ATHENS, Ga. — After a month of playing on the road, the Georgia Bulldogs finally returned home, but with a lot of baggage.
They were coming off of a brutal loss to Ole Miss and needed a win to keep their postseason hopes alive. The problem? No. 7 Tennessee stood in their way, as No. 12 Georgia's final SEC opponent.
However, the Bulldogs rallied back after a loss to keep their postseason hopes alive with a 31-17 win over the Volunteers.
Here are three takeaways on how Georgia got a key win.
Beck and Bobo find a way
After multiple games of disastrous performances, quarterback Carson Beck and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo turned things around.
Beck threw for nearly 200 yards in the first half and finished with nearly 350 yards and three total touchdowns and no turnovers for the first time since a win against Auburn in September. Meanwhile, Bobo drew up several plays to get players like tight end Oscar Delp open. Delp had two touchdown receptions in the first half after a quiet 2024.
The biggest problem after the first half was the wide receiver drops. Dominic Lovett dropped a ball in the endzone that may have been a little overthrown by Beck. Dillon Bell had a dropped pass that could've been a fumble if not ruled a pass. Arian Smith had several drops that would've given the Bulldogs great field position.
While this problem softened throughout the game, it still prevented Beck and his pass catchers from finding a consistent rhythm and possibly scoring more points.
Smith and Lovett turned a corner in the second half and alongside players like Delp, tight end Benjamin Yurosek and wide receiver London Humphreys, had at least 50 yards receiving. Humphreys and
The biggest story, besides Beck's standout performance, was the success of the offensive line. The group kept Beck clean and comfortable all night. He was barely pressured and wasn't sacked all day. This was just one week after the group allowed Ole Miss to sack Beck five times, which is a season-high.
Overall, Bobo brought out a great game plan and got multiple players open and running free for a confident Beck to hit in stride. While it hasn't been a good year for either of them, Beck and Bobo were clear reasons why Georgia took the must-win game.
No stopping Sampson
It was a brutal day for the Bulldogs' defense when attempting to stop the ground game.
After just the first half, the Volunteers ran for 96 yards, as the SEC's leading rusher, Dylan Sampson, exploded for 68 yards and a touchdown. Tennessee picked up two rushing touchdowns, including a flying dive from tight end Miles Kistelman.
Sampson finished his day with nearly 100 yards on the ground and was key in helping the Volunteers convert over 50% of their third-down completions.
Georgia did find a way to get pressure on redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava. The Bulldogs had three sacks in the first half. However, the group struggled to get off the field in third-down situations and didn't wrap up well, which has been an issue for the Georgia defense all season.
Still, the Bulldogs held Tennessee to only 17 points, a high-powered offense that took down a talented Alabama team. The Bulldogs shut out the Volunteers, as players like Smael Mondon Jr. and KJ Bolden — who led the team in tackles with eight — had great games for the Bulldogs.
Freshman linebacker Chris Cole even nabbed a late Iamaleava fumble that was forced by Damon Wilson II to seal the game.
While plenty to improve on, the Bulldogs' defense stepped up when they needed to and were key in getting Georgia a necessary win.
What's next
The Bulldogs won the matchup they needed to win to remain in the playoff hunt. They're also still in the race for a spot in the SEC Championship, but their chances aren't very high.
Georgia still has to go through Georgia Tech, who upset Miami earlier in the season. If the Bulldogs underestimate the Yellow Jackets, they could be in a rough spot.
The good news for the Bulldogs is they remain home for the next two games. If Beck, Bobo and the rest of the team can build upon the success they found in this win, Georgia could reach the national championship season many people had for the team heading into the season.