Heading into the weekend, the nation wondered if Tennessee could finish a game. Well, Saturday came and went, and the Vols not only finished off No. 19 Georgia, but they also did it in comeback fashion.
The team whose losses all came in games in which it held leads of 13 points or more erased a 24-3 first-half deficit to stun Georgia 38-31. After all the heat Tennessee coach Butch Jones faced coming into the weekend, he coached a heck of a game and got arguably the biggest win of his Tennessee career.
The Vols bounced back from a deficit created by a 96-yard fumble return for a touchdown and a 75-yard punt return for another score. But quarterback Joshua Dobbs led the Vols' furious comeback with 430 total yards and five touchdowns. He left plenty of Bulldogs defenders scattered around Neyland Stadium's turf because of all the tackles he broke with his 118 rushing yards.
Georgia suffered a major loss early when star running back Nick Chubb sustained an ugly knee injury on the first play from scrimmage. Chubb had to be carted to the locker room. He returned to the sideline but didn't play.
Georgia had a chance to tie the game with 3:52 remaining, when quarterback Greyson Lambert threw a perfect pass to a sprinting Reggie Davis, who dropped the pass right before crossing the goal line. The Bulldogs' final drive of the game ended on an incomplete pass to Malcolm Mitchell in the end zone as time expired.
What this win means for Tennessee: Jones has the major win that had eluded him in three seasons with the Vols, but Tennessee is still behind in the SEC East race. Tennessee stopped a two-game losing streak and stopped a five-game losing streak to Georgia. Tennessee is on a bye next week.
What this loss means for Georgia: The Bulldogs went from SEC East favorites to 2-2 in conference play. Georgia still has Florida and Missouri left, who are both ahead of the Bulldogs in the East standings. Georgia also lost its best player in Chubb, who could miss an extended period of time because of that knee injury.
Player of the game: Dobbs wasn't always crisp with his passes, but he carried this offense to the checkered finish line. He threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another 118 yards and two more scores. Dobbs' clutch passes late and tremendous strength with his runs made him a deadly weapon against Georgia's defense.
Stat of the game: With Tennessee's seven-point win, the Volunteers' past five games have been decided by eight points or fewer. The average margin of victory in those games is 5.8 .