Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) makes a phone signal after scoring a touchdown against Tennessee Saturday, Nov. 5 at Sanford Stadium.

No. 3 Georgia defeated No. 1 Tennessee 27-13 to improve to 9-0 on the season. Following the game, football beat reporter Jared Smith graded each position group’s performance.

Quarterbacks

After an underwhelming performance against Florida, Stetson Bennett was electric against the Volunteers. He finished the first half with nearly 250 total yards, two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. Of his 21 pass attempts in the first half, he only threw six incompletions and created multiple explosive plays. He connected with Ladd McConkey, Kenny McIntosh and Arian Smith for plays going over at least 37 yards. The rain started to come down at the beginning of the second half, so the Bulldogs chose to utilize the ground game, with Bennett only throwing four passes the rest of the way.

Grade: A

Running Backs

While Kendall Milton and Branson Robinson came in for a few touches,McIntosh and Daijun Edwards dominated the touches for the Bulldogs. Despite Georgia having success through the air, they could not get much going on the ground. Both Mcintosh and Edwards had a carry for 15 yards or more, but Edwards fumbled on the first drive of the game. Later into the third quarter, Robinson also fumbled on the first play after the Bulldogs’ defense recovered a fumble of their own.

Grade: C+

Receivers

After a quiet week against the Gators last Saturday, McConkey led the Bulldogs in receptions with five and receiving yards with 94. Smith caught a 52-yard pass and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint caught a touchdown. Tight ends Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington weren’t featured heavily in the passing game but weren’t needed. Coming into the game, Tennessee was known for connecting on deep passes down the field and creating multiple game-changing plays, but the Bulldogs were the ones who had the connection today.

Grade: B+

Offensive Line

After an exceptional performance against Florida last weekend, the offensive line stood out again. Stetson Bennett went yet another week without being sacked, and Georgia currently ranks ninth in the country with only seven sacks allowed through nine games. There were numerous times against the Volunteers when Bennett was able to stand strong in the pocket and analyze the defense without even being touched. Despite the line’s strong pass-blocking performance, the group wasn’t as dominant when it came to run-blocking, particularly when the Bulldogs were looking to run out the clock in the second half. Georgia averaged just 3.5 yards per rush against Tennessee.

Grade: B+

Defensive Line

Coming into this game, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart knew putting pressure on Hendon Hooker would be vital in preventing them from connecting on deep shots, and they did just that. Smart dialed up countless blitzes compared to what the team has done in previous games, and they got home multiple times. Junior Jalen Carter showed why he’s currently a projected first-round pick, finishing the day with four total tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles. Warren Brinson also posted a sack.

Grade: A

Linebackers

Along with the defensive line, the linebackers were also able to disrupt Hooker in the pocket. They were a couple of times when he escaped the pocket, but they held him to under 20 rushing yards on the day. As for the run game, there weren’t many times when the linebackers allowed Tennessee’s backs to get into the third level. In fact, the Volunteers’ longest run of the day went for 11 yards. Both of their running backs were held to 3.3 and 2.7 yards per carry.

Grade: A

Secondary

To continue on the dominant performance by the defense, the secondary had a pretty great day themselves. The four leading tacklers for Georgia were all defensive backs, with four combining for 29 total tackles. Freshman Malaki Starks continues to be a great addition; he led the team with 10 tackles and tied for the lead in passes defended. There were three main times where the Volunteers had open deep shots, but Hooker failed to connect with the receivers. While Kelee Ringo had the only interception of the day, he committed some penalties due to his physical play.

Grade: A-

Special Teams

Freshman punter Brett Thorson punted four times against Tennessee, averaging slightly over 50 yards per punt. While he had one shank that barely went over 30 yards, he also had one of the best punts in college football this season. He drilled one 75 yards to pin Tennessee all the way at the team’s own one-yard line. Jack Podlesny attempted two field goals and hit both as well as going perfect on his three extra points. The Bulldogs averaged 12 yards on both of their kickoff returns.

Grade: B+