Rocky Flop!
This was billed as a shootout between two high-powered offenses.
Georgia's defense didn't get that memo.
Tennessee was stopped, stifled, and dropped time and again on the offensive side of the ball. Entering the game averaging 49 points per outing, the Volunteers lost their first game of the season 27-13 to the Bulldogs. Georgia's defense proved itself to be elite once again.
Only three times did Tennessee see receivers beat Georgia's secondary deep, with quarterback Hendon Hooker unable to connect. Otherwise, the Bulldogs kept the Tennessee receivers in front of them, allowing them to pick up yards on short and intermediate routes. Georgia's defense, which began the day last in the SEC in sacks with only 10, sacked Hooker seven times.
Hooker was held to 23-of-33 passing for 195 yards and an interception.
Georgia's offense, meanwhile, was spectacular, especially in the first half. Quarterback Stetson Bennett finished the game 17-of-25 passing for 257 yards and two scores. He completed a 37-yard touchdown pass to Ladd McConkey and threw another in the back of the end zone to Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint. Bennett also rushed for a touchdown.
What it means
Georgia's path to the SEC Championship is now easy. It only has to defeat one of Mississippi State and Kentucky to punch its ticket to Atlanta. Of course, if the Bulldogs win both games and then upend rival Georgia Tech, it will most likely guarantee a spot in the College Football Playoff.
This win, especially in convincing fashion, was huge in that regard.
Also, the Bulldogs are all but certain to be the No. 1 team in the country in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Three important plays
Maybe the best punt of all time: From the Georgia 24-yard line, Brett Thorson blasted a punt that bounced and rolled 75 yards out of bounds at the 1-yard line. No hyperbole is intended, as this may well be the greatest punt recorded in football history. This play also changed the entire trajectory of the game. Backed up on the 1-yard line, Georgia's defense recorded what should have been a safety if not for an inexplicable five-minute review that retained the call on the field. From there, Georgia began to roll.
McConkey's deep ball: On the next play after the punt, McConkey put a double move on the Tennessee defensive back and found himself wide open. Bennett dropped in a perfect pass to put the Bulldogs up 14-3.
Third quarter sack: On Tennessee's first drive of the third quarter, the Volunteers faced a third-and-13 from the Georgia 44-yard line. The Bulldogs brought some pressure and Warren Brinson recorded one of Georgia's six sacks. This forced Tennessee to punt, with the Bulldogs' offense following with a 15-play drive that resulted in a field goal.
Grading Georgia
Offense: A
Tennessee's secondary was no match for Georgia's passing attack. The Bulldogs went conservative in the second half to run clock and keep Tennessee's high-powered attack on the sideline, which proved to be a great strategy in preventing a Volunteers' rally.
Defense: A
Georgia kept Tennessee out of the end zone until there was 4:15 left to play in the game. The Bulldogs slowed the Volunteers down by playing man-to-man coverage and were rarely beaten on the outside.
Special teams: A
It must be stated again that Thorson's 75-yard punt could very well be the greatest punt in the history of football.
Season grades to date
Offense: A-
Defense: A
Special teams: A
