On a loud Saturday night at home, Carson Beck showed why he could lead Georgia to another national title. With both his arm and legs, Beck helped silence his critics by throwing for two touchdowns and running for another, guiding No. 11 Georgia to a 31-17 win over No. 6 Tennessee. This victory was huge for Georgia’s College Football Playoff chances.
Georgia (8-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 12 CFP) bounced back from a tough 28-10 loss to Ole Miss, which had dropped them just outside the 12-team playoff field.
Now, with two more regular-season games against UMass and Georgia Tech, the Bulldogs are in a good position to make the playoffs and possibly win their third national championship in four years.
“I’m just so proud of these guys for how we bounced back from last week,” Beck said. “The word that really identifies us is resilient. We stay so composed in high-pressure moments. Although it might not look perfect, it might not look pretty, we’re gonna get the job done.”
Tennessee (8-2, 5-2, No. 7 CFP) could have moved closer to a spot in the SEC championship game, but now their playoff hopes are uncertain after what seemed like an elimination game. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said he has “no idea” where his team stands in the playoff race.
“All I know is this league is college football as good as it gets,” Heupel said. “It’s hard to win in this league. It’s a good football team that we just played. … We’re a good football team, too.”
Beck delivered when Georgia needed him most, leading them to a 29th straight home win, the longest active streak in the FBS. He threw two touchdown passes to tight end Oscar Delp in the first half and then ran for a 10-yard touchdown in the third quarter for his first rushing TD of the season.
Georgia sealed the win with a 92-yard drive in the final minutes, capped off by a 2-yard touchdown run from freshman Nate Frazier with 2:26 left.
“A week ago, we were dead and gone,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “People had written us off.” Beck, who had struggled with 12 interceptions in the previous six games, had no turnovers against Tennessee. He completed 25 of 40 passes for 347 yards.
Tennessee, with quarterback Nico Iamaleava cleared to play after going through concussion protocol, jumped to a 10-0 lead with Miles Kitselman’s 1-yard touchdown run and Max Gilbert’s 52-yard field goal, quieting the crowd of over 93,000 at Sanford Stadium.
But after a slow start, Georgia took the lead when Beck connected with Delp for two touchdown passes — one for 19 yards and another for 4 yards in the back of the end zone.
Dylan Sampson put Tennessee back in front with a 27-yard touchdown run, but Beck led Georgia to a 36-yard field goal by Peyton Woodring just before halftime, tying the game at 17 going into the locker rooms.
