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Photo/Video Flashback: Georgia vs. Tennessee 2024

The following is the postgame story by Will Hearn and Matthew Herren.

The Georgia Bulldogs pulled off a season-saving win against the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers by a score of 31-17. College Gameday was in town for the biggest matchup of the weekend, bringing a massive crowd to Myers Quad in the early hours of Saturday. The entire crew predicted a Georgia win, including Lee Corso’s headgear pick. Early on, the Vols had all the momentum, putting up a quick 10 points in the first quarter. Two Oscar Delp touchdowns later, the offense found its groove and found itself tied going into the break. For the scoring in the second half, the running game took center stage, as Carson Beck and Nate Frazier both had rushing touchdowns. Unfortunately for the Volunteers, they were unable to put up any second-half points due to the amazing performance once again from Coach Schumann’s Junkyard Dawgs.

    The first player we want to highlight is the Dawgs’ QB1: Carson Beck. Over the past few weeks, the senior has faced lots of criticism for his turnovers and overall poor performance. Before the season began, he was one of our picks to make the trip to New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. While he hasn’t had the year that most were expecting, he put all the noise and prior games behind him and played an unbelievable game. While throwing for 347 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions, Beck and the offense did what they needed to do to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. He will need to keep it up as the season moves into December. Next, do not forget what may have been the play of the game by punter Brett Thorson. In what ended up being a four-point play, Thorson used his rugby instincts to make a linebacker-esque tackle to save a touchdown.

    After the game, Coach Smart maintained his questioning of the College Football Playoff Committee. He again asked what they are looking for in teams: “I don’t know what they’re looking for. I really don’t. I wish they could really define the criteria.” He stayed consistent in his opinion that the difficulty of road games in the SEC, especially night games, should hold more value. Smart wishes these committee members would come to these games and do the eyeball test. He’s adamant there are things that simply cannot be seen on TV.

    As for the fans, they answered the call, once again proving that Sanford Stadium is one of the most intimidating places to play college football. Looking around Sanford from the field, even before the game started, I had a different feeling heading into this game. The noise shook the field and certainly made an impact on the game. The Volunteers totaled nine penalties for 70 yards, some of which occurred on crucial downs.

    The Bulldogs now prepare for a matchup with the UMass Minutemen. They have not had the season they were hoping for, sitting at 2-8 on the year. They’ve already had to face two SEC opponents this season, losing both games to Missouri at home and Mississippi State on the road. This will certainly be a “get right” game for the Bulldogs, as we should anticipate starters not playing too much and for the majority of the roster to see playing time. While it’s certainly never good to overlook an opponent, most of Dawg Nation has their sights set on the Black Friday matchup with Georgia Tech that will decide their playoff fate.

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