It’s been an up-and-down year for Georgia football.
There have been stretches where the Bulldogs have looked elite in certain areas, like the pass rush or the ground game, and there have been times where they’ve looked hapless, whether it’s due to a flurry of interceptions or a dropped-pass epidemic. Rarely have the Bulldogs been able to put it all together for 60 minutes of football where all units are playing at a high level.
But the team’s 31-17 win over Tennessee was exactly that. Or at least the closest the Bulldogs will probably get in the SEC. Quarterback Carson Beck was dealing. The run game kept Tennessee honest. The pass rush made Nico Iamaleava uncomfortable all night. The secondary was sticking to Tennessee receivers. It’s the kind of complementary football the Bulldogs have been searching for since Week 1, even if they still don’t feel like they’ve played that elusive “complete game” yet.
“I just think we went out there and played like a unit,” center Jared Wilson said. “As one whole team. We’ve yet to put together a game that has been complete. Special teams, offense and defense. The guys’ll be the first to tell you that. We’re getting close to it, but it’s not quite there yet. We understand we need to get back to work.”
It looked like it would be another long night for the Bulldogs at the start. Tennessee walked down the field for a 12-play 78-yard touchdown drive on the game’s first possession, while Georgia punted on its first three drives. The Bulldogs were down early and the offense wasn’t going anywhere.
But the difference between this game and Georgia’s loss to Ole Miss last week lies in the way Georgia responded. After a field goal made it a 10-0 Tennessee lead, the Bulldogs marched all the way down the field for an Oscar Delp touchdown. Then they forced a punt and did it again. When a Dylan Sampson touchdown run put Tennessee back on top, Georgia calmly went down the field and kicked a field goal to tie the game at halftime.
Georgia forced another punt to open the second half and responded with yet another scoring drive. The offense and defense were rolling at the same time, something that the Bulldogs have often missed this season. This game served as a reminder that if Georgia takes care of the ball and dictates the field position battle, it can beat anyone. That just hadn’t been happening much before tonight.
“It was very complementary,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “Somebody told me that they had a 15 or 16 play drive that ate up a ton of time, and then we had a 17 play drive that took up a ton of time, and the meat of the second half was in that time.”
Beck played the game of his life, completing 25 of his 40 pass attempts for 347 yards and two touchdowns. He also provided a spark on the ground, rushing three times for 32 yards and a touchdown. On a night where the running game took a while to get going and receivers were still dropping passes, Georgia’s quarterback ended up being the difference maker.
“He gets judged on outcomes and stats, but we don’t judge based on that,” Smart said. “We judge internally on what gives us the best chance to win. And I’m never going to falter over what I see with my eyes. What I see with my eyes is a guy that’s really good in the pocket, he’s got poise, he’s got composure. He puts us in the right play over and over again and makes good decisions.”
The Bulldogs also received plenty of help from their home fans. The sold-out Sanford Stadium crowd was loud all night, and forced a critical false start in the second half that turned a 4th-and-4 into a 4th-and-9 and thus a punt. The “blackout” atmosphere was as rowdy as Georgia could’ve hoped.
Georgia’s postseason hopes remain intact. The Bulldogs are back at home next week against UMass, where kickoff is set for 12:45 p.m.
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