his phone number the night before the game. Bennett said he received 600-700 calls, in addition to other text messages. He did not return any of them but celebrated his 13-yard touchdown run in the first quarter with a gesture that mimicked a phone call.
“I was like, ‘If I score — and I’ve got to score, I can’t throw it and then do it. I’ve got to run a touchdown in — I’m going to do the [celebration],” Bennett said. “And then we scored, and I did it, and I felt really cool.”
As the game progressed, the sky turned from light blue to pitch black with precipitation beginning to fall. However, as the rain increased, so did the electricity of the crowd. Not before long, “overrated” chants hailed from a rainsoaked crowd, as Georgia defeated Tennessee 27-13. “I’ve never seen our fans not leave the stadium like that, even when it rained,” Kirby Smart, said after the game “Our fans were elite today.”
Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh (6) during a football game against the University of Tennessee at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Geor-
gia, on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. Georgia won 27-13.
PHOTO/JESSICA GRATIGNY
Dawgs bite back Georgia to face Tennessee at home under the lights
Bo Underwood
Georgia has another high-profile SEC matchup on tap this Saturday when it welcomes Tennessee to Sanford Stadium. The Volunteers are 8-1 overall with a 5-1 conference record.
Tennessee has become known for its high powered offenses under head coach Josh Heupel, and this year’s team continues that trend. The Volunteers average the most rushing yards per game in the SEC with 235.1 and are fourth in the conference in points per game.
Star running back Dylan Sampson broke the program record for rushing touchdowns in a season after just eight games and is currently tied for third in the country. He’s a deadly combination of speed, acceleration and contact balance and will be the best running back Georgia has faced so far this season.
Redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee’s starting quarterback, has completed 65.2% of his passes for 1,879 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions this season. It’s been an up-and-down season for Tennessee through the air. Iamaleava has shown flashes of brilliance, but he has struggled to connect on deep balls, and the Volunteers have had some lackluster outings from the passing offense in SEC play. Drops and shaky-at-best offensive line play have both been issues, but Iamaleava had his best game of the season in Tennessee’s win over Kentucky two weeks ago when he completed 29 of his 38 attempts for 292 yards and a touchdown.
The Volunteers’ defense got off to a strong start this year. Tennessee has held its opponents to under 20 points in every game this season, and the streak dates back to its 2024 Citrus Bowl victory over Iowa. Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is the headliner and is currently leading the team in sacks with 5.5. Pearce is a bonafide playmaker off the edge, boasting elite burst and bend. Georgia will need to know where he is at all times.
Linebacker Arion Carter leads the Volunteers in tackles with 50, while fifth-year former walk-on senior safety Will Brooks has a team-high three interceptions on the season. Tennessee is second in the SEC to only Texas in fewest points allowed per game.
The Volunteers have allowed points on just 67% of red zone possessions this season, which is the third-best mark of any Power 5 school. Georgia is third-best in the SEC in offensive red zone scoring percentage, so the red zone trips will be interesting to monitor in this game. Georgia, like Tennessee, has had trouble rounding into form on offense. The yardage has been there at times, with Georgia averaging over 410 yards of total offense per game, but the Bulldogs have been held back by turnovers. Quar-
terback Carson Beck has thrown 12 interceptions in his last six games, and he posted three-interception games against Alabama, Texas and Florida. Georgia’s passing game has still been prolific, with Beck third in the SEC in passing yards, but the interceptions have made life much harder for an offense that has otherwise been humming for most of the year.
Georgia has dealt with multiple injuries along the interior offensive line this season, with Tate Ratledge, Jared Wilson and Micah Morris all having to miss time at various points. Florida transfer Trevor Etienne emerged as a lead back for the Bulldogs for a bit, but took a backseat to freshman Nate Frazier in Georgia’s blowout loss to Ole Miss. Frazier fumbled twice in that game as well.
Similar to the offensive line, it’s been a tough season for Georgia’s defensive line in terms of injuries, but Mykel Williams’ return from injury has been a game-changer for Georgia. He had his first two sacks of the season in Geor gia’s upset win over Texas and, along with Jalon Walker (4.5 sacks), forms one of the nation’s deadliest pass rush duos. The Bulldogs have also received plenty of pass-rush juice from fellow edge rusher Chaz Chambliss and defen sive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, who each have three sacks on the season.
