Skip to main content
Georgia

The Other Side: What did Tennessee's Josh Heupel say about Georgia?

Jeremy Johnsonby: Jeremy Johnson13 hours agoJeremyO_Johnson
Georgia
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart before Georgia’s game against Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. (Tony Walsh/UGAAA)

Georgia and Tennessee are in the national spotlight this week. ESPN’s College Gameday will be in Knoxville for No. 6 Georgia and No. 15 Tennessee on Saturday.

The Bulldogs are coming off wins over Marshall and Austin Peay. Tennessee has opened with wins over Syracuse and ETSU.

The rivalry is alive and well between Georgia and Tennessee. There is a lot of mutual respect between both programs as well. The Bulldogs have spoken highly of the Volunteers all week.

On Wednsday, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel highlighted the challenge his team will face in the road Georgia team on Saturday. Heupel feels this is a ‘typical’ Georgia football team on every level. He also has some praise for Georgia’s first-year starter Gunner Stockton.

“We got a chance to go play a really good Georgia football team, typical Georgia team, but their line of scrimmage is really good and certainly have good skill and a young quarterback that is playing well for them,” Heupel told reporters on Wednesday’s SEC teleconference. “It’s a big test for us as a program on Saturday…I think it starts with a lot of scrimmage; they’ve done a good job running football, protecting the quarterback, that’s typical of them on the offensive line. They’ve got really good skilled players too, defensive line, they’re big, they’re athletic, and have done a great job against the run, which is typical. In their second levels, they’re athletic, doing a good job in their pressures, and certainly have good skill out on the third level in their secondary.”

Where has Georgia and Tennessee been settled in the past?

The Bulldogs enter this game with an eight-game winning streak over the Volunteers.

Heupel feels Georgia has done a good job winning the one-on-ones throughout games in the past. Tennessee has also had communication issues when facing Georgia in the past, particularly in Athens.

“In a game like this, when you’re playing a really good opponent, the details matter, so some of it is them making plays and causing problems,” Heupel said. “We’ve had some communication problems on the road against them, and ultimately, you gotta win on third downs, and you’ve got to maximize your possessions when you get on the other side of the 50. That comes from the detail in your preparation, and then winning one-on-ones. When I say one-on-ones, everybody thinks out on the perimeter, but that’s at the line of scrimmage, as well as you get into your pass, throw, and run game, and ultimately, we haven’t been on the right side of it. And it’s a credit to Kirby and his staff and the players in the past games.”

You may also like