Tennessee vs. Georgia: The Turning Point for the Vols

The Tennessee Volunteers football team came back from down 24-3 to beat the Georgia Bulldogs 38-31. Here is where the turning point of the game happened.

It was the turning point of the game and perhaps the season for the Vols. This win has completely changed the attitude of this 3-3 football team.

And it all came down to just a couple of plays.

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Despite dominating the Georgia Bulldogs early, the Vols somehow found themselves down three touchdowns. One yard away from scoring the first touchdown of the game, Jalen Hurd fumbled and allowed Leonard Floyd to return the ball the other way for a touchdown. That was a 14-point swing.

Tennessee got a field goal the next drive, but then the offense inexplicably stalled throughout the second quarter, while Georgia’s offense got on a roll, reaching field goal range three times. They scored a touchdown, a field goal, and missed a field goal those three times.

Then Georgia returned a punt for a touchdown that should have been called back, but they were up 24-3. At this point, Tennessee was questioning everything, from this game to the season to Butch Jones’s career.

A nice Evan Berry returned and a fourth and short conversion gave little hope that things could turn around.

Tennessee’s offense appeared stalled again at fourth and nine past midfield.

But in the gutsy call of the game and maybe the season, Butch Jones decided to go for it. This was the play that changed everything.

Joshua Dobbs stepped up and threw the ball a little bit behind Josh Smith, who was surrounded by a crowd of receivers. But Smith pulled the ball down and made it into the end zone for a touchdown. That made it 24-10 and was just the spark the Vols needed.

If Tennessee does not convert there, Georgia gets the ball up 24-3 and likely going into halftime with that score or even a larger lead. But Smith and Dobbs were able to cut it to 24-10, giving Tennessee some momentum and getting the fans back in it.

It also allowed for the second most important play of the game to follow.

That fourth down conversion is what kept Tennessee alive. But the following play is what put the momentum on the side of the men in orange, which they never let go.

On the ensuing kickoff once Tennessee cut it to 24-10, Georgia fumbled the kickoff. The Vols recovered the ball in Georgia territory.

All of a sudden, what two plays ago looked like it would be a 24-3 halftime score, the prospect of a 24-17 halftime score was in play.

And that’s exactly what happened thanks to this.

The fourth down and the fumble were the turning points of the game. And they may have saved the season for the Vols.

Next: Smokey Points: Top Five Vols Who Performed vs. Georgia Bulldogs

The Tennessee Volunteers football team came back from down 24-3 to beat the Georgia Bulldogs 38-31. Here is where the turning point of the game happened.

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