Georgia’s secondary has been inconsistent to say the least. The Bulldogs got burned deep by lowly Mississippi State, appeared to bounce back against Florida and then took another step back against Ole Miss. Dont’e Thorn ton Jr. is the Volunteers’ best deep threat with 20 catches for a team-high 505 yards and four scores, while veteran wideout Bru McCoy has been a steady presence all season with a team-high 27 catches for 357 yards.
Tennessee loves to let the deep ball fly once it’s started having suc cess with the run. Against Texas, Georgia did a nice job of shutting down the run game early and forcing Texas into pass ing situations, which in turn made the Longhorns more predictable and easier to defend. The Bulldogs’ best hope of shutting down Tennessee is by stopping the run early, but if Sampson can get going, then it’s going
to open up a lot of opportunities for Iamaleava and the receivers to burn Georgia deep. That is, if Tennessee’s offensive line can hold up well enough against a red-hot Georgia pass rush.
This game will likely come down to who can commit fewer mistakes. Two of the nation’s best defenses will make life hard for their opposing units, with Georgia’s turnover woes and Tennessee’s offensive inconsistencies. Still, Georgia has the edge at home and should have just enough firepower to get past a vaunted Tennessee defense, while the Volunteers’ offense may not be able to generate enough explosive plays against the Bulldogs’ pass rush.
Prediction: Georgia 21, Tennessee 19
Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. Georgia
Back against the wall Georgia has one chance to salvage season with Tennessee game
Bo Underwood
Georgia is down to its last hope this week against Tennessee.
After a deflating 28-10 road loss to Ole Miss last Saturday, the Bulldogs’ chances at making the SEC championship have plummeted and the road to the postseason is a lot tougher. Georgia is now fourth in the SEC with two conference losses, and would need to win out and receive some other help to qualify for the title game.
It’s been the latest development in an increasingly frustrating season for Georgia. Though they still boast one of the most talented rosters in the country and dominant wins over Texas and Clemson, the Bulldogs have fallen victim to turnover issues, dropped passes, missed tackles and the injury bug among other things.
Everyone knows the stat by now. Carson Beck has thrown 12 interceptions in his last six games, including three performances with three picks against Alabama, Texas and Florida. The turnovers have largely derailed Georgia’s offense, just in time for the Bulldogs to also take the national lead in dropped passes with 29.
The departures of Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey have been massive for this offense. There’s no longer a go-to, security blanket type of player for Beck to throw to, and the difference has been obvious whenever he’s under pressure. It doesn’t look like he has anyone on offense he trusts nearly as much as those two, and it’s resulted in him being out of sync with his receivers for much of the year.
The Bulldogs have also had several key starters miss time, whether it’s Mykel Williams, Tate Ratledge or Smael Mondon Jr. When it’s been at its best this year, Georgia has looked like it can beat anyone. But the lows have been so low that it’s hard to look at this team in its current state and call it elite. There have been too many self-inflicted wounds and too many mistakes that championship-level teams simply can’t afford to make.
Georgia can do a lot to repair its image on Saturday if it can get an emphatic win. But if the Bulldogs come out looking flat once again, it’s probably time to put those playoff hopes on ice.
NUMBERS TO KNOW: Week 12
#3
Georgia linebacker CJ Allen
Allen has been a key part of Georgia’s dominant defense this year, tying with Malaki Starks for the team lead in tackles with 49. Allen’s best game of the season came in Georgia’s victory over Florida, when he recorded a team-high eight tackles and his first career interception. The growth that Allen has seen since his first career start last year has been immense, and the sophomore’s confidence is only continuing to improve.
Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson
Sampson is propelling Tennessee’s offense this year, with 1,129 rushing yards on 201 carries. The junior recently broke the program’s single-season touchdown record — a record set in 1929 — in Tennessee’s 28-18 victory over Kentucky with 19. Sampson has clearly become Tennessee’s go-to guy, as he has recorded over 100 yards in eight games this season, so Georgia will have to be prepared to stop his speed.
Georgia running back Nate Frazier
#6
Frazier has proved game after game that he can be an asset for the Bulldogs this season and in the program’s future. The freshman is the Bulldogs’ second-leading rusher, just behind Trevor Etienne, as he has secured 333 yards on 72 carries this season with two touchdowns. Frazier saw his most active game against the Gators in Week 10, bringing in 82 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown for the Bulldogs to fill the hole left by an injured Etienne.
