5 things for UGA to continue domination of Tennessee

Athens — Georgia will be looking for its eighth win in its last 10 games against Tennessee when it faces the Vols up on Rocky Top on Saturday (7 p.m., ESPN). If not for a couple of improbable comebacks, the Bulldogs would be in position to make it 10 straight.

This is against an opponent that not so long ago won nine straight against Georgia (1991-1999). Suffice it to say that the Big Orange have fallen on hard times.

That’s mainly because Tennessee cycled through four head coaches in the 10-year period after Philip Fulmer was fired after the 2008 season. Now in their second year under Jeremy Pruitt, the natives are restless again after 1-3 start (0-1 SEC) that has included another round of player arrests and defections.

That’s nothing that a nationally-televised upset over No. 3-ranked Georgia (4-0, 1-0) wouldn’t remedy. Here’s some storylines to follow as Kirby Smart and 24-point favorite Bulldogs attempt to avoid that fate:

No secrets in this one

There will be no secrets between these two teams on Saturday.

Not only was Pruitt the defensive coordinator at Georgia just a few years ago, but he also assisted Smart at Alabama, where they've both tutored under Nick Saban. Tennessee offensive coordinator Jim Chaney ran the Bulldogs’ offense for the first three years of Smart’s tenure at UGA before bolting for Knoxville for nearly double his salary in January.

Meanwhile, Pruitt already had hired nearly half the staff he coached with at Georgia. Offensive line coach Will Friend, defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, tight ends coach Brent Neidermeyer and linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer all worked under Mark Richt at UGA. Conversely, Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman (2012) and defensive backs coach Charlton Warren (’17) each had stints with the Vols.

It doesn’t end with the coaching staff. UT defensive back Deangelo Gibbs played his first two seasons at Georgia, while tight end Eli Wolf joined the Bulldogs this season as a graduate transfer from UT.

Both sides downplay the effect of all that shared intel.

“It’ll be about blocking and tackling,” Pruitt said.

Shaffer’s turn

Once again, Georgia enters a with a hobbled starting offensive lineman. Once again, the Bulldogs plan to press on like nothing happened.

This time it’s Solomon Kindley, the starting left guard and a preseason All-SEC selection, who is expected to miss the contest. The 6-foot-4, 335-pound junior from Jacksonville suffered a severe sprain of his left ankle early in the Notre Dame game and was sidelined until this past week when he returned to Georgia’s Woodruff Practice Fields.

Enter Justin Shaffer, who at 6-4, 330 pounds is just about as big and apparently nearly as good as Kindley. With the exception of a personal foul flag for unnecessary roughness against Notre Dame, Shaffer played exceptionally well in that 23-17 victory. According to his coaches and teammates, the junior from Atlanta had been deserving to play more but just hadn’t had the opportunity due to the high level at which the five regulars were playing.

“We feel like Justin’s playing good football,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said.

With little drop off from Kindley to Shaffer, the Bulldogs don't need to rush back Kindley and risk further injury. It's similar to when Georgia lost right tackle Isaiah Wilson to an ankle injury last month. The 6-7, 340-pound All-America candidate missed the next two games without missing a beat.

Who’ll be QB for UT?

The biggest question for the Vols is who might start at quarterback. Pruitt benched 24-game starter Jarrett Guarantano due to miscues and ineffectiveness in the 34-3 loss to Florida. Freshman Brian Mauer came in against the Gators but didn’t fare much better, which brought Guarantano back in.

Pruitt pronounced the position wide open entering the off week and included redshirt freshman J.T. Shrout in the competition. But based on experience and previous success, it would appear the job remains Guarantano’s to lose.

The 6-4, 213-pound junior actually has played decent against Georgia. He was 6-of-7 passing in a relief role when the Bulldogs won 41-0 at Neyland in 2017 and completed 13-of-21 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns last year in Athens.

Mauer went 4-for-11 for 44 yards and an interception against Florida. Shrout’s only experience came at the end of UT’s 45-0 win over Chattanooga. He was 3-of-9 for 23 yards.

DBs vs. UT’s WRs

One of the most intriguing matchups of Saturday’s game will be Georgia’s defensive backs versus Tennessee’s receivers.

Through their latest rebuilding effort, the Vols have managed to stay strong at receiver. That group is led by 6-3, 208-pound, fifth-year senior Jauan Jennings. Georgia fans will remember Jennings as the recipient of the Hail Mary pass that defeated the Bulldogs in Sanford Stadium in 2016. But Jennings has done a lot since then. He caught his 100th career pass – one of seven that day -- in the last outing versus Florida, and comes into this one with 1,465 yards and 14 TDs.

He’s not alone.

UT also features senior Marquez Callaway, who has 1165 career yards and 9 TDs; senior Brandon Johnson, who has caught 60 career passes; and junior Josh Palmer, who has 42 receptions to his credit.

Georgia must defend that group with a beat-up secondary that will feature relative rookies at both corners. Sophomore Eric Stokes started three games for Georgia last season and all four this one, but is coming off a knee injury against Notre Dame that knocked him out on the first series. On the other side of the field is junior college transfer D.J. Daniel, who will be making his second career start after subbing for the injured Tyson Campbell (foot) against the Irish.

Stokes practiced wearing a brace this week. If he can’t get up to speed, he’ll be replaced by senior Tyrique McGhee, who usually plays safety or nickel but is the most experienced of Georgia’s remaining DBs.

Run the rock

There are some tangible numbers that validate the Bulldogs’ status as three-touchdown favorites. Georgia ranks third in the SEC in scoring offense (42.8 ppg); Tennessee is 12th (26.0); UGA is second in scoring defense (10.0 ppg); UT is 10th (25.2); the Bulldogs lead the SEC in rushing (253.5 ypg); Tennessee is ninth (154.5); the Bulldogs have not allowed a rushing touchdown this season and lead the league in rushing defense (57 ypg).

But there are some stats that drill down even deeper on what the Bulldogs need to do to extend their SEC East winning streak to 15 games. Georgia is:

• 20-1 when it has a back rush for more than 100 yards;
• 29-2 when it rushes for more than 200 yards as a team under Smart;
• 36-6 when it rushes for over 100 yards;
• 0-4 when it rushes for fewer than 100 yards.
• 3-2 when an opponent rushes over 100 yards.

As ever, running the football and stopping the run is the winning formula for the Bulldogs. So far this season, they’ve been very good on both counts. Led by All-America candidate D’Andre Swift, Georgia’s backs are averaging 8.34 yards per carry. Its opponents are averaging 2.3.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution