How It Happened: No. 6 Georgia rallies to beat No. 15 Tennessee 44-41 in overtime

No. 15 Tennessee led Georgia 38-30 late in the fourth quarter, but No. 6 Georgia rallied for the 44-41 win after scoring with 2:32 left in regulation and winning in the first possession of overtime. Max Gilbert missed a 43-yard field goal with seven seconds left in regulation, giving the Bulldogs new life in overtime.

Here’s how it happened, as it happened:

First Quarter

Tennessee 7, Georgia 0 (12:30): Tennessee got the ball first and went down the field quickly with a touchdown drive to start the game. Joey Aguilar went 5-for-5 for 62 yards and capped the eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive with a 4-yard touchdown run off the right side of the offensive line, putting the Vols up seven just 2:30 into the game.

Tennessee 7, Georgia 7 (9:58): Georgia answered quickly, starting its own opening-drive touchdown with a 45-yard completion from Gunner Stockton to Colbie Young on first down. Stockton scored on a 6-yard touchdown run five plays later, capping a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive.

Tennessee 14, Georgia 7 (9:29): Tennessee hadn’t thrown a touchdown pass against Georgia since the 2021 game at Neyland Stadium. That changed on the second play of the second drive on Saturday. Aguilar connected with Chris Brazzell II on a 73-yard touchdown drive to put the Vols back ahead.

Tennessee 21, Georgia 7 (3:37): Joey Aguilar struck again. So did Chris Brazzell II. The Vols started at their own 17-yard line and methodically marched down the field on an 83-yard touchdown drive with another Aguilar-to-Brazzell score from 14 yards out.

Second Quarter

Tennessee 21, Georgia 14 (14:52): Georgia scored on the first play of the second quarter with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Gunner Stockton to Zachariah Branch. The Bulldogs converted on fourth-and-3 earlier in the drive near midfield to keep the drive alive.

Tennessee 21, Georgia 17 (1:42): Georgia got back on the board with 1:42 left in the second quarter on a 20-yard field goal. The drive stalled after Gunner Stockton ran left on third down, but was stopped short by Tennessee’s Jalen McMurray. The drive went 88 yards in 12 plays, taking 6:10 off the clock.

Third Quarter

Georgia 24, Tennessee 21 (7:19): Georgia made it 17 straight points and took its first lead of the day on the first drive of the second half, going 75 yards in 14 plays and taking 7:41 off the clock. Josh McCray ended the marathon drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, after the Bulldogs ran on 13 of the 14 plays, gaining 68 of the 88 yards on the ground. The drive included four third-down conversions.

Georgia 27, Tennessee 21 (7:19): After Georgia picked off Joey Aguilar and started its drive at the Tennessee 37, the Bulldogs were forced to settle for a 48-yard field goal to extend the lead to six.

Tennessee 28, Georgia 27 (0:07): Tennessee badly needed an answer and the Vols got a big one. Joey Aguilar threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Chris Brazzell II to cap a five-play, 75-yard scoring drive to retake the lead. The catch gave Brazzell five catches for 162 yards and three touchdowns.

Fourth Quarter

Georgia 30, Tennessee 28 (12:17): The Vols needed a stop. Tennessee’s defense could only settle for another Georgia field goal. This time it was a 24-yarder to go back up by two. The 69-yard scoring drive started 16 yards and 15 yards on the first two plays, then a 31-yard pass on the fourth to get the ball down to the 8-yard line.

Tennessee 35, Georgia 30 (11:01): Just like that, Tennessee was back ahead. Joey Aguilar threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Staley to put the Vols back up 35-30 after a lighting-fast four-play, 75-yard drive. Chris Brazzell II caught a 15-yard pass on the second play of the drive and Star Thomas broke Tennessee’s first big run, gaining 27 yards before Aguilar’s touchdown pass.

Tennessee 38, Georgia 30 (6:40): Joshua Josephs came up with a strip sack and Bryson Eason fumbled, setting Tennessee up at the Georgia 34-yard line. The Vols jumped offsides on first down, then ran three straight times for a total of nine yards. Max Gilbert kicked a 48-yard field goal to build the lead to eight with 6:40 left. 

Tennessee 38, Georgia 38 (2:32): Georgia needed a touchdown and the two-point conversion to tie the game and that’s exactly what the Bulldogs got, scoring on a 28-yard touchdown pass to London Humphreys before the two-point conversion to Zachariah Branch.

Overtime

Tennessee 41, Georgia 38: Max Gilbert missed what would have been a 43-yard field goal to take the lead with seven seconds left and the Vols had to settle for overtime. They couldn’t move the ball after getting possession first, settling for a 42-yard Gilbert field goal.

Georgia 44, Tennessee 41: Georgia took possession, ran for 21 yards on first two and scored two plays later on a Josh McCray 1-yard run, which was initially ruled down then overturned on replay.