Tennessee football had Georgia on its heels. Seven seconds remained, and 43 yards stood between the Vols and breaking a nine-year losing streak.

Wide right, kicker Max Gilbert sent it. Tennessee walked away with a defeat in a game it held the upper hand throughout. Georgia took the game in overtime, silencing doubts about Gunner Stockton’s abilities as Josh Heupel remains winless against the Bulldogs.

“Give Georgia credit for finishing it the way that you need to to win that game,” Heupel said.

The Vols scored 41 points in the loss and handled a quartet of touchdown throws from Joey Aguilar. Chris Brazzell II pulled out 177 receiving yards, while Braylon Staley followed with 97 in a game where the ground attack could not get going.

Here is the good, bad and ugly from Tennessee’s thriller in Neyland Stadium.

Good

Quick start

The Vols got out to a quick start. Tennessee rallied off 21 first-quarter points and tallied 213 passing yards from Aguilar in the frame. He went 14-for-14 and guided the Vols to 224 total yards.

Tennessee produced 178 yards in the first quarter against Syracuse and 205 in the first quarter against ETSU. The 224-yard effort was the most in any quarter this season.

Chris Brazzell II

Tennessee’s passing attack was expected to be hindered by a lack of receivers this season, but Brazzell has used the last two games to put that narrative to rest.

Brazzell hauled in a career-high 177 yards and a trio of touchdowns in the loss. He reeled in a 73-yard bomb from Aguilar on the team’s second drive of the game, and a 56-yarder that he ripped away from defender Daniel Harris to give the Vols the lead back late in the third quarter.

“I thought Chris had a great ball game,” Heupel said. “Wide receivers in general played really hard, made the plays. We protected well throughout a majority of the football game. There were a lot of really good things. Just needed a little bit more.”

Over the last two weeks, Brazzell has amassed 302 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He hauled in only 333 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Caleb Herring

Joshua Josephs has been filling the void left by James Pearce Jr. in the pass rush department, but the Vols have lacked a guy this season to take the role Josephs had last year.

Herring made sure to make his presence known against a physical Georgia front on Saturday. The junior edge rusher tallied 2.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack-and-a-half to be a disruptor to newbie Gunner Stockton.

The tandem of Josephs and Herring has 4.5 of the team’s 11 sacks this season.

Bad

Rushing yards allowed

Georgia ran for 198 yards in the game and made a living in the middle portion of the game by running smash-mouth football.

The Bulldogs tallied 31 yards in the first quarter and 23 yards in the fourth quarter, but scampered for 46 yards in the second quarter and 73 yards in the third. They opened overtime with a 21-yard rush from Nate Frazier to set up an easy one-yard score from McCray to ice the game.

Georgia had four rushes go for 10-plus yards, including two on third down.

Explosive plays

Stockton ripped a 28-yard touchdown pass to London Humphreys on fourth down with the game on the line.

It is those kinds of explosive plays that the Vols cannot allow when trying to get over the hump. Tennessee allowed seven passes that went for 15-plus yards — two of which went for scores.

While the Vols were down Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson III on the boundaries, the Vols have to be better to win big games.

Third-down defense

Tennessee’s defense self-proclaimed that it could be a lot better after a Week 1 win over Syracuse. In that matchup, the Vols allowed five conversions on third down.

Saturday’s loss to Georgia had Tennessee allowing eight conversions on third down.

The Bulldogs scored their second touchdown on third-and-seven when Zachariah Branch took a short pass for a 36-yard score. Georgia added another touchdown on third down later in the game when Josh McCray scampered into the end zone from a yard out.

“We were a little bit off there in the second quarter,” Heupel said. “Not being able to take up a third down during that sequence hurt us and allowed them to tighten the football game.”

Tennessee must get off the field when it gets the opposition deep into downs.

Ugly

35-yard second quarter

After Tennessee’s smoking start in the first quarter, it needed to answer with consistency in the second quarter.

The Vols did not receive that.

Tennessee tallied more penalty yards (37) than total yards (35) in the frame. It ran the ball six times for 19 yards and completed a measly two passes for 16 yards. Aguilar even threw his first interception of the season, and it allowed Georgia to trot into the locker room with a four-point halftime deficit.

“When it’s going good, it’s the details in it,” Heupel said. “When it’s not (going good), those things too. Just a little bit off. Get behind the chains a little bit on a couple of them. Third down, don’t convert, ball back behind (the receiver). It’s just small details.”

Mismanagement of drive after turnover

Josephs ripped around the left tackle on third down in the fourth quarter. Stockton stood in the pocket, with the edge rusher approaching his backside. Josephs ripped it loose, and Bryson Eason landed on it in plus territory.

Tennessee took over at the Georgia 34-yard line.

The Vols began the drive with a false start, then dialed up three consecutive running plays. DeSean Bishop gained nine yards, and Tennessee faced a quick fourth-and-six.

Gilbert trotted on the field and drilled a 48-yard field goal to move the lead to eight points.

“Yeah, you can definitely say that,” Heupel said about being more aggressive.

Wide right

Tennessee got the ball back with 2:32 on the clock in a tie game.

The Vols moved well into field goal range in the closing seconds. As Tennessee attempted to set the ball up on the left hash, Sham Umarov was called for a false start, and Heupel elected to trot out Gilbert for a 43-yard field goal.

Wide right. Gilbert smoked the kick, and the game went on to overtime.

“It’s a series of one plays that make the difference. As a specialist, sometimes your life gets showcased in a way where you get very limited opportunities.”