GAME NOTES: The 12th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs hit the road for an SEC clash with the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville. Georgia owns a 4-1 record, as the only loss to date for the squad came against a South Carolina club that is currently ranked 11th nationally. The Bulldogs are riding a three-game winning streak that includes a 45-17 triumph over Ole Miss. They were fortunate enough to avoid LSU on the regular season schedule, but tough opponents such as Florida and Kentucky are ahead. Tennessee owns a 2-2 record thus far, but the club has yet to beat a quality opponent. Wins over Southern Miss and Arkansas State have proved little, and the hope is last weekend's open date provided Tennessee ample time to rest and prepare for this critical clash against the Bulldogs. Tennessee owns a narrow 19-15-2 series lead over Georgia, and the Vols won last season's meeting by a 51-33 final.

The Georgia offense put forth an outstanding effort in the blowout victory over Ole Miss last weekend. Six offensive touchdowns were scored by the Bulldogs, including four in the final 19 minutes of the clash. Thomas Brown reached the end zone three times, including touchdown runs of 50 and 41 yards. He finished the afternoon with 180 rushing yards on only 16 carries, and fellow tailback Knowshon Moreno contributed 90 yards and a score on the ground. Matthew Stafford completed 13-of-21 passes for 144 yards and one score, and he was not intercepted in the contest. Georgia is averaging 32.6 ppg and 385.6 total ypg, solid numbers for an offense that relies equally on the run and the pass. Stafford is young and has plenty of room for improvement, but he has all the physical tools to be a great quarterback. He has completed 57.6 percent of his throws for 989 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. Moreno and Brown have combined for 825 rushing yards and nine scores, as both are averaging well over five yards per carry.

Georgia yielded a 45-yard touchdown pass to Ole Miss less than five minutes into last weekend's game. The Bulldogs had allowed 17 points through the first 40 minutes of the clash, but they were able to hold the Rebels scoreless over the final 20 minutes. Georgia permitted 386 total yards, a rather high figure, but a pair of takeaways proved key to the win. Opponents are averaging 17.2 ppg and 303.2 total ypg against the Bulldogs, who have been solid defensively as expected. They have yielded eight touchdowns to opposing offenses thus far, six of which have been rushing scores. With four takeaways and nine sacks, there has clearly been a shortage of impact plays. Against Tennessee, the defense will have to come up with a few big plays to avoid defeat.

Tennessee lost to Cal by 14 to open the season, then dropped a 39-point decision to Florida a couple of weeks later. Most recently, the Vols managed a 48-27 decision over Arkansas State, a game in which they racked up 30 first downs an 523 yards of total offense. Erik Ainge was outstanding under center, as he posted 334 passing yards and four touchdowns. Lucas Taylor was clearly the top target on the outside, as he made seven grabs for 104 yards and two touchdowns. As for the ground attack, LaMarcus Coker finished with 101 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Tennessee is scoring 34.5 ppg this season while racking up 418.0 total ypg. The majority of the yardage has been generated through the air, as Ainge has completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 1,130 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has only tossed two interceptions. Taylor has made 24 catches for 382 yards and two touchdowns to lead the receivers. Arian Foster has been the best of the backs.

Arkansas State posted 377 total yards and a pair of offensive touchdowns against Tennessee, as the third score came on an interception return. So while only 20 of the 27 points that the Vols surrendered came on the defense's watch, the effort was far from impressive. Fortunately, Tennessee came up with a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery. Opponents are averaging 37.5 ppg and 439.0 total ypg this season against the Vols, who have struggled mightily on defense. They were completely overmatched by both Florida and Cal, and they even looked weak against the lesser teams they have faced. Improvement is needed in a hurry. The run defense has been a major problem area, as foes are racking up 5.2 ypc. Also, six sacks in four outings just isn't good enough.

Tennessee can't stop the run, and Georgia runs the ball exceptionally well. Also, the Bulldogs are better defensively than the Vols. For those reasons, go with the road team.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Georgia 27, Tennessee 24