Eight wins in a row. That’s Georgia’s stranglehold on the Tennessee rivalry under Kirby Smart. But this season, it seems everything could come crashing down for the Dawgs. See, we remember what went down in Sanford last year. Vols had a 10-point lead in Q1 and pressed Kirby Smart and Co. quite hard. Yes, it wasn’t enough for the Vols to win that game, but it was more than enough to limit the Bulldogs from making big passing plays. Georgia survived that showdown, but this season, will they manage to do the same at Nayland?

One former Bulldog doesn’t think so. Back on Crain & Company, David Pollack made it clear that Smart and Co. have some “serious” problems they need to deal with. “Georgia’s offensive line is beat to crap. Right guard out, right tackle out, they were on their third right tackle at one point in the last football game,” Pollack pointed out.

Frankly, anyone who saw that Austin Peay game could easily vouch for this take. QB Gunner Stockton barely had time/protection to allow for proper snaps against the Governors. The O-line kept on folding, and Stockton was pressed on moving from deeper targets downfield.

We saw multiple times OC Mike Bobo calling for deep shot plays, but they resulted in nothing because of the O-line leakage. Now, to make matters worse, this isn’t the only “issue” Smart has to tackle. As Pollack added that while Georgia’s defense is “elite” and the secondary has “three corners that can really cover,” what he’s seen from Gunner Stockton this season hasn’t matched the decisive QB who flashed in last year’s playoff. “The Gunner Stockton I’ve seen so far this season is not the guy that I saw in the playoffs,” Pollack pointed out.

Week 1, Stockton was great. Against Herd, he exploded and led the Dawgs to a 45-7 win. But then, when you look at the Austin Peay tape, you could easily point out the shakiness. Almost zero hits on deep passes (again, the O-line folding adds to this), nearly made a pick six, and finally, missed shots to open receivers. Making this mistake against an FCS opponent does stain the resume a bit.

Just as Joel Klatt mentions, “Guys, if Julian Sayin or Dante Moore would’ve thrown 34 passes against Austin Peay, they would’ve scored 873,000 points.” Being high on such issues while being on the road to the Vols’ home ground could spell trouble for Smart and Co. because these are the exact weak points Josh Heupel won’t hesitate to exploit.

A chance for redemption for Josh Heupel

The Vols have a lot on their plate. Yes, they managed to win against Syracuse and gave us a stunner against East Tenn Buccs, but at what cost? Going into this rivalry game/first SEC game of the season against Georgia, Heupel won’t have 2 of his best CBs. Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson are both sidelined because of injuries.

This leaves much of the heavy lifting to Colton Hood and freshman Ty Redmond. But fear not, Vols fans, because Heupel still has a ton of weapons on both sides of the ball. Leading the charge on defense will be Arion Carter, with 13 total tackles on the board for the junior.

On the secondary, Jalen McMurray stands like a shield. Now, offensively, while many analysts have questioned the Vols’ worth, in two games, Heupel and Co. have proven they have what it takes. QB Joey Aguilar has settled well with the rhythm, allowing the receiving corps to make big plays.

With Braylon Staley, Mike Matthews, and Chris Brazzell II running the show with 460+ yards on the board, along with 4 touchdowns. Heupel has a fair shot of ending Georgia’s winning streak against the Vols.

If the HC manages to pressure Stockton and Smart’s O-line enough, we might see a clean sweep for the Volunteers.