Georgia running back Todd Gurley (3) tries to break free from Tennessee defensive back Brian Randolph (37) Saturday in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 35-32.ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia’s 35-32 triumph over Tennessee on Saturday afternoon was anything but predictable, except for Todd Gurley’s continued dominance.
Gurley rushed 28 times for a career-high 208 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs repeatedly held off the improved and resilient Volunteers. The 6-foot-1, 226-pound junior had a 51-yard scoring scamper, a 26-yard run that featured a hurdle of safety Brian Randolph, and a 4-yard run on fourth-and-3 on the game’s final play.
“I knew Todd was getting tired, but I knew he was digging deep,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “That might have been his most impressive day just from a gut-check and a guy making plays when we absolutely had to have them.”
The No. 12 Bulldogs improved to 3-1 for the season and 1-1 in Southeastern Conference play before a Sanford Stadium sellout crowd of 92,746. The Vols dropped to 2-2, 0-1.
Gurley’s rushing output was the most by a Georgia player since 1992, when Garrison Hearst shredded Vanderbilt for 246 yards. Hearst finished third in the Heisman Trophy balloting that season, and Gurley is certainly in this year’s hunt with 610 yards through four games.