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava
Iamaleava has led the Volunteers to a successful 8-1 season so far, throwing for 1,879 yards and 11 touchdowns. The former five-star recruit isn’t afraid to be aggressive and run the ball either, as he has recorded 64 carries for 215 yards and one touchdown. Though the redshirt freshman hasn’t had a perfect season, he is playing his best football right now, notching 292 yards passing on 38 attempts against Kentucky in Week 10.
#32
Georgia running back Cash Jones
#8
Though Jones has been limited to only eight carries for 15 yards due to a crowded running back room, he has proven his ability to be a contributor on the receiving side of the ball. Jones has 13 catches for 154 yards, his longest being a 30-yard catch against Alabama. The former walk-on running back muscled his way into the endzone for a 22-yard touchdown against Florida to record his first of the season.
Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr.
Pearce came into the season as one of the top college football prospects and a potential prospect for the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he has continued to prove his skill. Though he had a slower start to the season, Pearce’s impressive agility and movement skills have allowed him to lead the Volunteers in sacks, with 5.5, and to record 27 tackles on the season. The junior recorded nine tackles against Arkansas, seven against Florida and 1.5 sacks in an upset victory over Alabama. Georgia will have to protect Carson Beck from a dominant Pearce.
By Ansley Gavlak
DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Evie Lewis
BRAND AMBASSADORS Anna Kobbe, Jane Ransome PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT INTERN Jennifer Natunen
CREATIVE SERVICES 706-433-3021
CREATIVE SERVICES ASSISTANT Ashtin Barker
COMMUNICATIONS 706-433-3009
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Alexis Derickson
COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT Emma Akang
DISTRIBUTION 706-433-3000 DISTRO@RANDB.COM
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Gracie Owens
DISTRIBUTION ASSISTANTS Joanne Aligada, Reagan Brode, Jack Clark, Ella Eiland, Adriana Segura PROFESSIONAL STAFF
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Charlotte Varnum
706-433-3009 | cvarnum@randb.com
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Melissa Mooney
706-433-3007 | mmooney@randb.com
NEWSROOM ADVISER Kayla Renie 706-433-3026 | krenie@randb.com
MARKETING DIRECTOR Katie Martin 706-433-3012 | kmartin@randb.com
GUIDES & MAGAZINES SUPERVISOR Maddie Daniel 706-433-3046 | adaniel@randb.com
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Blake Campbell 706-433-3021 | bcampbell@randb.com
ABOUT US Publishing online daily at redandblack.com
CORRECTIONS
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck takes a sack against Ole Miss on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi. Georgia lost 28-10. PHOTO/LANEY MARTIN
Sports
Jalon Walker’s
Texas takedown fuels Georgia’s rise
Bulldogs’ defense reemerges as Walker continues to dominate
Over 100,000 Texas fans turned stone-cold silent, bringing Darrell K Royal –Texas Memorial Stadium to an eerie halt.
Jalon Walker had just fought through a towering wall of burnt orange and white and dragged Quinn Ewers to the ground for his third sack of the first half. Georgia was up 20-0 on the former No. 1 team in the nation and had no plans of slowing down anytime soon.
We all know how that game ended, a decisive 30-15 win over the Longhorns that put the Bulldogs back in the mix for the top spot in the AP Top-25 poll. Georgia fans have Walker, in part, to thank for that.
The 6 feet 2 inch, 245-pound defender came into the season tabbed as a probable first-round pick in the NFL draft and has lived up to the hype this season. Through eight games, Walker has 34 tackles (5.5 for loss), 4.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and a pass deflected, putting constant pressure on opposing lines and wreaking havoc on quarterbacks.
“I don’t take that lightly,” Walker said to ESPN. “I feel that our standard at the University of Georgia is incredibly long and historic, and I want to keep that torch and
flame going. I want to set an example for the younger guys to see what it takes and what you need to do to be a leader.”
To tack onto that, Walker has unleashed a different beast in crunch time this year. Against the Longhorns, he finished the night with three sacks, eight tackles and a fumble recovery en route to a dominating performance over a Texas offense currently averaging over 37 points per game. Walker recorded seven of his tackles, all three of his sacks and his fumble recovery in the first half of the game — becoming the first player to do so in the last 20 years against the AP No. 1 team.
