I will try to write this, but I’m pretty bent at the moment. Tennessee fell to Georgia for the ninth straight time, losing 44-41 to the Bulldogs in overtime. I don’t know who did something bad for this juju to befall Tennessee in this rivalry, but I would appreciate he or she finding a way to undo it.
Joey Aguilar was flat-out awesome for Tennessee. He completed 24 of 36 attempts for 371 yards 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Chris Brazzell II had a legendary game that should have ended with a better
result, catching 6 passes for 177 yards and 3 touchdowns.
I don’t have the heart to go into full detail. Tennessee ran out to a 21-7 lead in the first quarter, as you all know, and Aguilar had an incredible 213 first quarter passing yards, which basically matched Tennessee’s entire passing game output for 2024.
But that’s where things turned for Georgia to get back into the game. The Bulldogs put together 9-play, 72-yard touchdown drive and 14-play, 88-yard field goal drive to get within 4 points at the break. Georgia also managed to adjust and keep Tennessee off the scoreboard for the quarter.
Things felt like they were going from bad to worse, as Georgia ran off over 8 minutes on a death march to the end zone to start the third quarter and take the lead at 24-21. But things finally turned back for Tennessee in the third quarter, when Aguilar hit Brazzell for another touchdown, this time on a one-on-one jump ball for 56 yards.
Georgia took the lead again on field goal, but a 32-yard touchdown to Braylon Staley gave the Vols the lead back at 35-30.
That’s when Tennessee had their first golden opportunity. Gunner Stockton was hit and fumbled, and Tennessee recovered in plus territory with just over 8 minutes left. But the Vols went slow and conservative, running the ball each drive and settling for a 48-yard field goal a 38-30 lead. Bookmark that theme.
Georgia, of course, drove the field and scored on a fourth down fade pattern for 28 yards with 2 and a half minutes left. A wide open receiver on the two point try pulled down the pass, and it was tied at 38.
Tennessee ground their way into field goal range with around a minute left, but instead of pushing to get into chip shot range, Tennessee got to the 20 slowly on the ground. With 7 seconds left, rather than kick, Tennessee ran a play, but they false started to go back 5 yards. Josh Heupel sent on Max Gilbert there, but unfortunately, he pushed it wide right from 43 yards.
Overtime wrote itself as a hurting Vol fan might expect. Tennessee got 2 yards, but then of course, Gilbert banged through a 40 yarder for a 41-38 lead. But Georgia got down to the 4 on their first play, and then they bulldozed their win in for the win.
As close as it can come, but still not enough.
