Tennessee @ Georgia preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 10, 2009 ) Georgia 19, Tennessee 45

Georgia and Tennessee should be happy to see each other on Saturday. Misery loves company.

It’s been a rough road for two teams that are used to being in the hunt for the SEC title, though neither program has won it since Georgia’s victory in 2005. Instead, both teams are seeking their first conference win and trying to climb out of the SEC East basement. Georgia (1-4, 0-3) has lost four consecutive games for the first time in 20 years. Tennessee (2-3, 0-2) comes off of an excruciating loss to LSU on the final play of the game.

It’s the first time since 1906 that both teams enter the game with losing records. Tennessee, which played in the SEC championship just three years ago, is in the throes of rebuilding under new coach Derek Dooley. That’s not supposed to be the case at Georgia, where there’s growing concern over whether coach Mark Richt is the right man for the job. There’s talk that Richt, a noted nice guy, is losing control of the program in his 10th year. Georgia’s 8-5 record last season was the worst in his tenure and barring an epic turnaround, the Bulldogs won’t match that mark.

Richt is trying to rally the troops this week and bring back some of the discipline and intensity that has been absent most of the year. Georgia players normally practice with shorts and helmets on Mondays but Richt had them in full uniform, full contact. Dooley, the Vols’ third coach in as many years, is trying to reshape the program. Dooley, who earned a law degree from Georgia, is downplaying the significance of returning to Athens where his father, Vince, is a beloved former coach and athletic director.

Georgia surrendered a 24-14 third-quarter lead to Colorado last week and was in position for a game-winning field goal before a fumble sealed the win for the Buffaloes. The Bulldogs did receive a big lift from the return of A.J. Green, an explosive receiver who opens up the entire field. He had 117 receiving yards, and freshman quarterback Aaron Murray had a solid day, throwing for 227 yards and three touchdowns.

The Bulldogs’ loss was heartbreaking, but nowhere near the level of the Volunteers. Tennessee thought it had the game won after stopping LSU short of the goal line as time expired. But the Vols were penalized for having 13 men on the field, giving the Tigers another play. LSU, of course, punched in the winning touchdown on the gift play. Tennessee has blown leads in all three of its losses, a sign of its inexperience and lack of depth.

Both Tennessee and Georgia have considerable talent on both sides of the ball. The question is which team will eliminate the costly mistakes and do enough to earn its first conference win.