NCAAF

Tennessee Volunteers at Georgia Bulldogs

· NCAA - Football
8-2, 1-2 Away
Final
17 - 31
8-2, 4-0 Home

Beck throws for 2 TDs, runs for another to lead No. 11 Georgia past No. 6 Tennessee 31-17

Carson Beck keeps it himself for a Georgia TD

Showing off his arm and his legs, Beck silenced his critics by throwing for two touchdowns and running for another, leading the No. 11 Bulldogs to a 31-17 victory over No. 6 Tennessee that gave a huge boost to their College Football Playoff hopes.

Georgia (8-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 12 CFP) bounced back from a 28-10 loss at Ole Miss that left the Bulldogs just outside the provisional 12-team postseason field.

Now, they are positioned for a likely playoff berth — and a shot at winning their third national championship in four years — if they can close out the regular season with wins over UMass and Georgia Tech.

“The way we were able to bounce back from last week, I'm just so proud of these guys,” Beck said. “The word that really identifies us is resilient. We stay so composed in high-pressure moments. Although it might not look perfect, it might not look pretty, we're gonna get the job done.”

Tennessee (8-2, 5-2, No. 7 CFP) could have moved a big step closer to a berth in the SEC championship game, but the Vols' postseason prospects are now a whole lot murkier after what had all the makings of a playoff elimination game.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said he has “no idea” where his team stands now in the playoff picture.

“All I know is this league is college football as good as it gets,” he said. "It’s hard to win in this league. It’s a good football team that we just played. ... We’re a good football team, too.”

In the midst of a disappointing season, Beck came up huge for the Bulldogs when they needed him most, guiding them to a 29th straight home victory in an FBS-leading streak that dates to 2019.

Beck connected on a pair of touchdown passes to tight end Oscar Delp in the first half and scrambled for the go-ahead score in the third quarter, darting 10 yards to the end zone for his first rushing TD of the season.

Georgia sealed the victory with a 92-yard drive — its longest of the season — in the closing minutes. Freshman Nate Frazier finished it off with a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:26 remaining.

“A week ago, we were dead and gone,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “People had written us off.”

Beck, who had thrown 12 interceptions in the previous six games, didn't have any picks against the Volunteers. He completed 25 of 40 passes for 347 yards.

With quarterback Nico Iamaleava cleared to play after going through concussion protocol, Tennessee jumped to a 10-0 lead on Miles Kitselman’s 1-yard dive and Max Gilbert’s 52-yard field goal, dampening the mood of more than 93,000 at Sanford Stadium.

But the Bulldogs, after a sluggish start that has become their trademark, grabbed the lead as Beck connected with Delp on similar-looking scoring passes of 19 and 4 yards in the back of the end zone.

Dylan Sampson put the Vols back in front with his 21st rushing touchdown of the season, a 27-yard scamper through a huge hole right up the middle.

Beck guided the Bulldogs into position for Peyton Woodring’s 36-yard field goal with five seconds remaining in the half, sending the teams to the locker room tied at 17.

Beck's runs The Georgia quarterback isn't known as much of a runner, but he posted a career-high 32 yards on three carries — all of them huge plays for the Bulldogs.

A bruising 14-yard run set up his first touchdown pass to Delp, an 8-yard run on third down extended the drive that led to Woodring's field goal near the end of the first half and the touchdown run came on third-and-7 from the 10.

“He's a good athlete,” Smart said. “He can make plays with his feet.”

The takeaway Tennessee: The Vols defense had not allowed more than 19 points all season, but they couldn't contain the Beck-led offense. Georgia piled up 453 yards and 24 first downs while converting eight of 13 third-down opportunities. Tennessee just doesn't have an answer for the Bulldogs, who have dominated the series with eight straight victories — all of them by margins of at least two touchdowns.

Georgia: The Bulldogs played without top running back Trevor Etienne, who was sidelined by a rib issue, and the offense took another blow when receiver Dillon Bell went out with an ankle injury sustained on a hit along the sideline late in the first half. But Frazier, the first true freshman to start at tailback for the Bulldogs since 2014, rushed for 68 yards and London Humphreys stepped up to make three huge catches for 63 yards. Big kudos, as well, to the offensive line, which did not give up a sack after Beck was dumped five times the previous week by Ole Miss.

Up next Tennessee: The Vols return home next Saturday to take on UTEP before wrapping up the regular season with a short trip to Nashville to face Vanderbilt on Nov. 30.

Georgia: With their SEC schedule complete, the Bulldogs close out the regular season with two nonconference games at home. UMass (2-8) shouldn't present much of a problem next Saturday.

This story has been corrected to show that Georgia's top running back is Trevor, not Travis, Etienne. They are brothers.

How To Watch

How can I watch Tennessee Volunteers vs. Georgia Bulldogs?
  • TV Channel: Volunteers at Bulldogs 2021 College Football, week 12, is broadcasted on ABC.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Matchup Prediction

Bulldogs: 61.9%
Volunteers: 38.1%
*According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index

Scoring Summary

TENN TD 1st Period 10:09 Miles Kitselman 1 Yd Run (Max Gilbert Kick)
TENN FG 1st Period 0:43 Max Gilbert 52 Yd Field Goal
UGA TD 2nd Period 13:30 Oscar Delp 19 Yd pass from Carson Beck (Peyton Woodring Kick)
UGA TD 2nd Period 6:36 Oscar Delp 4 Yd pass from Carson Beck (Peyton Woodring Kick)
TENN TD 2nd Period 1:54 Dylan Sampson 27 Yd Run (Max Gilbert Kick)
UGA FG 2nd Period 0:05 Peyton Woodring 36 Yd Field Goal
UGA TD 3rd Period 5:32 Carson Beck 10 Yd Run (Peyton Woodring Kick)
UGA TD 4th Period 2:26 Nate Frazier 2 Yd Run (Peyton Woodring Kick)

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2633.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originTENN https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/61.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originUGA
20 1st Downs 25
10-18 3rd down efficiency 8-14
1-2 4th down efficiency 0-0
313 Total Yards 453
167 Passing 347
20/33 Comp/Att 25/40
5.1 Yards per pass 8.7
146 Rushing 106
39 Rushing Attempts 31
3.7 Yards per rush 3.4
9-70 Penalties 7-59
1 Turnovers 0
1 Fumbles lost 0
0 Interceptions thrown 0
29:31 Possession 30:29

Game Information

Sanford Stadium

Location: Athens, GA
Attendance: 93,033 · Capacity:
Full Standings

College Football News

68 Ventures Bowl Preview

68 Ventures Bowl Preview

Take a look at numbers to know ahead of Arkansas State's matchup against Bowling Green in the 68 Ventures Bowl.

Sources: Cal transfer QB Fernando Mendoza commits to Indiana

Sources: Cal transfer QB Fernando Mendoza commits to Indiana

Cal transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza has committed to Indiana, sources told ESPN.

Fernando Mendoza's top plays from this past season

Fernando Mendoza's top plays from this past season

Check out some highlights from former Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza as he announces his commitment to Indiana.

DirecTV Holiday Bowl Preview

DirecTV Holiday Bowl Preview

Look at some important stats ahead of Syracuse's matchup with Washington State in the DirecTV Holiday Bowl.

Valero Alamo Bowl Preview

Valero Alamo Bowl Preview

Check out some key stats and facts for Colorado and BYU before their matchup in the Valero Alamo Bowl.