Tennessee goes into Atlanta as a 13½-point favorite, but this game may be more dangerous than the spread suggests.
Georgia Tech is already playing with its back against the wall after losing 14-13 to Colorado. The Yellow Jackets led most of the night, allowed the winning touchdown with 37 seconds remaining and then had a potential game-winning field goal blocked as time expired.
That is a brutal way to lose an opener.
Now Brent Key has to get his team mentally and physically prepared for a Tennessee roster with more speed, depth and overall talent than Colorado had.
THE QUARTERBACK MATCHUP
Tennessee true freshman Faizon Brandon could not have asked for a much better debut.
Brandon completed 13 of 17 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns in Tennessee’s 56-9 victory over Furman. He also ran for 68 yards and two scores, giving him five total touchdowns.
He looked comfortable, athletic and confident. More importantly, he gave Josh Heupel the dual-threat quarterback his offense needs.
But playing Furman in Neyland Stadium is not the same as making your first road start against a desperate Power Four opponent.
Georgia Tech will try to disguise coverages, create pressure and force Brandon to make decisions after the snap. The Yellow Jackets cannot allow him to settle into an early rhythm because Tennessee’s tempo becomes much more difficult to defend once the Volunteers begin stacking first downs.
Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza also played well in his first start. The Indiana transfer completed 17 of 23 passes for 237 yards without throwing an interception against Colorado.
Mendoza remained composed, protected the football and hit Dalen Penson for 42 yards in the final minute to put Georgia Tech in position to win.
The quarterback was not Georgia Tech’s problem.
THE BATTLE UP FRONT
Georgia Tech’s biggest concern is obvious: the Yellow Jackets got their asses whipped at the line of scrimmage by Colorado.
They rushed for only 51 yards on 30 attempts, allowed three sacks and converted just five of 13 third downs. Colorado ran for 183 yards and controlled the physical portion of the game.
If Georgia Tech cannot block Tennessee any better than it blocked Colorado, this game will be over early.
Justice Haynes is too talented to be neutralized. He finished with 64 rushing yards against Colorado, but Georgia Tech repeatedly found itself in bad situations because the offensive line could not generate consistent movement.
The Yellow Jackets must establish Haynes and keep Tennessee’s pass rush from attacking Mendoza on every down. They cannot expect their quarterback to carry the entire offense while facing third-and-long all night.
Tennessee also has something to prove up front.
The Volunteers eventually overwhelmed Furman, but the offensive line had some problems early, particularly in the running game. Tennessee cannot assume it will simply line up and move Georgia Tech because it has better recruiting rankings.
DeSean Bishop ran for 97 yards and a touchdown, while Justin Baker added a 73-yard scoring run. Those explosive plays are dangerous, but Tennessee needs consistent production—not just a couple of home runs.
ARION CARTER CHANGES THE MATCHUP
Tennessee will get senior linebacker Arion Carter back after he served a one-game NCAA suspension against Furman.
That is a major addition to a defense that already recorded 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks in the opener.
Carter led the SEC with 7.6 tackles per game last season and enters this game with 161 career tackles. He is not merely another linebacker being added to the rotation. He is a senior captain, the leader of the defense and the man responsible for making sure everybody is lined up correctly.
His return gives Tennessee more speed, experience and physicality in the middle. He can attack downhill against Justice Haynes, cover space when Mendoza leaves the pocket and help prevent Georgia Tech from creating easy completions between the linebackers and safeties.
Tennessee allowed Furman to rush for 178 yards. That was too much, regardless of the final score. Getting Carter back should help correct some of the missed fits and communication problems that contributed to those yards.
Georgia Tech already struggled to establish the run against Colorado. Now it must solve that problem with one of the best linebackers in the SEC returning to Tennessee’s defense.
TENNESSEE’S EXPLOSIVE ADVANTAGE
Mike Matthews may be the player Georgia Tech has the most trouble containing.
Matthews caught four passes for 132 yards against Furman, including touchdown receptions of 55 and 57 yards. Brandon has the arm to attack vertically, and Heupel will take his shots if Georgia Tech begins committing additional defenders to the running game.
That places enormous pressure on the Yellow Jackets’ secondary.
Georgia Tech has to keep the football in front of it, tackle in space and force Tennessee to put together long drives. Giving up easy touchdowns over the top will allow the Volunteers to create separation quickly.
The Yellow Jackets have some explosive ability of their own. Jordan Allen produced 113 receiving yards in the opener, and Rahkeem Smith returned a kickoff 100 yards for Georgia Tech’s only touchdown.
