Tennessee Vols need to lean on an important quote from Josh Heupel from earlier this season to get a win against Georgia
The Tennessee Vols have exorcized plenty of demons since Josh Heupel took over as program's head coach in early 2021. Tennessee has won two of their last three games against both Florida and Alabama for the first time in 20 years. The Vols have also had four straight winning seasons for the first time in […]
The Tennessee Vols have exorcized plenty of demons since Josh Heupel took over as program's head coach in early 2021.
Tennessee has won two of their last three games against both Florida and Alabama for the first time in 20 years. The Vols have also had four straight winning seasons for the first time in 20 years.
The vibes have been great on Rocky Top over the last several years thanks to Heupel, his staff, and (most importantly) Tennessee's players.
There's one thing, however, that the Vols have yet to do under Heupel — they haven't been able to get a win against Georgia.
And not only has Tennessee been unable to beat Georgia, they haven't even come close, losing each of the last three games to the Bulldogs by an average of 22 points.
Georgia has been elite during that time frame, but it still feels like there's a bit of a mental edge that the Bulldogs have in these matchups against the Vols. It's like the red and black of Georgia, and the logo they ripped off from the Green Bay Packers, is good enough for a 14 point lead before the game even starts.
If the Vols are going to get a win in Athens this weekend against the Bulldogs, they can't let Georgia have a "lead" before they even take the field. Tennessee has to play their game regardless of who's on the other sideline.
Which is why a quote from Heupel from earlier this season should be the Vols' mantra in Athens this weekend.
"You're the same guy every single day," said Heupel in September. "No matter who's in the stands — 102,000 or nobody. The opponent is nameless, it's faceless. Being consistent in the way that we approach the game."
Tennessee has to turn Georgia into a nameless and faceless opponent. The energy of the rivalry needs to be there, but the Vols can't look at Georgia as superheroes who can't be beaten. Georgia has to go out there and execute just like Tennessee will need to. Predictions, metrics, and analytics used to predict outcomes are fun, but none of that stuff has any impact on what will actually happen on Saturday night. Ultimately, it's going to come down to the players on the field that are out there competing.
The Vols will need to compete at a high level and play free to beat the Bulldogs. And they only way that's going to happen is if they approach the game like Georgia is a nameless and faceless opponent.
ESPN’s Rece Davis did the Vols a big favor ahead of Tennessee’s game against the Georgia Bulldogs
Vols fans are thanking Rece Davis
