All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football at Georgia: 10 keys to the game

By Caleb Calhoun

Oct 3, 2020; Athens, Georgia, USA; A general view of the stadium prior to the game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Auburn Tigers at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2020; Athens, Georgia, USA; A general view of the stadium prior to the game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Auburn Tigers at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
10 of 11
Next
Oct 3, 2020; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee linebacker Deandre Johnson (13) celebrates a sack he made during a SEC conference football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Missouri Tigers held at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brianna Paciorka-USA TODAY NETWORK
Oct 3, 2020; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee linebacker Deandre Johnson (13) celebrates a sack he made during a SEC conference football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Missouri Tigers held at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brianna Paciorka-USA TODAY NETWORK /

2. Pass-rush by both teams

Both Tennessee football and the Georgia Bulldogs are tied for fourth in the SEC with five sacks apiece. UT has more tackles for a loss with 14 to UGA’s 10, and it also has more quarterback hurries with seven to UGA’s three, but the fact of the matter is both teams have what it takes to get pressure on the passer, and that’s a big deal.

More from Vols Football

For the Vols, Deandre Johnson is the standout performer. Johnson had two and a half sacks in the opener and a key hurry that forced Collin Hill to throw his pick-six to Henry To’o To’o. With a quieter day against the Missouri Tigers, he still came away with a key third down sack that forced Mizzou to settle for a field goal in the first half.

Georgia’s leader is Adam Anderson, who just had two sacks against the Auburn Tigers. Both UGA and the Vols have had four different players come up with those five sacks. Kirby Smart and Jeremy Pruitt will try as many different blitz packages as possible to have this be an impact. Darrell Taylor had his breakout game here two years ago.

Top five Vols performers in 35-12 win vs. Missouri. light. Related Story

Taking all of that into account, generating a pass rush coincides with that fast start we brought up. Both teams rely on it in their 3-4 schemes, and the one who gets the fast start can double down on their advantage with a solid pass rush. If one team can’t generate its pass rush because of the offensive lines, though, then they are in trouble.

Home/Vols Football