The Tennessee Volunteers were one play away from beating the Georgia Bulldogs for the first time since 2016. All Tennessee had to do was stop Georgia on fourth down, stop Georgia on a two-point conversion or make a field goal. Tennessee couldn’t do it and the Volunteers lost to Georgia for a ninth consecutive time.
Tennessee’s 44-41 overtime loss stings for head coach Josh Heupel, who fell to 0-5 against Georgia. This was his team’s closest game against the Bulldogs, but it wasn’t enough. After the game, Heupel gave Georgia credit.
“Give Georgia credit for finishing it the way that you need to to win that game,” Heupel said. “Our players, man, I love the fight, the strain, the willingness to just keep battling and playing the next play. Played physical. Played hard. End of the day, coaches and players have got be a little bit better to win that football game.”
The loss will linger with Tennessee for a bit. The Volunteers had a chance to end the game in regulation with a field goal as time expired, but kicker Max Gilbert missed to the delight of Georgia fans. Tennessee had so many missed opportunities to win beyond the kick.
“We’ve just got to be a little bit better together, coaches and players,” Heupel said. He emphasized that one play could’ve swung the outcome of the game.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart even admitted that Tennessee outplayed Georgia in a lot of ways and that the Dawgs shouldn’t have won.
“Tonight, man, it’s going to hurt,” Heupel said. After Georgia scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime, countless Tennessee fans and players were left in a state of shock.
“We need to drink all that in and taste all of it, because if we’re going to move forward and be the team that we’re capable of, this feeling tonight has got to be a part of what continues to propel us and the urgency and the focus in everything that we do.”
Next for Tennessee is a Sept. 20 game against UAB. Georgia has a bye week on Sept. 20 before facing Alabama.
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