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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 /
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Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano (2) and Tennessee running back Eric Gray (3) celebrate after Gray scores a touchdown during a SEC conference football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Missouri Tigers held at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, October 3, 2020.Kns Ut Football Missouri Bp
Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano (2) and Tennessee running back Eric Gray (3) celebrate after Gray scores a touchdown during a SEC conference football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Missouri Tigers held at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, October 3, 2020.Kns Ut Football Missouri Bp /

10. Time of possession battle

A staple of this game will be the trenches and the rushing attack, as Tennessee football has a loaded offensive line while the Georgia Bulldogs are loaded everywhere up front. However, part of that will come down to who can control the clock more, as fatigue will be a major factor in who wins the battle up front more than anything else.

Through its first two games, Georgia has dominated time of possession, holding the ball over 11 minutes longer than the Arkansas Razorbacks and over eight minutes longer than the Auburn Tiger. Given the personnel Kirby Smart has, that’s the last thing anybody wants to do against that team. UGA definitely has the horses up front to wear you down.

It’s been a different story for the Vols so far. They lost the time of possession battle to the South Carolina Gamecocks by nearly 10 minutes, which is a huge reason USC hung around. Failure to convert on third downs due to a few errant throws were the main reason, and it may have cost UT were it not for a couple of key turnovers.

Against the Missouri Tigers, things were better, as they held the ball over three and a half minutes longer, but they could have dominated even more if not for playing such bend but don’t break defense. That style won’t work against UGA. With everybody finally healthy in the secondary, the Vols shouldn’t have the same issues, and that should give them more chances to control the clock.

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