Tennessee vs. Georgia Preview

Photo Credit: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee's first road test comes at No. 2 Georgia at 3:30 on Saturday. The matchup will mark the 48th all-time meeting between the teams, with the Vols leading the series 23-22-2. These 2 teams typically have close contests, as 6 of the past 7 games have been won by 8 points or less. Georgia enters this game 4-0, with wins over Austin Peay, South Carolina, MTSU and Missouri.

On the season, Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm has completed 50-69 passes for 739 yards, 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Running back, Elijah Holyfield has totaled 290 yards and 2 touchdowns on 36 carries this season, while D'Andre Swift has ran the ball 40 times for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wide receiver, Mecole Hardman has recorded 247 yards and 4 touchdown on 14 receptions for the Bulldogs this season.

On Wednesday, Pruitt addressed the upcoming matchup, saying, "When you go on the road in the SEC, you find out a lot about yourself. To me, one of the best things about being a player or coach in this league, is you find out really who you are when you go on the road. Everybody is against you. It's a tough environment. You have to overcome a whole lot, but you find guys who have maturity, who can focus and do the little things that it takes to have success.”

This rivalry is intense for several reasons, one of which is the recruiting battles that occur between the 2 schools. Currently, there are 15 Vols on scholarship that are from the state of Georgia. The last time the Vols and Bulldogs met in Athens, Georgia native, Josh Dobbs completed a Hail Mary pass to Jauan Jennings, beating Georgia 34-31.

Obviously, to shut down a high-powered offense, the defense must be stout. The Tennessee defense currently leads to SEC with the fewest first downs allowed, with only 14 given up per game. In order to keep it close today, the Vols must limit the Bulldogs on early downs, forcing them into third-and-long situations. It will be interesting to see how the Vols fare in a road matchup against a team who is coming off a run to the national championship game.

Preston's Pick: Tennessee 20  Georgia 42

Alex's Pick: Tennessee 10  Georgia 54