As the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs were preparing for Monday’s opening practice of Tennessee week, junior safety Lewis Cine already had the sense these would not be a fun few days.
Not with the up-tempo offense of the Volunteers averaging a nation-leading 2.92 plays per minute.
“You’re going to be huffing and puffing,” Cine said of the impending preparation, “and some of the time you’ll be discombobulated. Am I looking forward to it? Of course not, but am I going to have to do it? Yes, so I might as well enjoy it while I’m out there.”
A matchup that was easily overlooked at the beginning of the season now has created some pep in the steps being taken in Knoxville and Athens. For Tennessee, it’s an obvious opportunity to measure up against the clear-cut No. 1 team nationally, while for Georgia, it’s the truest proving ground yet for a defense that could be one for the ages.
Tennessee’s 344 points through nine games are the most by the Vols since Peyton Manning was a sophomore quarterback in 1995, while Georgia’s 59 points allowed are the fewest by the Bulldogs at this stage in 50 years.