Tennessee vs. Georgia: Game Grades and Analysis for the Vols and Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs got past the Tennessee Volunteers 35-32 in a tough SEC battle on Saturday afternoon. The final box score of the game can be found here thanks to NCAA.com.
Both teams made great plays on both sides of the ball but also made some mistakes that they will need to correct as they move forward. It’s safe to say that the Vols outplayed the Bulldogs, but the Vols don’t have a player like Todd Gurley, who carried the team on his shoulders in the fourth quarter and led the Bulldogs to a win.
Here are game grades for Tennessee and Georgia.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| Pass Offense | A | A | ||
| Run Offense | B- | B | ||
| Pass Defense | A | A | ||
| Run Defense | C+ | D | ||
| Special Teams | B | B | ||
| Coaching | A | B |
Pass Offense: Justin Worley played one of the best games of his career on Saturday as he displayed poise and looked strong in the pocket. He threw for three touchdowns in the loss and would have had more had he not injured his elbow and missed the third quarter. Worley attacked the Bulldogs secondary all game long, and Georgia had no answer for him.
Run Offense: The Vols only had 117 net yards on the ground, but Jalen Hurd had most, if not all, of them. Because the passing game was working, Hurd was able to run the ball effectively, especially in the second half. If they would have run the ball better in the first half (56 net yards), they would have been leading the contest going into the intermission.
Pass Defense: The Vols secondary led by Cameron Sutton and Todd Kelly shut down the passing game for the Bulldogs, allowing 147 yards through the air. In fact, both Sutton and Kelly had interceptions. The entire unit did a good job of playing the ball and not the man, and the Georgia receivers could not shake the UT secondary off no matter what they did.
Run Defense: It was a good start for the Vols when it came to run defense, but they started to wear down in the second half. The offensive line for Georgia kept grinding down the Tennessee front seven, and that led to the Bulldogs rushing for 289 yards. Tennessee just could not hold down Gurley for the entire game, and it cost the Vols at the end.
Special Teams: The only big play the Vols gave up on special teams was an Isaiah McKenzie punt return in the first half. Other than that, it was a good day as they did not allow Gurley to have any big special teams returns, and Aaron Medley made the one field goal he attempted. Matt Darr had a very good day punting, averaging 44 yards per punt and getting four of his eight punts inside the 20. Special teams was a big part in the Vols staying in this game for all four quarters.
Coaching: Butch Jones and his coaching staff had a great game plan, and his players were more than ready to play in Athens. He wanted to change the culture of the program and has done that. His players are young, so as long as he keeps teaching them how to win SEC games and avoid costly mistakes, the Vols will be contenders sooner than later.
| Pass Offense | D | D- | ||
| Run Offense | A- | A+ | ||
| Pass Defense | D+ | D | ||
| Run Defense | B- | C | ||
| Special Teams | B | B | ||
| Coaching | C | B- |
Pass Offense: Hutson Mason never got going because he looked uncomfortable in the pocket. His throws had too much air under them; he was missing his targets all game long and could not make the big throw downfield. But the one thing he did well was hitting his running backs, as Gurley, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel had six combined receptions. Mason finished the afternoon with 147 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Run Offense: It was another great day for the run game as the Bulldogs racked up nearly 300 yards on the ground. Of course, Gurley had the bulk of the yards with 208, but Michel and Chubb got their share as well. The Vols did a good job of not letting the Bulldogs run wild in the first half, but the offensive line for Georgia wore down the Vols front seven, and it was too much for Tennessee to handle in the second half.
Pass Defense: The secondary had another rough time as Worley threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns. But the reason wasn’t miscommunication like in the South Carolina game. The Bulldogs just had mismatches with the Tennessee receivers, and Worley was able to make some timely throws despite seeing a ton of pressure. It looks bad now, but the secondary will be better as the season rolls on.
Run Defense: The run defense was not bad, but it could have been better. Hurd ran the ball well, especially in the second half, but part of the reason he was able to do so was the Tennessee passing game being on point. Ramik Wilson and Amarlo Herrera combined for 19 tackles and did a solid job of not letting the Vols run over the Bulldogs.
Special Teams: Special teams played a big role in the win. The play of the game was when Colin Barber punted a ball in the fourth, and the Bulldogs were able to down it at the 1-yard line, which led to a fumble recovery for Josh Dawson for a touchdown. McKenzie was effective in the punt return game, and Gurley was solid in returning kicks. The coverage teams did give up some yards, but they never put the Bulldogs in a bad position.
Coaching: Mark Richt knew that the Vols would come ready to play and did a good job of staying with the game plan and making necessary changes. Fans were upset with the coaches for not giving the ball to Gurley at the start of the second half, but they used him a lot in the fourth quarter, which paid off in the end. The coaching staff knew what they needed to do in order to beat the Vols, and it worked.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
