Hail To The Gridiron

SPORTS
FOOTBALL
THE DAWG BONES
GEORGIA VS TENNESSE
BY COBY SERINA
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DAWG BONES OFFENSE: TENNESSEE
Both Tennessee and Georgia run high powered, high scoring offenses,
but Tennessee has the edge here by just a little bit. The Volunteers have
the highest scoring offense in the country, led by a Heisman candidate
quarterback in Hendon Hooker. As a team they’ve scored an average
of 50 points per game and it’s heavily attributed to their passing game.
Hooker so far this season has thrown for 2,338 yards and 21 touchdowns
with only one interception on the season.
DAWG BONES DEFENSE: GEORGIA
Before the Florida game Georgia was ranked as the second best scoring
defense in the nation, but that’s not even the best part. The Bulldogs
are also a top-5 team in the country when it comes to passing defense
too. It’ll be crucial when they face off against the ticking time bomb that
it Hendon Hooker’s arm. Regardless of statistics though, the Georgia
defense can do it all as long as everyone does their job, and that’s what
they’ll have to do if they want to stand a chance against the Volunteer’s
prolific offense.
DAWG BONES SPECIAL TEAMS: GEORGIA
You just can’t beat Jack Podlesny’s consistency, and there’s no reason
it should drop off whilst at home. In 2022 overall Podlesny or “Pod” is
kicking at a 87.5% success rate as opposed to the Volunteer’s Chase
McGrath’s 76.9%. Pod also hasn’t missed a single extra point either.
Tennessee cannot say the same.
DAWG BONES COACHING: TIED
Tennessee has been waiting for a moment like this, and they’ve only
been able to capitalize on that opportunity under Josh Heupel, so he’s
earned his credit. He’s an offensive-minded coach and his team is known
for its offense similarly to Kirby Smart’s defensive background and his
team’s defensive reputation. Tennessee beating Bama wasn’t a flash in
the pan. It was the result of discipline, resiliency, and composure, all
things that are preached by Smart too. Bottom line is that both of these
coaching staffs are both some of the best in the country, and they’ll
come into Saturday’s match-up on a fairly even playing field.
DAWG BONES OVERALL: GEORGIA
This call has a lot to do with the location of the game, because if this
were a neutral-site or away game at Neyland Stadium, it would look
different. But because this is a home game for Kirby Smart and the
Georgia Bulldogs who are 14-7 against top-10 opponents, expect things
to lean Georgia’s way. The Bulldawg faithful have been waiting for a
matchup like this all-season. They’ve been waiting to tangle with a big
opponent. That’ll be the X-Factor that the Dawgs will have over the
Vols. During the run that Tennessee has had this season, they had the
chance to play in an environment like the one Sanford will provide come
Saturday. Undisciplined penalties may just be the difference in this one,
and when they’re directed towards Tennessee you can credit the fans.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 22 ISSUE ELEVEN • TENNESSEE