ATHENS, Ga. - Tennessee's afternoon in Sanford Stadium began with a 17-point deficit. It ended with turnovers on its last three possessions. But in between, the Vols showed plenty of resolve in pushing No. 5 Georgia to the brink before falling, 51-44, on Saturday.

"I am proud of this team for fighting," said head coach Derek Dooley. "I think we showed that we have some resilience in this ball team, but we a lot of work to do on both sides of the ball. We are leaving here a better team than when we got here."

Georgia scored all of its 51 points in the first three quarters, and 30 of those came in the third quarter. UT's defense, which gave up several big plays on the ground before and allowed the Bulldogs to gain 234 yards of total offense in the first quarter alone, dug in and gave the offense two chances to tie the game in the third quarter.

"We kept hanging in there but couldn't get over the hump and get a stop when we needed it," said Dooley. "We had the ball in the last possession and had an opportunity to score, but we didn't get it done. We haven't been in those situations a lot. We are going to learn from it and next time execute it better."

Taking over at its 28-yard line with 7:31 to go and trailing by seven points, the Vols drove to the Georgia 50 before Sanders Commings intercepted a Tyler Bray at the Bulldogs' 36.

Georgia, which had just one first down in the fourth quarter, went three-and-out on its next possession, giving UT the ball at its 26 with 4:06 left. Tennessee moved the ball into Georgia territory and converted a key third down with an 11-yard completion to Cordarrelle Patterson to the Georgia 27.

Four plays later, though, Bray fumbled trying to escape pressure and Georgia's John Jenkins fell on the ball, effectively ending UT's upset bid. The Vols had one last-ditch chance to try and tie the game, but Bray's first pass from the UT 35 with 15 seconds left was tipped and intercepted by Commings.

That Tennessee (3-2, 0-2 SEC) would even have a chance to tie the game in the fourth quarter seemed highly unlikely after the way Saturday's game started.

The Bulldogs scored on four of their first five possessions -- the lone exception an interception UT safety Byron Moore returned for a touchdown -- and had a 27-10 lead with 11 minutes remaining in the second half.

Two lengthy touchdown runs, a 75-yarder by Keith Marshall and a 51-yarder by Todd Gurley, gave Georgia plenty of early momentum.

The Vols, though, punched back.

On the Bulldogs' next possession following Gurley's long run, the Vols forced a punt. Then they started forcing turnovers.

After a 10-play drive ended with linebacker A.J. Johnson's third rushing touchdown of the season, linebacker Herman Lathers sacked Murray and Johnson scooped up the loose ball at the UGA 18-yard line.

Four plays later, tailback Rajion Neal scored from 10 yards on a catch-and-run. That score gave the Vols 20 unanswered points -- and their first lead of the game -- with less than a minute to go before halftime.

But those final 42 seconds proved enough time for Georgia to get in range of kicker Marshall Morgan, whose 50-yard field goal made the score 30-30 at halftime.

Georgia opened the second half with 14 unanswered points on touchdown passes of 8 and 32 yards from Aaron Murray to Michael Bennett.

The Vols, though, bounced right back again.

Patterson broke free for a 46-yard touchdown run thanks to key blocks from Bray and tailback Marlin Lane. Patterson, who looked to pass first, cut back twice and escaped Georgia's defenders for his second rushing touchdown of the season, which made the score 43-37 with 4:13 remaining in the third quarter.

Three plays after that, though, Georgia's Marshall broke free again, going untouched off tackle for 72 yards and what proved to be the deciding score.

Marshall finished with a game-high 164 rushing yards, and the Bulldogs ran for 282 yards total.

While Georgia's freshmen backs carried the day, Tennessee's running game made a major improvement from where it was the last two games in this series.

After rushing for a combined minus-12 yards the last two years against Georgia (a figure that includes negative yardage from quarterback sacks), the Vols ran for 197 on Saturday.

Neal had 104 of those rushing yards, and Tennessee's offensive line got more dominant as the game went on. UT's fourth-quarter touchdown drive had eight running plays, including the last six, ending with Neal's 9-yard run.

The loss marked the first time in program history that Tennessee lost when scoring 40 or more points breaking a streak of 177 consecutive wins when it reached that threshold.

