Georgia tops Tennessee to keep Playoff hopes alive: Are Vols on the outside looking in?

Facing the prospect of almost certain elimination from the College Football Playoff race, the No. 12 Georgia a great outing from Carson Beck and a second half shutout from the defense to beat No. 7 Tennessee 31-17.

The Bulldogs rallied from a 10-0 deficit in the second quarter thanks to 346 passing yards, two touchdowns through the air and a rushing score from Beck to secure a victory that should move them back into the CFP selection committee bracket after being eliminated last week after a 28-10 loss to Ole Miss. Tennessee’s first three possessions of the second half ended in points.

The result gives Georgia a third win this season over a current Top 25 team (Texas and Clemson are the others) and puts Tennessee squarely on the bubble with just one Top 25 win and only UTEP and Vanderbilt left on the schedule.

Beck, who had thrown nine interceptions in his last four games, went his first game without a pick since the Oct. 5 win over Auburn. That helped take pressure off a Georgia defense that was held without a takeaway until Nico Iamaleava was stripped on fourth down to end Tennessee’s final drive.

Ten of Beck’s 25 completions went to tight ends, including two scores to Oscar Delp, who had just nine catches this season but finished with four catches for 56 yards.

Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson led the Vols with 101 yards and his 21st rushing touchdown of the season on 19 carries.

Below are our takeaways from a big night for the SEC and the Playoff race in Athens.

Carson Beck is back

This was last year’s Beck, the one many expected to be in the running for the Heisman Trophy, maybe even the No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. He had zip on the ball, he threw down the field with precision and he made good decisions.

And in a tribute to predecessor Stetson Bennett, whose touchdown run was the highlight of the 2022 win over Tennessee in Athens, Beck made a surprising use of his own feet: a 10-yard run on third down for the third-quarter touchdown. after a 14-yard run in the second quarter to set up Georgia’s first touchdown. After that run, Beck extended his arm and pointed forward, the first down signal. Maybe a bit cocky, but a sign he was back.

It was Beck’s passing that carried the offense, along with pass protection that was remarkably better than previous weeks. After giving up five sacks in last week’s loss to Ole Miss, Bulldogs left tackle Monroe Freeling gave his first career start, and he along with the rest of the line gave Beck a clean pocket.

Beck threw for more than 200 yards during four consecutive scoring drives in the second and third quarters.

That production came despite a series of drops from his receivers and the loss of starter Dillon Bell, who went out with an ankle injury in the second quarter. Beck turned to veteran tight end Delp, who hauled in the first two touchdowns. Arian Smith and Dominic Lovett atoned for drops with big receptions. London Humphreys hauled in some big chunks. And a true rookie getting his first significant action, Nitro Tuggle, found his way into the game plan.

Five different Georgia players had at least 50 receiving yards. It was the kind of night Georgia envisioned for this year, a confident Beck distributing to a number of opportunities. It finally came together at just the right time. — Seth Emerson

The Vols’ College Football Playoff hopes take a serious hit

Tennessee would have been in good shape to play for the SEC title and almost a lock to reach the College Football Playoff — assuming wins over UTEP and Vanderbilt — with a win. Shoot, Tennessee would have had a case for the No. 2 in the country with this win. Now the Vols are nervously waiting to see what the committee will do with them on Tuesday and what it might say about their chances in the end. Indiana and BYU both passed the Vols in the rankings last week after underwhelming victories.

Of course, it’s foolish to try to read into the week-to-week variation of the committee, as the four-team era taught us. But the Vols could use a convincing win at their in-state rival’s home court in Nashville on Thanksgiving weekend, and they may need help elsewhere. — Joe Rexrode

Bulldogs climb back as contenders

Georgia’s season was on the brink after the loss at Ole Miss. A third loss likely would have doomed the preseason No. 1 team to miss the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, an outcome that even with Georgia’s difficult schedule would have been considered a failure.

And when Tennessee jumped out to a 10-0 lead, the anxiety in Sanford Stadium was palpable. After that, the game was played in one game.

Facing third-and-long, where the offense had gained a total of 21 yards over the first 15 plays, Beck saw a Tennessee player jump offside and went for the big play — and got it, finding Lovett for a 38-yarder catch and run. Four plays later, Georgia scored. The momentum had reversed. Georgia would also score the next three times it touched the ball, taking a 24-17 lead into the fourth quarter and then chipping away at it down the stretch.

This win doesn’t in itself cement Georgia’s playoff spot, but the Bulldogs’ next two games are also at home and they will be favored. Next week against UMass should offer a chance to rest, physically and emotionally, for the regular season finale against Georgia Tech.

This Georgia team hasn’t seen anything close to the best team in the country this season. But it could still be a dangerous team in the playoffs, especially if its last three games serve as a rejuvenation. On Saturday night, it very much looked like that was about to happen. — Emerson

Tennessee’s vanishing pass rush

Ole Miss sacked Beck five times last week and didn’t require blitzes to stay in the Georgia backfield. That didn’t bode well for the Bulldogs against projected first-round edge James Pearce Jr. and one of the deepest and most talented defensive fronts in the nation.

But that’s why games are worth playing. The running game was mostly just a time killer for Georgia — its running backs managed just 75 yards on 24 carries — but Beck was clean all night in the pocket. Tennessee managed zero sacks and in the fourth quarter sent extra rushers to no avail. The Vols’ offense actually took another step forward in this game, while their supposed biggest advantage didn’t come through. They’re not a big sack team — tied for 35th in the FBS with 22 on the weekend — but not impacting Beck at all was a huge disappointment. — Rexrode

(Photo: Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)