Georgia embracing the challenge of winning at Tennessee
ATHENS — No matter how loud Kirby Smart plays “Rocky Top” in the indoor practice facility, he knows there’s nothing he can do to help prepare Georgia for what it will be like in Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
For the first time this season, Georgia goes on the road. For a young team, this will be a major test.
“Me being in this league for a long time, it plays a factor on the ability to execute when you’re in an environment that maybe someone’s never been in,” Smart said. “And you have to be smart about what you’re asking them to execute, because at the end of the day, that’s what it is. Who can execute, who can block and tackle, and who can be physical?”
This will be the earliest Georgia has visited Tennessee since 1995, when Smart was a member of the Georgia team. The opposing quarterback that day was Peyton Manning.
Smart makes winning on the road sound so simple. He’s 4-0 as Georgia’s head coach in Neyland Stadium. The average score of those games has been 40.75 to 10.25.
But last season showed how difficult winning in this new-look SEC is, even for a program like Georgia. The Bulldogs lost at Alabama and Ole Miss last season. Georgia’s first road game was a 13-12 slog over what ended up being a 3-9 Kentucky team.
Throw in that this will be the first road game for 40 members of this team, and it’s hard to know how things will turn out for the Bulldogs on Saturday.
“We can see that a lot of the guys have jitters,” wide receiver Colbie Young said. “I know we’re all antsy around. We’re excited. This is what we came to Georgia for — SEC, to open up like this is amazing. It’s thrilling, but we still have to stay composed. We still have to follow our game plan, stay true to ourselves and just play Georgia football.”
Young knows Tennessee is a great team, as the Volunteers have gotten off to a strong start. They scored 45 points against Syracuse to open the season and 72 against East Tennessee State last week. Even losing quarterback Nico Iamaleava to the transfer portal, along with star running back Dylan Sampson, doesn’t seem to have impacted Tennessee at all.
For all of Tennessee’s early success, much of the discussion surrounding this game focuses on Georgia and its passing offense. Gunner Stockton has not gotten off to a strong start this season, as he did not throw a touchdown pass against Austin Peay.
Stockton understands this rivalry well, being a North Georgia native. He was with the team in 2023, when Carson Beck went to Knoxville and led Georgia to an easy 38-10 win.
Georgia’s current starting quarterback is eager to get his own crack at the Volunteers.
“I think that’s why we come to the SEC and all the cool atmospheres that the SEC brings,” Stockton said Saturday after the Austin Peay game. “It’s definitely exciting. Two years ago, when we went there, it was a great atmosphere, and it’s kind of why you want to play.”
Things will be different for Georgia on Saturday, as it won’t enjoy the creature comforts of Sanford Stadium.
Tennessee and the raucous Neyland Stadium crowd will aim to make things difficult for a Georgia team that lacks many of the key pieces from the past Georgia squads that had success against Tennessee.
“It’s a different demeanor when you go on the road in the SEC, especially when you have not been on the road,” Smart said. “It’s always an adventure. We’ve been preparing for that, knowing that all along it’s going to be different when you go up there. You’ve got to be prepared for it. You’ve got to have confidence in your plan.”
About the Author
Connor Riley has been covering the University of Georgia since 2014 before moving to DawgNation full-time before the 2018 season. He helps in all areas of the site such as team coverage, recruiting, video production, social media and podcasting. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016.
