Tennessee football at Georgia: 10 keys to the game for Vols and Bulldogs

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) celebrates his touchdown run as Georgia takes on Auburn at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. on Saturday, Oct. 8th, 2022.

Sports Richard Hamm

1. Battle of the quarterbacks

Yes, the two two battles are in the passing game. Tennessee football and Georgia have two of the five best quarterbacks in the SEC, and they probably have the two most efficient. Alabama’s Bryce Young is still probably the best, but Hendon Hooker and Stetson Bennett both bring a lot to the table for their teams.

Bennett matched Hooker’s efficiency last year, as he averaged 10 yards a completion. However, that number has dipped to just below nine yards a completion, while Hooker’s efficiency has exploded to averaging over 11 yards a completion. Then there’s his 21-1 touchdown to interception ratio, which is 9-3 for Bennett.

However, that doesn’t mean Bennett can’t be effective, and two of his interceptions were last week against the Florida Gators with the game already in hand. As a result, this is still likely to turn into a quarterback battle, and the question is if Bennett can match Hooker’s firepower.

Questions about Tennessee football’s secondary would suggest he can, but that unit seems to be getting healthy and improving dramatically, so we still don’t know. What really makes this interesting is it’s a battle between a 24-year-old in Hooker and a 25-year-old in Bennett. Who outperforms who? Honestly, this game is really that simple.