The Red and Black

Issue date: 10/10/08 Section: First & Goal

3:30 p.m.
Sanford Stadium
CBS-TV

GEORGIA OFFENSE

Georgia's offensive line had a week to rest and it hopefully will fare better this week against Tennessee than it did against Alabama. Alabama's defensive front gave Matthew Stafford problems during the entire game and knocked him around quite a bit. Tennessee has a tough run defense so Georgia will need a superb effort from its offensive line so that running back Knowshon Moreno can have room to run. If Moreno, who is coming off an elbow injury, can't get going this week then Georgia may be on upset alert in the third quarter.

TENNESSEE DEFENSE

The Volunteers' defense isn't the reason Tennessee is 2-3. Tennessee actually leads the SEC in total defense, only giving up 244.4 yards per game. Out of that number, 90.6 are rushing, which indicates the Vols are stingy up front. The rushing defense, led by linebacker Ellix Wilson, who leads Tennessee with 35 tackles, will determine whether Tennessee keeps it close or not.

EDGE: EVEN

Tennessee's got a solid defense against the run and Georgia's offensive line did not fare too well two weeks ago. The Alabama game showed that the offensive line may have trouble against teams that bring a lot of pressure to the quarterback. However, Georgia has the players at the skill positions that may counter some of the pressure Tennessee may bring. Also, keep in mind that Tennessee's front is not nearly as good as Alabama's as it has tallied nine sacks in five games, ranking ninth in the SEC.

TENNESSEE DEFENSE

Georgia's defense, which looked good for the first four games of the year, was wretched in the first half against Alabama. There is reason for concern along the defensive line, as it has not gotten the pressure on opposing quarterbacks the way the coaching staff has said they hoped for. For instance, Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson picked apart Georgia's secondary a week before Kentucky made him look less than average. Linebacker Rennie Curran was a bright spot two weeks ago, making 14 tackles and flying to the ball well. With that said…

TENNESSEE OFFENSE

...Tennessee is atrocious on offense. This is a team desperately searching for an identity in a new offense run by offensive coordinator Dave Clawson. The Vols haven't seemed to learn it well yet and turnovers have bit Tennessee hard in the backside. Quarterback Nick Stephens will get his second start over former five-star quarterback Jonathan Crompton, who struggled in the first four games of the season. Stephens commanded Tennessee's offense last week, which mustered up 225 total yards in an unimpressive 13-9 win over Northern Illinois, a team that is already 0-1 in the MAC.

EDGE: GEORGIA

If Tennessee can't move the ball against Northern Illinois, it might be comical to see what it does against Georgia. Tennessee is only putting up 18 points per game and Georgia's linebackers will make it tough for Arian Foster to get going. These are tough times for the Knoxville faithful as it may be Tennessee's offense may be a sore site for those wearing orange on Saturday.

GEORGIA SPECIAL TEAMS

It remains to be seen if Prince Miller will get more shots at punt returner but he made the most of his opportunity against Alabama, running back a 92-yarder for a score. Kickoff returns also might see some changes as Richard Samuel may get more looks as the first team return man. Georgia coach Mark Richt said he hopes kicker Blair Walsh can get more consistent on kickoffs which will be needed against the SEC's third best kick return unit.

TENNESSEE SPECIAL TEAMS

Tennessee welcomes back punter Britton Colquitt, who just finished a five game suspension for an alcohol-related offense. Colquitt, one of the nation's best, will replace Chad Cunningham at both punts and kickoffs. Placekicker Daniel Lincoln has been inconsistent at field goals this season, only making five of nine kicks. Though Tennessee has done well on kickoff returns, its punt return team hasn't been able to break many big gains, only averaging 10.6 yards per return.

EDGE: GEORGIA

Georgia's punt block/return team has come up big the last two games, with two blocked punts by Zach Renner. Though kickoff coverage has been shaky all season, Georgia gets a slight edge because of the big play potential it has showcased in recent weeks.

GEORGIA INTANGIBLES

Let's see: 51-33 and 35-14. Those two scores are reasons enough for Georgia to come out with a vengeance as Tennessee has embarrassed the Bulldogs the last two seasons. Georgia's also coming off a much-needed bye week, giving the Bulldogs an extra week to prepare for a struggling Tennessee team. Georgia won't need any gimmicks to get up for this game.

TENNESSEE INTANGIBLES

At this point in the season, all Tennessee can do is hold out hope that its defense can carry it to a few more wins as its offense has been lackluster to say the least. If anything, Tennessee's players will want to fight for embattled coach Phillip Fulmer as he has taken a lot of heat for the poor performances the Volunteers have showed this year. It doesn't hurt that Tennessee may have a slight mental edge due to its recent success over Georgia.

EDGE: GEORGIA

The fact that Georgia is coming off a bye is huge. Tennessee was given that luxury last season and it paid big dividends, especially in the first half. Tennessee's spirits on offense are a little low as the offense is not producing like expected with Dave Clawson's new schemes. Also, the Phillip Fulmer of today is not the Phillip Fulmer of 1998, and that alone is a huge advantage for Georgia.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN:

Tennessee is going to have a hard time moving the ball with Nick Stephens under center. The Georgia fans will find faith again in the Bulldogs' defense as Georgia wins the game by holding Tennessee to only a field goal.


Georgia wins 24-3.

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