The Vols have a week to recover from Saturday's game and get ready for a trip to No. 21 Mississippi State (4-0, 1-0 SEC) on Oct. 13. Mississippi State did not play Saturday. 

(Opening Statement)
"You have to give a lot of credit to Georgia. They are a great football team and a heck of an offensive football team. I am proud of this team for fighting. I think we showed that we have some resilience in this ball team, but we a lot of work to do on both sides of the ball. We are leaving here a better team than when we got here."

(On his team)
"There is a lot of disappointment. We kept hanging in there but couldn't get over the hump and get a stop when we needed it. We had the ball in the last possession and had an opportunity to score, but we didn't get it done. We haven't been in those situations a lot. We are going to learn from it and next time execute it better."

(On the defense)
"We are better in a lot of areas, but we have to shore up the run defense. Georgia is a great running team but we are a lot better than what we showed out there today. It was frustrating. We have to go back, watch some film and look at our personnel. If we have to make some changes, then we will make changes. We have to learn to play better."

(On the 20-3 run that ended the first half)
"I've always believed that this team has some fight in them. We just had to go out there and prove it. We got hit by a freight train early in the game, but we were able to fight back and get back into it. We went toe to toe with a top-10 team that will be competing for a national championship. Georgia was ready to play and we were on our heels early. We showed that we could fight back and make some plays when we needed too, but we still have room to improve."

(On Tyler Bray's play)
"I'm sure everyone is going to comment about him not being able to win the game and that is not fair to him. He is in a long journey as a quarterback. He has not been in those situations a lot, he just has not in his career here. He is going to learn from it and the next time he is in it he is going to execute a little bit better. That is the way it is. He has played a lot, but it has not been in those kinds of end of the game situations enough."

(On the team)
"We win and lose as a team. We had a lot of mistakes in all three phases (of the game). We had a chance to win it there at the end on offense and we did not get it done. We had a chance on defense and we had a chance to make plays on special teams and we did not."

(On the way his team played)
"We did not finish the way we wanted to but with seven minutes left it just kind of fell apart."

(On what caused some of the offensive turnovers)
"I was trying to force (throws), just trying to do too much. I talked with Coach Chaney and he said I was trying to do too much and I should just let the game come to me. I do not need to win it, I need to let the team win it."

(On what the team learned against Georgia)
"This team grew up a lot tonight. Before, we might have given up they went up by seventeen points in the first half but we battled back and were able to tie it going into the half. We came back out and they scored really quick and we answered a couple of drives later and kept rolling. We just need to finish."

(On giving up big plays)
"It was pretty frustrating because we were getting where we were supposed to be and they would still make big plays.

"In the first quarter we did not come out as strong as we could have. In the second quarter we came out hyped up and ready to roll. We were able to get turnovers and play as a defense and as a team."

(On the communication between the offense and the defense)
"We were both communicating between each other. Instead of sitting on the bench and going over plays we went over them quickly and everyone on defense got up and cheered the offense on because they were driving."

(On the final score)
"We came into this game with a lot of confidence, but it just didn't work out like we thought it would. Through all the disappointment, I think the team grew a lot. We're disappointed but as always, stay positive and look forward to the next game."

(On the game)
"We showed a lot of heart tonight, and I think that's something we can take forward into the rest of the season. We've shown we can hang in there with a top-five team and go toe-to-toe with the best of them. We learned a lot about ourselves tonight."

(On what he has learned from about this Tennessee team)
"We have fighters. We have guys who are not afraid to go get it. I feel like we are going to keep growing from this and one day things will go our way because we have guys who continue to fight. They do not give up and you can see it in their eyes. They want it just as bad as all the other guys do. One thing I can say is that we are going to fight."

(On Tennessee's steady run-game)
"It is like Coach Graham has been saying, it will just keep coming with time. We are going to keep working to get better and better every week, as long as we keep taking care of ourselves. I feel like we can keep growing."

(On being an impact player)
"We are just spreading the ball out and trying to get everyone some touches. I cannot make every play but I love to help when I get my number called and I'll try to make a play."

(On his dropped potential touchdown pass)
"It felt like I had let the team down so I just tried to bounce back and tried to make some big plays to make up for that mistake."

