The rivalry between the Tennessee Vols and the Georgia Bulldogs is among the Southeastern Conference’s most historic and intense pairings. Although Tennessee fans may place their fiercest emotions towards the annual “Third Saturday of October” matchup with Alabama, this rivalry with Georgia has brought about many historic moments over the years.
Tennessee holds an all-time record of 23-28-2 against Georgia.
Both Tennessee and Georgia are founding members of the SEC, which was established in Knoxville in December 1932. The two rank among the conference’s most winning programs, with Georgia claiming the No. 4 spot behind Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma. Tennessee closely follows Georgia at the No. 5 spot with 15 fewer wins.
The first encounter between these two teams came in 1899 — more than two decades before the SEC was founded. The inaugural game ended in a 5-0 Tennessee win in Knoxville under head coach J. A. Pierce.
Although the teams play every year nowadays, they only met a total of 21 times from 1899 to 1989. It wasn’t until the 1992 SEC expansion that this matchup could truly be called a rivalry. The expansion created divisions and slotted the Vols and Bulldogs in the east division, where they would play every year. Before the shift, Georgia held a 10-9-2 advantage in the series.
One of the defining aspects of the rivalry is the long win streaks that both teams have enjoyed. Georgia is currently on its longest win streak against the Vols, winning the last seven games dating back to 2017. Tennessee, however, holds the longest win streak in the rivalry after winning nine consecutive games from 1989 to 1999.
In recent years, this rivalry has produced unforgettable moments. The most memorable one in recent memory was Tennessee’s win in 2016, thanks to an unforgettable Hail Mary as time expired. With just four seconds left in the game, quarterback Joshua Dobbs heaved up a 43-yard pass that Jauan Jennings managed to pull down in the end zone. This unforgettable play lives in Tennessee football history and is one of the greatest plays in the storied program’s past.
Another pivotal game came in 2022, during one of Tennessee’s best seasons in recent memory. The Vols were ranked No. 1 and was 8-0 when they headed down to Athens. Although the Vols had dominated the early part of their season, the No. 3 Bulldogs took care of business at home. Tennessee took an early 3-0 lead, but Georgia controlled the rest of the game, which resulted in a 27-13 victory. This loss marked a turning point in Tennessee’s season and foreshadowed its infamous loss to South Carolina later in the season.
Heading into the 2024 matchup, Georgia holds the upper hand in the series with a 28-23-2 record. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has yet to secure a win over the Bulldogs, with the Vols averaging only 13 points a game against Georgia. None of the games have been close, as the Bulldogs are averaging nearly 35 points a game in three meetings against Heupel’s Vols.
This year, both teams have a great amount at stake. Tennessee is currently No. 7 in the CFP poll with a solid 8-1 record. Georgia sits at No. 12 in the poll with a 7-2 record following a loss to Ole Miss last week. With both teams fighting for a spot in the expanded playoffs, this matchup could turn out to be a classic.
