Key Tennessee Vols team leader makes honest admission about loss to Georgia Bulldogs
The Tennessee Vols had a chance to lock down a spot in the College Football Playoff this past weekend, but they couldn't get the job done in Athens. Tennessee played hard against the Bulldogs, but some questionable officiating, a fruitless second half from the offense, and a strong performance from Georgia's offensive line resulted in […]
The Tennessee Vols had a chance to lock down a spot in the College Football Playoff this past weekend, but they couldn't get the job done in Athens.
Tennessee played hard against the Bulldogs, but some questionable officiating, a fruitless second half from the offense, and a strong performance from Georgia's offensive line resulted in a 31-17 loss for the Vols.
The play of Bulldogs' offensive line was particularly surprising. Georgia struggled against the Ole Miss Rebels' defensive line the previous week, allowing five sacks in a 28-10 loss in Oxford.
Tennessee's defensive line unit has been one of the best in college football this season. So why did they struggle against Georgia (UT had zero sacks against UGA)?
According to Vols senior defensive lineman Omari Thomas, the answer is simple — Georgia's offensive line simply played better than Tennessee's defensive line.
"As a defensive line, we felt like we played good," said Thomas on Tuesday. "We felt like there were definitely things that we could've done better, to be honest with you. But shoutout to Georgia, [they have] a great offensive line. They played well. They were very well coached. They picked up on a lot of the things we did. They played a better game than us and we have to play better."
"They definitely threw a couple of wrinkles in there, for sure" added Thomas when asked if Georgia did anything different than what they had showed on film. "But that's something that we have to be ready for and be able to adjust to in-game and still be able to [play] at a high level."
Sometimes it's just not your night. And it wasn't Tennessee's night in Athens this past weekend. The Vols, however, still have an elite defensive line. They just have to learn from their mistakes against Georgia, put that performance in the past (you can't change it now), and get ready for UTEP and Vanderbilt to finish the season.
Tennessee still has a decent chance to reach the 12-team College Football Playoff, but they have to put the loss to Georgia behind them. The Vols' schedule over the final two weeks of the season looks favorable, but the game against Vanderbilt in Nashville won't be a breeze — just ask Alabama.