(On the adjustments made at halftime)
"We are just spreading the ball out and trying to get everyone some touches. I cannot make every play but I love to help when I get my number called and I'll try to make a play."

(On putting the pieces together)
"We were not playing our technique coming out so we settled down and started to play out technique and once we did we got what we wanted."

(On heading into the off week)
"We have a great team. We have worked hard and we have playmakers on both sides of the ball, but as they say when you make a bust and you do not get to your assignment you will get the result you get."

(On the big plays given up by the defense)
"Any time you give p big plays it is just bad for you. Moving forward, we just have to do a better job of eliminating the big plays and stop those explosive plays."

(On the missed tackles)
"We just have to do a better job of wrapping guys up and get them down. If they bust a big play then we just have to get them down as quick as possible."

(On the sideline's mood throughout the game)
"We just kept telling ourselves that we believed we were going to win this game and played for sixty minutes. We never looked at the scoreboard and kept `sawing wood.' We came up short and we had a good chance down with the offense but that is just the way it goes."

(Opening Statement)
"It's nice to have a gut check and come out on top. A lot of things in the first half deflated us, but we realized where we were, we knew we had to play another 30 minutes, and we rose to the occasion when we needed to. We kept them out of the end zone when we needed to, we got turnovers when we needed to and we did what we had to do to win. I'm going to focus on the positives because we got the win. ... We're 5-0 and 3-0 in the SEC, so we're exactly where we want to be. We're going to enjoy the victory and make the corrections we need to make."

(On Tennessee)
"Tennessee is very talented. They have good-looking athletes. They have all the pools to move the ball and make big plays and they did. But the defense got the stops when we needed them and we got the turnovers when we needed them. ... Tennessee is very good. I think Derek (Dooley) has got them going in the right direction. They're going to be a pain in the rear for some time to come."

(On Bacarri Rambo and Alec Ogletree)
"(Rambo and Ogletree) ended up being the top two tacklers. They had some rust, no doubt, but you can't replace their athleticism and their ability to make plays. I'm glad we got them back and they got the rust out. Hopefully next week they'll be even better."

(On Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley)
"(Marshall and Gurley) are really fantastic players. I wouldn't trade them for anything."

(On the South Carolina game)
"South Carolina is a huge game, we all know that. We've got a lot of respect for them. They've beaten us the last two games, so we've got something to prove. If we can keep improving, get prepared and stay together, we have a good chance to get after it. We're going to Columbia for a 60-minute war."

(On the running backs)
"I knew that they'd be good. Keith got here in January and had a great spring. And then with [Todd Gurley], we knew that he was going to be a special player after fall camp."

(On the play in the first half)
"It was a little slopping in the first half just giving away the ball, but we came in at halftime and looked at things. We were playing pretty well except for the fumbles, so we knew we could have a good second half if we could protect the ball."

(On his first quarter interception)
"I was upset about it, but you have to move on and try to make plays later in the game."

(On the performance today)
"We made some mistakes but it takes a good team to finish like that. I think it says a lot about the team to take the win back like that."

"I just kept trying to move the ball forward and focus on the next play. I felt good out there and had some space."

(On the fumble)
"I put extra pressure on myself [after the fumble], but the coaches and the rest of the team kept telling me that everyone makes mistakes and that I had to move on."

(On the offensive line
"The O-line is playing great. I had some huge holes all day. They keep playing better each week."

(On Tennessee's offense)
Hats off to Tennessee, they were manning up to block and we weren't able to get a lot of pressure.

(On this week)
I'm ready to get prepped for South Carolina. That's a bug test for us and we know that we have to have a good week of practice.

(On the interceptions)
Both of the [interceptions] felt good. I saw the ball well and was able to get there in time. It's always great to help the team, especially late in the game.

(On the blocked punt)
"It felt like I had just scored a touchdown. It's still pretty surreal--I'm still a little shaken up by it."

"It makes me feel so good because special teams plays like that don't come about often. I was glad that I saw that weakness and was able to take advantage of it." 

 

Team Statistics (Final) 
The Automated ScoreBook 
Tennessee vs Georgia (Sep 29, 2012 at Athens, Ga.)

Individual Statistics (Final) 
The Automated ScoreBook 
Tennessee vs Georgia (Sep 29, 2012 at Athens, Ga.)

 

 

(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com)