Tennessee cannot relax on special teams or assume Georgia Tech is incapable of producing quick points.
WHAT GEORGIA TECH MUST DO
Georgia Tech must shorten the game.
The Yellow Jackets need to establish the run, protect Mendoza and keep Tennessee’s offense standing on the sideline. They cannot allow this to become a track meet because they do not have the depth to trade possessions with the Volunteers for four quarters.
Georgia Tech also needs touchdowns when it reaches the red zone. Settling for field-goal attempts will not beat Tennessee.
Defensively, the Yellow Jackets must create pressure without constantly blitzing. If they are forced to send six defenders after Brandon, Heupel will eventually isolate Matthews or another receiver against single coverage.
Most importantly, Georgia Tech has to survive the first quarter. If Tennessee jumps ahead by two touchdowns and gets its tempo rolling, the atmosphere inside Bobby Dodd Stadium will disappear quickly.
WHAT TENNESSEE MUST DO
Tennessee needs to act like the better team immediately.
This is Brandon’s first road start, so Heupel should settle him with the running game, quick throws and opportunities to use his legs. There is no reason to ask a true freshman to win the game by throwing 40 times.
Defensively, Tennessee must take away Georgia Tech’s running game and make the Yellow Jackets one-dimensional. Xavier Gilliam recorded three sacks and five tackles for loss against Furman. With Carter back behind that defensive front, Tennessee can become even more aggressive.
If Gilliam and the Tennessee front start living in Georgia Tech’s backfield while Carter takes away the inside running lanes, Mendoza will have a long night.
THE PICK
Georgia Tech is desperate, playing at home and has a quarterback capable of keeping the Yellow Jackets competitive.
That should be enough to make Tennessee uncomfortable for a while.
But the Yellow Jackets’ problems along the line of scrimmage are difficult to ignore. If Colorado could hold Georgia Tech to 51 rushing yards and sack Mendoza three times, Tennessee’s defensive front should create even more problems.
The return of Arion Carter makes that matchup even worse for Georgia Tech.
Brandon will make a few freshman mistakes in his first road start, but Tennessee has too many weapons and too much depth. Eventually, the Volunteers’ speed takes over.
Georgia Tech hangs around into the second half before Tennessee pulls away.
TENNESSEE 38, GEORGIA TECH 20
Tennessee goes into Atlanta as a 13½-point favorite, but this game may be more dangerous than the spread suggests.
Georgia Tech is already playing with its back against the wall after losing 14-13 to Colorado. The Yellow Jackets led most of the night, allowed the winning touchdown with 37 seconds remaining and then had a potential game-winning field goal blocked as time expired.
That is a brutal way to lose an opener.
Now Brent Key has to get his team mentally and physically prepared for a Tennessee roster with more speed, depth and overall talent than Colorado had.
THE QUARTERBACK MATCHUP
Tennessee true freshman Faizon Brandon could not have asked for a much better debut.
Brandon completed 13 of 17 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns in Tennessee’s 56-9 victory over Furman. He also ran for 68 yards and two scores, giving him five total touchdowns.
He looked comfortable, athletic and confident. More importantly, he gave Josh Heupel the dual-threat quarterback his offense needs.
But playing Furman in Neyland Stadium is not the same as making your first road start against a desperate Power Four opponent.
Georgia Tech will try to disguise coverages, create pressure and force Brandon to make decisions after the snap. The Yellow Jackets cannot allow him to settle into an early rhythm because Tennessee’s tempo becomes much more difficult to defend once the Volunteers begin stacking first downs.
Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza also played well in his first start. The Indiana transfer completed 17 of 23 passes for 237 yards without throwing an interception against Colorado.
Mendoza remained composed, protected the football and hit Dalen Penson for 42 yards in the final minute to put Georgia Tech in position to win.
The quarterback was not Georgia Tech’s problem.
THE BATTLE UP FRONT
Georgia Tech’s biggest concern is obvious: the Yellow Jackets got their asses whipped at the line of scrimmage by Colorado.
They rushed for only 51 yards on 30 attempts, allowed three sacks and converted just five of 13 third downs. Colorado ran for 183 yards and controlled the physical portion of the game.
If Georgia Tech cannot block Tennessee any better than it blocked Colorado, this game will be over early.
Justice Haynes is too talented to be neutralized. He finished with 64 rushing yards against Colorado, but Georgia Tech repeatedly found itself in bad situations because the offensive line could not generate consistent movement.
The Yellow Jackets must establish Haynes and keep Tennessee’s pass rush from attacking Mendoza on every down. They cannot expect their quarterback to carry the entire offense while facing third-and-long all night.
