After their disappointing loss to South Carolina, the Georgia Bulldogs had the pick-me-up they needed to maul the Troy Trojans, 66-0, on Saturday. Starting off their SEC Championship campaign already down 0-1, the Bulldogs are already in a make-or-break game. Meanwhile, the Tennessee Volunteers are coming off a week of rest, giving them extra time to prepare for their hosts.
Can the Volunteers have the ability to rival the Bulldogs’ talent-rich backfield? Or will Georgia continue to plow through their competition? Read on as we break down this SEC East showdown. In the meantime, get yourself set for the rest of the college schedule this week with our look at the best college football games to watch in Week 5 of the 2014 NCAA season.
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Tennesee Volunteers vs. Georgia Bulldogs Preview
Where: Sanford Stadium, Georgia
When: Saturday, September 27, 12:00 PM ET
Line: Tennessee Volunteers (+16.5) at Georgia Bulldogs (-16.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Tennessee Volunteers
After a strong 2-0 start, the Volunteers’ young squad was overwhelmed by the No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners 34-10 on September 13. They now continue playing on the road against another quality opponent, the No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs. Dating back to last season, the Vols are 1-4 ATS as road underdogs.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Quarterback Justin Worley didn’t have a solid start against the Vols’ first big test of the season. He completed only 21 of 44 passes and was also picked off twice. Using his legs also wasn’t fruitful as he ended up with a loss of 23 yards on six carries. Tennessee needs better from its signal caller, especially with top receivers Von Pearson and Josh Smith (combining for 17 catches for 233 yards and two scores) out with injuries.
Still, the Vols will have their No. 1 receiver Marquez North, who picked up 14 catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns against Georgia. North last met Georgia last year, catching a touchdown pass in a narrow 34-31 overtime loss.
If Worley and North can connect consistently, they may be able to exploit Georgia’s shaky secondary. Georgia’s loss to South Carolina two weeks ago highlighted their weakness against a solid passing game. The Bulldogs allowed 271 passing yards as well as three touchdowns in a 38-35 loss. Excellent playmaking from North and a few accurate bombs from Worley may all be what it takes to cause a major upset against Georgia.
The Tennessee Volunteers are 2-6 in SEC games since the 2013 college football season.
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Betting on the Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are hungry for a win. They lost their SEC opener against South Carolina in dramatic fashion two weeks ago, and unleashed all their frustrations on a helpless Troy team last Saturday.
The Bulldogs didn’t need much from their passing game against Troy. They only put up 180 yards in the air while torching their competition with 367 rushing yards. Heisman candidate Todd Gurley rushed for 73 yards on six carries and was pulled out for an early rest to make room backup RB Sony Michael who exploded for 155 yards and three scores on 10 carries.
This is a must-win game for Georgia, as they can’t afford to go 0-2 in the conference. With so much at stake, expect Gurley to again come close to 200 yards, much like his performance against Clemson.
Georgia’s stellar running game overshadows their passing game. The Bulldogs have a solid quarterback in Hutson Mason who, despite throwing for just 419 yards this season, has four passing touchdowns without a pick, and has completed 71.2% of his passes. Mason also has a couple of excellent playmakers at his disposal in Chris Conley (eight catches for 121 yards) and Michael Bennett (10 catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns).
With Tennessee preoccupied defending against Gurley, expect Mason to gain considerable yardage in the air with some play-action passes, especially after seeing Oklahoma put up 308 yards in the air against Tennessee.
The Georgia Bulldogs have won their last four meetings against the Volunteers.
Writer’s Prediction
The Bulldogs’ running game will be too much for Tennessee to stop. Georgia (-16.5) gets another blowout win at home.
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