Georgia shuts down Hendon Hooker, Tennessee in assertion win

ATHENS, Ga. — Defending nationwide champion Georgia may not have been No. 1 within the first Faculty Soccer Playoff rankings earlier this week, however the Bulldogs left little doubt Saturday who belongs in that high spot.

Their 27-13 beatdown of No. 1 Tennessee earlier than a deafening crowd at Sanford Stadium was about as thorough because it will get. Senior quarterback Stetson Bennett handed for 257 yards and two touchdowns, and the Georgia protection held Tennessee’s high-scoring offense with out a landing till the ultimate minutes of the sport.

The Bulldogs, who had been ranked No. 3 within the preliminary CFP rankings, dominated the road of scrimmage, as Bennett repeatedly had loads of time to throw and hit deep pictures down the sector of 52, 49 and 37 yards. In the meantime, the Vols had no solutions on offense for Georgia’s swarming protection. Tennessee got here into the sport main the nation in scoring (49.4 factors per recreation) however was pressured to punt thrice within the first quarter. That is after punting a complete of 18 instances within the earlier eight video games.

It was that type of afternoon for the Vols, who misplaced their sixth straight recreation to the Bulldogs and had been bullied bodily after scoring a mixed 92 factors in wins over ranked opponents Alabama and LSU earlier this season.

Georgia (9-0) took a commanding lead within the SEC Japanese Division race and likewise put itself in prime place to make the Faculty Soccer Playoff even when it had been to lose within the SEC championship recreation, which might be just like what occurred final season.

Tennessee (8-1) was by no means in a position to get untracked offensively towards a Georgia protection that has allowed simply eight touchdowns in 9 video games. The Bulldogs’ nationwide championship protection a yr in the past, a protection that produced 5 NFL first-round alternatives, gave up 16 touchdowns in 15 video games.

Within the third quarter, the rain began pouring down, and the Bulldogs simply continued to pour it on a Tennessee crew that was greeted with chants of “overrated” by the Georgia scholar part. The Vols had been taking part in within the loudest and most hostile surroundings they’ve confronted all season. They appeared rattled by the gang noise, which reached rock live performance decibels at instances. They dedicated one false begin penalty after one other, and within the first half when the sport was nonetheless shut, they had been flagged for back-to-back false begins after transferring contained in the 10-yard line and needed to accept a discipline objective.

Tennessee’s deep passing recreation was rendered non-existent towards a Georgia protection that was taking part in with out its finest pass-rusher, senior exterior linebacker Nolan Smith, who’s out for the season after tearing a pectoral muscle. The Bulldogs confirmed off their depth and by no means allowed Hendon Hooker to search out any rhythm.

Hooker, the Heisman Trophy favourite getting into the sport, completed 23-for-33 for 195 and did not throw a landing move for the primary time in 20 video games.

Hooker was sacked six instances and likewise threw an interception within the second quarter. He was underneath duress for a lot of the sport, because the Bulldogs repeatedly received stress. He was hit exhausting within the closing minutes and received up slowly earlier than gingerly trotting off the sector.

The Vols’ longest move play of the sport was 17 yards. They got here into the sport with an FBS-leading 36 performs from scrimmage of 30 yards or longer.

Georgia completed with 387 yards of whole offense and was in a position to hold the ball away from Tennessee’s offense with longer drives, and Bennett wasn’t sacked a single time.