ATHENS, Ga. — Carson Beck silenced his critics by throwing for 2 touchdowns and working for one more on a raucous Saturday evening between the hedges, main No. 12 Georgia to a 31-17 victory over No. 7 Tennessee that gave an enormous enhance to the Bulldogs’ Faculty Soccer Playoff hopes.
Georgia (8-2, 6-2 Southeastern Convention) bounced again from a 28-10 loss at Ole Miss that left the Bulldogs simply outdoors the provisional 12-team postseason area.
Now, they’re positioned for a possible playoff berth — and a shot at profitable their third nationwide title in 4 years — if they will shut out the common season with wins over UMass and Georgia Tech.
Tennessee (8-2, 5-2) may have moved an enormous step nearer to a berth within the SEC championship sport, however the Vols’ postseason prospects at the moment are a complete lot murkier after what had all of the makings of a playoff elimination sport.
Within the midst of a disappointing season, Beck got here up large for the Bulldogs once they wanted him most, guiding them to a twenty ninth straight house victory in an FBS-leading streak that dates to 2019.
He related on a pair of landing passes to tight finish Oscar Delp within the first half and scrambled for the go-ahead rating within the third quarter, darting 10 yards to the tip zone for his first speeding TD of the season.
Georgia sealed the victory with a 92-yard drive — its longest of the season — within the closing minutes. Nate Frazier completed it off with a 2-yard landing run with 2:26 remaining.
Beck, who had thrown 12 interceptions within the earlier six video games, did not have any picks in opposition to the Volunteers. He accomplished 25 of 40 passes for 347 yards.
With quarterback Nico Iamaleava cleared to play after going by way of concussion protocol, Tennessee jumped to a 10-0 lead on Miles Kitselman’s 1-yard dive and Max Gilbert’s 52-yard area objective, dampening the temper of greater than 93,000 at Sanford Stadium.
However the Bulldogs, after a sluggish begin that has grow to be their trademark, grabbed the lead as Beck related with Delp on similar-looking scoring passes of 19 and 4 yards behind the tip zone.
Dylan Sampson put the Vols again in entrance along with his twenty first speeding landing of the season, a 27-yard scamper by way of an enormous gap proper up the center.
However Beck guided the Bulldogs into place for Peyton Woodring’s 36-yard area objective with 5 seconds remaining within the half, sending the groups to the locker room tied at 17.
Tennessee: The Vols’ protection had not allowed greater than 19 factors all season, however they could not include the Beck-led offense. Georgia piled up 454 yards and 24 first downs whereas changing eight of 13 third-down alternatives and continues to dominate the collection with its rival to the north, profitable for the eighth yr in a row — all of them by margins of at the least two touchdowns.
Georgia: The Bulldogs performed with out high working again Trevor Etienne, who was sidelined by a rib subject, and the offense took one other blow when receiver Dillon Bell went out with an ankle damage sustained on successful alongside the sideline late within the first half. However Frazier rushed for 68 yards and London Humphreys stepped as much as make three large catches for 63 yards. Massive kudos to the offensive line, which didn’t hand over a sack after Beck was dumped 5 occasions the earlier week by Ole Miss.
Tennessee: The Vols return house subsequent Saturday to tackle UTEP earlier than wrapping up the common season with a brief journey to Nashville to face Vanderbilt on Nov. 30.
Georgia: With their SEC schedule full, the Bulldogs shut out the common season with two non-conference video games at house. UMass (2-8) should not current a lot of an issue subsequent Saturday.