We just got done with Florida-hate week, but now that the Tennessee Volunteers are ranked at No. 2 in the nation coming into their game against your No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs, Coach Kirby Smart is asking that Dawg Nation show up and show out at Sanford on Saturday. 

Coach Smart had a lot to say about the Volunteers in yesterday’s presser. Josh Heupel and his team are on the come up and have a lot of hype riding into this game. They’re one of the hottest teams in the nation right now, and they’re even drawing comparisons to Joe Burrow’s 2019 Louisiana State University’s Tigers.

One thing that’s propelled the Vols to the national stage is their offensive tempo. The Volunteers run the most plays per game in the nation and have one of the highest scoring offenses as well. Their offensive reputation coming into Saturday’s matchup has the nation buzzing and almost everyone not in Athens, Georgia is rooting for the Vols right now. 

They’re offense is really unique in the pace at which they operate, and Coach Smart spoke on that. 

“You’re not going to show them something they haven’t seen. You got to do what you do better than they do. And they’re really good at what they do,” Smart said.

One counter to the Volunteer’s offense is effective pass rush. 

With Jalen Carter on the way back to recovery and getting involved in the Florida game, things are looking good for the third-year interior defensive line phenom to make a prominent appearance versus the Vols. But one thing, that the Dawgs will lack will more likely be their senior edge defender and premier pass rusher, Nolan Smith.

Coach Smart said Smith would be doubtful come Saturday even though he hasn’t see an official report on his injury to this point. 

It’s a next man up mentality for the edge defenders from this point moving forward. Outside linebackers, Chaz Chambliss and Robert Beal immediately come to mind for Smith’s replacements, but Smart said he’ll expect MJ Sherman and freshman Marvin Jones to see time too. 

If Georgia can set the edge on Saturday, it’ll be a big factor in the outcome of the game.