Tennessee football vs. Georgia: Score prediction, scouting report for Vols vs. Bulldogs
Tennessee football is putting its No. 1 ranking in the College Football Playoff to the test.
No. 1 Tennessee (8-0 4-0 SEC) faces No. 3 Georgia (8-0, 5-0) on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS).
Here is what to know about the matchup:
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Tennessee (No. 2 AFCA Coaches / No. 3 AP) claimed the top spot in the initial CFP rankings, but Georgia is No. 1 in the AFCA USA Today Coaches and AP Top 25 polls. Saturday will determine which team actually is No. 1 and more.
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The winner will control the SEC East title race and path to the SEC championship game. Winning in Atlanta is the most direct road to the playoff, although the loser Saturday will still have a path to the top four seeds potentially by finishing 11-1. The loser likely would need the winner to win out, going 13-0 and winning the SEC title and leaving the SEC West winner with two losses.
Georgia's defense does it all well — almost
Georgia's made NFL Draft history in 2022 when it had five players selected in the first round, setting the record for the modern era of the draft since 1967.
The Bulldogs have kept it going, allowing 10.5 points per game after allowing 10.2 points per game in 2021. They are stout against the run and pass, leading the SEC in rushing defense (85.3 yards allowed per game) and ranking second in passing defense (177.1 yards allowed per game).
Georgia is not piling up sacks at the same rate as last season. The Bulldogs rank last in the SEC with 10 sacks. They averaged more than three sacks per game last season to finish with 49 but are averaging little more than one per game in 2022.
Winning in the red zone
Tennessee and Georgia both are among the best teams at scoring in the red zone in the nation. Georgia leads the nation, having scored on 97.9% of red-zone opportunities. Tennessee is second at 95.6%.
UT leads nation with 36 touchdowns in red zone and has scored touchdowns on 80% of red-zone trips. Georgia is tied for second in red-zone touchdowns with 33.
Conversely, Georgia has allowed opponents to score only four touchdowns in 14 red-zone trips. The Vols have allowed touchdowns on 15 of 32 red zone trips, one of 20 Power 5 teams to allow on less than half of an opponent's red-zone chances.
Cedric Tillman
Cedric Tillman returned for Tennessee after missing the previous four games with an ankle injury suffered on Sept. 17 against Akron. The senior wide receiver had four receptions for 22 yards against the Wildcats.
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"We kind of had him on a pitch count here in his first one," Heupel said. "He’s had two weeks of really good practice at full speed, where we felt comfortable. He’s been itching to play. ... He's ready to play his best football in my opinion."
Tillman has 21 catches for 268 yards and a touchdown in four games.
Don't lose Brock Bowers
Georgia tight end Brock Bowers is a unique weapon. The sophomore has 31 catches for 547 yards and three touchdowns. He also has three rushing touchdowns on three attempts, including a 75-yard rushing touchdown against Kent State.
"That matchup changes because of where they position him," Bowers said. "They do a great job of moving him around. You have to identify him in all of the different formations that you’re going to get from them."
Bowers is Georgia's leading receiver and ranks fourth in the SEC in receiving yards.
Tennessee-Georgia score prediction
Tennessee 38, Georgia 34: The focus is Tennessee's offense against Georgia's defense. But UT's defense is rising and it will do enough to pair with the offense for another marquee win.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football vs. Georgia: Score prediction, scouting report
