Dawg Tracks: 15 thoughts heading into Georgia-Tennessee

Here is this week’s Dawg Tracks column with Georgia preparing to face Tennessee this Saturday.

1. Georgia’s offensive performance against Tennessee could hinge on the right side of the offensive line. Juan Gaston Jr. and Earnest Greene III were unable to play last week against Austin Peay, but both are progressing through their recent injuries. Their availability will be tremendous for a Georgia run game looking to assert its will in SEC play.

2. Regarding the run game, I hit on this briefly in Tuesday’s Across the Ball column. Dwight Phillips Jr. needs more opportunities. Phillips has seen the bulk of his work with the first-team offense and he’s averaging 9.2 yards per carry. It’s not like he’s totaling his yardage against scrubs. Compare that with Nate Frazier (4.6 yards per carry) and Chauncey Bowens (5.2 yards per carry) and you’re beginning to see the makings of a home-run hitter to complement two strong runners between the tackles.

3. Phillips received only five carries against Marshall and totaled seven rushes against Austin Peay. Perhaps the increase continues and he gets nine against Tennessee? Could he possibly end up in double digits?

4. One final thought on Phillips: This season, he’s yet to catch a pass. If he has that in his skill set, and is more than adequate as a pass protector, it may be worth looking at him as the third-down back. There’s too much talent as a runner in space to limit his touches.

5. It’s been noted plenty that quarterback Gunner Stockton has not tried to push the ball down the field. It will not shock me to see Mike Bobo dial up a deep shot on Georgia’s first possession of the game.

6. Sometimes in these early-season big games, a freshman breaks out. Could that be Talyn Taylor? He’s received some early playing time in both games and entered Georgia with a lot of hype.

7. In Tennessee’s opener against Syracuse, quarterback Steve Angeli threw for 273 yards, which shows that there should be some passing plays available for the Bulldogs. In addition, Tennessee will still be without top cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson Jr.

8. That stated, Colton Hood has played well for the Volunteers. Hood, a transfer from Colorado, has posted five pass deflections in two games.

9. When Georgia drops back to pass, the offensive line must be on its A-game in pass protection. Tennessee has already recorded eight sacks in two games, with five coming against Syracuse. Joshua Josephs is off to a strong start and will be fighting for a spot in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.

10. Conversely, Georgia only has three sacks this season, with one each from CJ Allen and Chris Cole. The third was a team sack.

11. Neither Stockton or Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar have thrown an interception yet. That streak for at least one of them will likely end Saturday.

12. Last year, Georgia defeated Tennessee 31-17 but only totaled 106 rushing yards on 31 carries. Frazier carried the ball 19 times for 68 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck had one of his better games of the season, throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns. Again, signs are pointing to Georgia needing a strong passing attack to win this game.

13. Syracuse tight end Dan Villlari caught five passes for 55 yards against Tennessee in Week 1. East Tennessee State tight end Cole Kellar caught three balls for 47 yards a week later. Is a trend developing? Could this be a big week for Oscar Delp?

14. After watching Dylan Sampson in Week 1 with the Cleveland Browns, it’s clear what kind of talent he was for Tennessee. While Tennessee’s Star Thomas and DeSean Bishop are off to a good start as a committee, this objectively isn’t the same kind of challenge that Sampson presented a year ago.

15. Just a hunch, but it feels like Christen Miller could be an absolute difference maker for the Bulldogs on Saturday.

ICYMI

Jim Donnan previewed Georgia’s game against Tennessee.

Kirby Smart offered his thoughts on the challenge Tennessee presents.

Peyton Woodring enjoys the pressure of being a place-kicker and prefers a rough crowd.

Georgia news and notes from Tuesday’s practice, which includes an injury update.