GROUND AND POUND: TENNESSEE RUSHES PAST GEORGIA TECH 45-24 BEHIND 299 YARDS ON THE GROUND

By: John Dunn

Founder/Managing Editor/Host

The All Vol Call in Show

20260912

ATLANTA, Georgia - In a high-energy Saturday night showdown under the lights at Bobby Dodd Stadium, the Tennessee Volunteers delivered a commanding performance to defeat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets by a final score of 45-24. Tennessee set the tone early in the first quarter when quarterback Faizon Brandon connected with Ethan Davis on a 25-yard touchdown pass, capped by a successful extra point from Cooper Ranvier to take an early seven to zero lead. Georgia Tech answered on their ensuing drive with a 30-yard field goal by Aidan Birr, but Tennessee quickly retaliated when Trae Stevenson Jr. blocked a punt, leading directly to a field goal that extended the visitor advantage to ten to seven.

The Volunteers surged ahead in the second quarter, beginning with a 32-yard field goal by Ranvier to tie the game at ten. Momentum swung heavily in favor of Tennessee shortly after when Dejuan Lane intercepted an Alberto Mendoza pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown. Tennessee added another explosive score before halftime when Brandon found Braylon Staley for a 20-yard touchdown strike, pushing the visitor lead to 24-10 heading into the locker rooms.

Tennessee maintained their offensive rhythm after the intermission, as DeSean Bishop broke free for a 17-yard rushing touchdown early in the third quarter. Georgia Tech fought back later in the period when Mendoza connected with Justice Haynes for a two-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 31-17. However, the fourth quarter belonged entirely to the Volunteers. Bishop struck again with a stellar 29-yard rushing touchdown with just over four minutes remaining. Although Georgia Tech answered with a two-yard rushing touchdown by Haynes, Tennessee put the game completely out of reach on the very next play from scrimmage when Daune Morris exploded for a 47-yard touchdown run, sealing the 45-24 victory for the Volunteers in front of an electric Atlanta crowd.

Statistical comparison between the two squads highlighted a hard-fought battle across the gridiron. Tennessee recorded 24 first downs compared to 25 for Georgia Tech. The Volunteers converted 8 of 14 third-down attempts, while the Yellow Jackets went 7 for 13. On fourth down, Tennessee converted 1 of 1, whereas Georgia Tech went 0 for 2. Total yardage favored the visitors 447 to 356. Through the air, Tennessee generated 148 passing yards completing 10 of 21 passes for an average of 7.0 yards per pass with 0 interceptions thrown, while Georgia Tech tallied 221 passing yards completing 26 of 40 attempts for an average of 5.5 yards per pass with 2 interceptions thrown. On the ground, Tennessee accumulated 299 rushing yards on 45 attempts, averaging 6.6 yards per rush, compared to Georgia Tech's 135 rushing yards on 31 attempts, averaging 4.4 yards per rush. Penalty totals stood at 14 for 142 yards for Tennessee and 25 for 46 yards for Georgia Tech. Both teams protected the football well with 0 fumbles lost, though Tennessee won the turnover battle 2 to 0 due to interceptions. Time of possession favored Georgia Tech at 31 minutes and 12 seconds to Tennessee's 28 minutes and 48 seconds.

Tennessee's standout individual performances fueled the victory. Quarterback Brandon orchestrated the offense by completing 10 of 21 passes for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also contributing actively in the run game with 22 rushing yards. Bishop led the ground attack with 20 carries for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. Morris added 109 rushing yards on 3 carries, highlighted by his 47-yard explosive touchdown run, averaging an impressive 36.3 yards per carry. Javin Gordon also chipped in with 10 carries for 32 yards. In the receiving corps, Radarious Jackson hauled in 3 catches for 64 yards, Davis caught 2 passes for 26 yards including a score, Staley recorded 1 reception for a 20-yard touchdown, Mike Matthews grabbed 2 passes for 16 yards, Bishop added 1 reception for 15 yards, and DaSaahn Brame contributed 1 catch for 7 yards. Defensively, Arion Carter led the team with 8 total tackles, while Amare Campbell added 8 tackles. Lane made a game-changing impact with a 41-yard interception return for a touchdown, and Jeremiah Telander also recorded an interception. On special teams, Ranvier converted all 6 extra-point attempts and hit a 32-yard field goal, while punter Jackson Ross averaged 44.7 yards per punt with a long of 48 yards.