No. 12 Georgia survived a challenge from No. 7 Tennessee 31-17 to stay alive in the College Football Playoff race. After Tennessee went up 10-0 in the first quarter, Georgia went on a 31-7 run over the final three quarters to pull away and beat the Volunteers.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck shook off a slow start and a number of drops from his pass-catchers to take over the game. With top players Travis Etienne and Dillon Bell out with injuries, Beck spread the ball around to 10 pass-catchers for 346 yards and two touchdowns; he also added his first rushing score of the season.
Tennessee managed to put together a few lengthy drives, but the Volunteers struggled to create any explosives. The Vols failed to complete a passing play of more than 20 yards and failed to score any points in the decisive second half. Running back Dylan Sampson posted 101 yards and a touchdown in the win, but quarterback Nico Iamaleava mustered only 167 yards through the air with zero touchdowns.
Georgia sent a message with its final drive in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs bled more than six minutes off the clock to travel 92 yards in 12 plays to reach the end zone. Beck and running backs Chauncey Bowens and Nate Frazier combined for every play of the drive. Beck’s passes of 28 yards and 21 yards helped the Bulldogs get out of the shadow of their own end zone.
- Georgia is the first team this season to clear 20 points against Tennessee’s defense. Previously, Arkansas’s 19 points marked the highest scoring output against the Vols.
- The Bulldogs have a 6-6 record when facing a double-digit deficit over the past five seasons. The mark is tied with Alabama for the best winning percentage over the period. Utah is next among power-conference teams with a .350 mark.
- Iamaleava failed to reach 200 yards passing for the sixth time in seven SEC games. Last season, Tennessee’s Joe Milton threw for at least 200 yards in six of eight games in SEC play. Iamaleava has yet to throw for 300 yards against any FBS opponent.
CBS Sports was here throughout the game with updates, analysis and highlights. Read on below for more takeaways.
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