“He works his trade and craft every day. I thought Schumann did a great job pointing out he took every rep on a Friday walk-through to really work his pass rush move-in a walk-through,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “Like physically and mentally taking his steps, dropping, rushing and stripping the quarterback. And I’ll be danged if he didn’t do the exact thing in the game. We could put those three clips he had of him doing that back to back and show the players that being intentional in a walkthrough can have incredible value.”
Walker has quickly jumped up NFL draft boards as well, with his work ethic, character and play on the field skyrock-
I want to set an example for the younger guys to see what it takes and what you need to do to be a leader.”
JALON WALKER | LINEBACKER, #11
eting him in recent projections. Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has Walker as the No. 10 prospect in the 2025 NFL draft class, while Matt Miller has him at the No. 14 spot, so look for Walker to find his suitor somewhere in the first two rounds of the draft.
“He’s just such a high-character kid with high moral values and a great family,” Smart said. “You think back to all those wins you get in recruiting and how you really don’t know how important they are. I think back to when he called and told us he was coming, what that changed his life towards and what it changed for us.”
Andy Mathis
Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker (11) during the game against Mississippi State on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 in Athens, Georgia at Sanford
Scenes during the NCAA college football game between Georgia and Ole Miss at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi
Five-star defense
Georgia shut down former top five quarterbacks this season
Owen McDaniel
Beating six different quarterbacks that were top five recruits at their position in high school is a formidable task for any program to take on. However, if Georgia is able to send Tennessee and former No. 2 overall recruit Nico Iamaleava back to Knoxville with a loss on Saturday, it will have accomplished that feat with expertise.
The Bulldogs began the season with a challenge, as they faced Cade Klubnik, the No. 2 quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class, and No. 14 Clemson in the season opener. The Georgia defense smothered Klubnik in a 34-3 rout, holding him to 142 passing yards, just one completion of more than 20 yards and an interception — one of only three that Klubnik has thrown this season.
“We learned where we were at as a defensive unit as a whole,” Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson said after the game. “We all felt like we played pretty good holding them to three points, a field goal. You can’t get too much better than that, unless it’s a goose egg.”
Two weeks later, Georgia met a familiar face in Brock Vandagriff, who transferred to Kentucky this past offseason after three years in Athens. The No. 5 quarterback in the 2021 class could not figure out his old defense, throwing for a mere 114 yards, while being pressured 23 times and sacked on three occasion. The remarkable defensive showing buoyed the Bulldogs to a 13-12 win in a game where the offense struggled to move the ball.
Georgia traveled to Austin, Texas in mid-October to play the No. 1 Longhorns in what was branded as the Bulldogs’ toughest matchup of the season. However, the defense roped the Longhorn offense down, even forcing head coach Steve Sarkisian to bench former No. 1 overall recruit Quinn Ewers for another former top recruit, Arch Manning, shortly before halftime.
“You watch the games that Arch [Manning] has played,
like
he played really well,” head coach Kirby Smart said leading up to the game. “He comes out first couple plays against Mississippi State, ripping it and firing it in his first SEC play, and he played really good. Quinn [Ewers] is a great player, and they got a great quarterback situation because they’ve got two guys that both are capable of winning and playing well.”
Despite the different look at quarterback, the Georgia defense did not falter, and after two unproductive drives with Manning at the helm, Sarkisian put the reins back in Ewers’ hands.
Ewers put together two third-quarter touchdown drives, but it was not nearly enough, as the defense tallied seven sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception en route to a 30-15 Georgia statement win.
In the next game, the Bulldogs faced off against the 2024 class’ No. 1 quarterback, DJ Lagway and archrival Florida. Unfortunately, the true freshman suffered a hamstring injury late in the second quarter that sidelined him for the rest of the game, but he had only completed two passes for 47 yards and a long touchdown up to that point. The injury was a death sentence for Florida, and Georgia toppled the Gators for the fourth straight season by a score of 34-20.
The Bulldog defense held those five quarterbacks to an average QBR of 41.18, and Vandagriff was the only one that had a higher QBR than his season average — by two points. Every game is different, but the numbers bode well for Georgia against Iamaleava and the Volunteers.
Georgia players tackle Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff during the first half of the Georgia vs. Kentucky game at Kroger Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. Georgia won 13-12.
PHOTO/FELIX SCHEYER