Tennessee also has something to prove up front.
The Volunteers eventually overwhelmed Furman, but the offensive line had some problems early, particularly in the running game. Tennessee cannot assume it will simply line up and move Georgia Tech because it has better recruiting rankings.
DeSean Bishop ran for 97 yards and a touchdown, while Justin Baker added a 73-yard scoring run. Those explosive plays are dangerous, but Tennessee needs consistent production—not just a couple of home runs.
ARION CARTER CHANGES THE MATCHUP
Tennessee will get senior linebacker Arion Carter back after he served a one-game NCAA suspension against Furman.
That is a major addition to a defense that already recorded 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks in the opener.
Carter led the SEC with 7.6 tackles per game last season and enters this game with 161 career tackles. He is not merely another linebacker being added to the rotation. He is a senior captain, the leader of the defense and the man responsible for making sure everybody is lined up correctly.
His return gives Tennessee more speed, experience and physicality in the middle. He can attack downhill against Justice Haynes, cover space when Mendoza leaves the pocket and help prevent Georgia Tech from creating easy completions between the linebackers and safeties.
Tennessee allowed Furman to rush for 178 yards. That was too much, regardless of the final score. Getting Carter back should help correct some of the missed fits and communication problems that contributed to those yards.
Georgia Tech already struggled to establish the run against Colorado. Now it must solve that problem with one of the best linebackers in the SEC returning to Tennessee’s defense.
TENNESSEE’S EXPLOSIVE ADVANTAGE
Mike Matthews may be the player Georgia Tech has the most trouble containing.
Matthews caught four passes for 132 yards against Furman, including touchdown receptions of 55 and 57 yards. Brandon has the arm to attack vertically, and Heupel will take his shots if Georgia Tech begins committing additional defenders to the running game.
That places enormous pressure on the Yellow Jackets’ secondary.
Georgia Tech has to keep the football in front of it, tackle in space and force Tennessee to put together long drives. Giving up easy touchdowns over the top will allow the Volunteers to create separation quickly.
The Yellow Jackets have some explosive ability of their own. Jordan Allen produced 113 receiving yards in the opener, and Rahkeem Smith returned a kickoff 100 yards for Georgia Tech’s only touchdown.
Tennessee cannot relax on special teams or assume Georgia Tech is incapable of producing quick points.
WHAT GEORGIA TECH MUST DO
Georgia Tech must shorten the game.
The Yellow Jackets need to establish the run, protect Mendoza and keep Tennessee’s offense standing on the sideline. They cannot allow this to become a track meet because they do not have the depth to trade possessions with the Volunteers for four quarters.
Georgia Tech also needs touchdowns when it reaches the red zone. Settling for field-goal attempts will not beat Tennessee.
Defensively, the Yellow Jackets must create pressure without constantly blitzing. If they are forced to send six defenders after Brandon, Heupel will eventually isolate Matthews or another receiver against single coverage.
Most importantly, Georgia Tech has to survive the first quarter. If Tennessee jumps ahead by two touchdowns and gets its tempo rolling, the atmosphere inside Bobby Dodd Stadium will disappear quickly.
WHAT TENNESSEE MUST DO
Tennessee needs to act like the better team immediately.
This is Brandon’s first road start, so Heupel should settle him with the running game, quick throws and opportunities to use his legs. There is no reason to ask a true freshman to win the game by throwing 40 times.
Defensively, Tennessee must take away Georgia Tech’s running game and make the Yellow Jackets one-dimensional. Xavier Gilliam recorded three sacks and five tackles for loss against Furman. With Carter back behind that defensive front, Tennessee can become even more aggressive.
If Gilliam and the Tennessee front start living in Georgia Tech’s backfield while Carter takes away the inside running lanes, Mendoza will have a long night.
THE PICK
Georgia Tech is desperate, playing at home and has a quarterback capable of keeping the Yellow Jackets competitive.
That should be enough to make Tennessee uncomfortable for a while.
But the Yellow Jackets’ problems along the line of scrimmage are difficult to ignore. If Colorado could hold Georgia Tech to 51 rushing yards and sack Mendoza three times, Tennessee’s defensive front should create even more problems.
The return of Arion Carter makes that matchup even worse for Georgia Tech.
Brandon will make a few freshman mistakes in his first road start, but Tennessee has too many weapons and too much depth. Eventually, the Volunteers’ speed takes over.
Georgia Tech hangs around into the second half before Tennessee pulls away.
TENNESSEE 38, GEORGIA TECH 20
