*A Look At The Defense:In the first half,fourth-rankedGeorgia surrendered 21 points to No. 14 UT, however one score came by the Vols defense and another was a one-play drive (36-yard TD pass) as Georgia trailed 21-17. The Vols went up 21-17 with 3:08 left in the half on a 27-yard TD pass from Jarrett Guarantano to Josh Palmer. In the first half, UT had 143 yards (19-rush, 124-pass) of total offense on 24 plays with eight first downs. After a failed fourth down attempt by the Bulldogs in the 2nd quarter, UT took over at the UGA 36 and promptly threw a game-tying TD pass to Palmer with 6:40 left.
*Bennett Directs The Offense:In the first half,junior Stetson Bennett(9-for-15, 128 yards and one rushing TD)directed Georgia to 225 yards of total offense on 44 plays. The final play of the half was a goal-line stand by UT as Zamir White was held to no gain at the one as Georgia trailed 21-17. This is the second time this year that Georgia has trailed at the half (Down 7-5 at Arkansas in the season opener).
Down 7-0 in the first today following a defensive TD caused by an errant snap, he led Georgia to a five play, 63-yard TD drive in 2:29 to tie the contest at 7 with 6:38 left. A key play in the drive was a 29-yard completion to sophomore RBKenny McIntosh.On the next possession, he directed a season-long 95-yard TD drive on 12 plays in 6:15 for a 14-7 edge. It was Georgia’s longest drive by yards since a 98-yarder on six plays last year versus Arkansas State. Bennett ran in the final 18 yards on a pair of scrambles including an 8-yarder for the score. It was his first of the year and second of his career. The leading receiver was graduate transfer tight end Tré McKitty with two for 47 yards.
*Rushing Attack: In the first half, Georgia gained 97 yards on 29 attempts. Sophomore Kenny McIntosh tallied 34 yards on six attempts plus had a career-long 29-yard reception. True freshman Jermaine Burtonhad a 43-yard rush, the first of his career, and longest by a Bulldog this year. Zamir White had 14 carries for 31 yards with one TD.
*Points Off Turnovers:Georgia did not force any turnovers in the first half while UT got seven points off one fumble recovered in the end zone by Kivon Bennett after a high snap resulted in a team rush for minus 30 yards. It gave UT a 7-0 lead with 14:17 left. It was the first fumble recovery for a TD against Georgia since 2018 (Josh Jacobs, Alabama).
Tennessee came in as one of five teams in the FBS (and the only SEC team) not to have a turnover this year. Georgia had three turnovers against Arkansas but none last week versus Auburn.
*Special Teams Summary: Junior punter Jake Camarda had one punt for 49 yards, and he placed it inside the 20. Redshirt sophomore PK Jack Podlesny nailed a career-long 47-yard field goal that made it 17-14 Georgia with 4:49 left in the first half. Also, he was 2-for-2 on PATs. Sophomore Kenny McIntosh had a 42-yard kickoff return.
*For Starters:Graduate transfer TETré McKittymade his first career start as a Bulldog as Georgia opened up with a two tight end set. It was his Bulldog debut as he missed the first two games this year due to a knee injury. He had made 19 starts at FSU. On defense, sophomore SLB Nolan Smith made his first career start. The longest active starting streak on offense belongs to center Trey Hill now with 21 while Richard LeCounte leads the defense with 21 straight.
*Captains: Georgia senior Mark Webb, junior Jordan Davis and redshirt sophomore Kearis Jackson served as the captains. UT won the toss and elected to defer until the second half.
