The Morning After (No Pill Required)...

The Tennessee Volunteers lost to the Georgia Bulldogs this weekend, marking the third straight time Tennessee has fallen to Georgia.  As a fan, it was one of the more exciting games I have seen from the Volunteers in quite sometime.   The game saw the Vols fall behind big early, make a comeback, fall behind again, and finally come up just short when the final whistle blew.   The game was a high scoring affair which saw Georgia put up 51 points, the most the Bulldogs have ever scored in the history of the Tennessee/Georgia series.

GAME MVP

For the second week in a row, my game MVP goes to running back Rajion Neal.  Neal carried the ball 23 times for 104 yards and one touchdown.  Neal also had 5 receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown.  Over the past two weeks, Rajion has proved he is an every down SEC back.  When the game was on the line in the 4th quarter, the Tennessee coaches called on Neal repeatedly to move the chains.  Tennessee coaches stayed committed to the run, and Rajion Neal proved he could get the job done.

NEEDS IMROVEMENT

The biggest area of concern coming out of the Georgia game was the defense.  The Tennessee defense gave up 560 totals yards to the Georgia offense.  The Vols gave up too many big plays, as three of Georgia's touchdowns went for 50 or more yards.  Shoddy tackling, players being out of position, and a lack of overall speed all contributed to the Vol's shortcomings on the defensive side of the ball Saturday.  While the defense did force three turnovers in the first half, it was their inability to stop Georgia consistently which ultimately led to the team's downfall.

WANT TO SEE MORE

Something we saw Saturday that has been lacking in recent years from Tennessee was an ability to fight back and show some resiliency.  Tennessee played for 60 minutes against Georgia, and had multiple chances in the 4th quarter on the road against the #5 team in the country.  Last year, we saw Tennessee play well for a half and then completely fall apart over the course of the final 30 minutes.  But Saturday, we saw Tennessee fall behind big early, rally, and turn an ugly start into quite a memorable game.  Quarterback Tyler Bray showed guts on the road.  Yes, he turned the ball over 3 times in the final 8 minutes, but never backed down, and showed he was up for the challenge.  This experience will go a long way in helping him down the road when faced in a crucial late game situation again.