Where has this been?

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck put forth one of his best performances of the season, throwing for 347 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions in Saturday's 31-17 win over Tennessee. Beck entered the 2024 season as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate and was regarded as a first-round NFL draft selection. His campaign has not gone according to plan, mired in turnovers and inconsistent play.

On Saturday, Beck's performance was what everyone expected to see all along. Making it better, it came against the seventh-ranked team in the nation and put the Bulldogs back in College Football Playoff contention.

However, Beck and the offense started the game as if more of the same was about to take place. Georgia was forced to punt on its first three possessions, with Arian Smith dropping a pass on Beck's first attempt of the game.

In the second quarter, things changed, with Beck capping a touchdown drive with a 19-yard strike to tight end Oscar Delp in the back of the end zone. From there, Beck led the offense to two more scoring drives in the first half, with Georgia and Tennessee deadlocked at 17 apiece to conclude the second quarter.

The Bulldogs jumped ahead of the Volunteers 24-17 in the third quarter with a Beck rushing touchdown. Georgia was able to put the game away with a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Nate Frazier.

The Bulldogs SEC gauntlet comes to a close, Georgia defeating Tennessee and Texas and losing to Alabama and Mississippi. The Bulldogs will face Massachusetts next week before their annual rivalry against Georgia Tech the week after.

Georgia's College Football Playoff hopes remain alive and well with the win. The Bulldogs should jump back into the top 10 and then take care of business against Massachusetts. This will make the annual rivalry against Georgia Tech a de facto win-and-in game for the program.

Can Beck continue this level of play?

It didn't start well at all, but in the final three quarters Beck looked every bit the star quarterback he was billed to be prior to the season's start. Now, can he continue to play this way?

Next week should be a walk in the park. Georgia Tech will be the next big test, with the Yellow Jackets looking to spoil Georgia's hopes at a playoff bid. If Beck can play like this moving forward, Georgia will be in a great position to win out, reach the playoffs, and make a run as an at-large selection.

Second-quarter scramble: On second-and-10 early in the second quarter, Beck scrambled 14 yards for a first down. It seemed like this was the spark Georgia needed on offense. From here, Beck was lights out, capping this drive with the aforementioned 19-yard touchdown to Delp.

Drive-extending facemask penalty: At the Georgia 15-yard line on second-and-24, Beck threw a quick pass to receiver Nitro Tuggle. The Volunteers then committed a facemask penalty, ripping the freshman's helmet off. This gave Georgia a first down, and helped lead to Beck's rushing touchdown nine plays later.

Crucial false start: With less than 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Tennessee lined up to go for it on fourth-and-5 from the Georgia 41-yard line. A false start derailed those plans, forcing a fourth-and-10 instead. The Volunteers punted, and Georgia capitalized with a 12-play drive that resulted in Frazier's touchdown to put the game away.

Offense: B

This was a much better performance from the offense, especially against one of the better defenses in the SEC. However, the receivers continued to let Beck down with numerous drops. The rushing attack struggled, too, only amassing 108 yards on the ground. But given where this offense has been recently, Saturday night's performance was a welcomed change.

Defense: B+

Georgia's defense had a tough time tackling Dylan Sampson, although many teams that face Tennessee have that issue. After falling behind 10-0, Georgia's defense buckled down and stifled the Volunteers for the most part the rest of the way. Georgia's secondary did a great job preventing quarterback Nico Iamaleava from stretching the field deep.

Special teams: B+

Georgia's punt team surprisingly allowed a 26-yard punt return where Brett Thorson was forced to make the tackle. Thorson boomed a punt on that particular play, too, with the coverage in place but unable to make the tackle. Thorson had two punts go over 50 yards and landed two in side the 20.

Offense: B-

Defense: B

Special teams: B+