#21/19 Vols Looking to Play With “Relentless Effort” Saturday Afternoon vs. #1/1 Bulldogs

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 21/19 Tennessee was back on the practice field Tuesday morning as it continues to prepare for its highly anticipated matchup with No. 1/1 Georgia on Saturday afternoon inside Neyland Stadium.

The top-ranked Bulldogs will present challenges all over the field with their physicality and athleticism, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Getting the run game back on track after a tough game at Missouri last week will be crucial for UT’s offense.

“Really physical bunch. Not only those two guys but the entire group of linebackers,” running backs coach Jerry Mack said. “They’re active. They’re athletic. They do a great job of flying to the football in pursuit. When they get there, they know how to finish plays. When you play a team like Georgia, one thing is it’s going to be tough to get yards after contact because they’re so physical.”

Despite struggling to get the ground game going against the Tigers, the Big Orange enter Saturday’s game ranked second in the SEC in rushing, averaging 213.3 yards per game, and are confident in their ability to return to form this weekend.

“We’ve had a lot of success here, not just this year, but in the past running the football,” Mack said. “That’s one game. Like we always tell players, you don’t let one game define exactly what happened to you or who you are.

“We didn’t have success for those three hours and some change that we were on the football field the other night. That doesn’t mean that we still aren’t a really good offense. That doesn’t mean we’re not a really good running back core. The way these guys prepare and the attitude that they approach in the building every day, that’s something that we always take pride in. That’s going to be no different this week.”

Tennessee’s defense will also look to wash away last weekend’s performance and bounce back in a big way against the Dawgs this Saturday. Finding ways to affect quarterback Carson Beck will be a major priority and a tall task considering Georgia has been one of the nation’s best at protecting the quarterback this year.

“I mean, they’ve only given up nine sacks through 10 games, I think,” linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary said. “One, I think their offensive line does a tremendous job. They have really good players up front. He’s very good with the ball in-hand. He knows when to get rid of it, recognizes pressures, he’s athletic enough to get out of the pocket and extend plays, which is something that teams are going…