There have been two certainties in each of the past four meetings between Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs and Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Volunteers.
The Bulldogs have won all four contests by at least two touchdowns, and the Vols have scored first on each occasion. Smart wouldn’t mind experiencing another triumph over Tennessee but with Georgia taking the early lead as the two teams prepare for Saturday afternoon’s collision (3:30 on ABC) inside Neyland Stadium.
“I don’t know that there have been any adjustments made as much as the tempo of the game,” Smart said Monday during his weekly news conference. “Nobody prefers to start that way. They do such a good job of attacking to start the game and have good plans, but it’s more about settling in and playing the speed of the game that we can play.
“I certainly expect us to play well from the start, but it hasn’t always been that way. It’s very unique with the spacing and how much space there is when you play these guys, and spotting them a lead is certainly not our intention.”
Tennessee used a 9-yard pass from Hendon Hooker to Velus Jones Jr. to take a 7-0 lead in the 2021 encounter in Knoxville, when Heupel was new to the rivalry. Vols running back Jaylen Wright bolted 75 yards on the first play from scrimmage in the 2023 matchup, and a 1-yard touchdown dive by tight end Miles Kitselman gave Tennessee a 7-0 lead in last year’s game.