Georgia @ Tennessee preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 29, 2012 ) Tennessee 44, Georgia 51

Sixth-ranked Georgia withstood a grueling first month of the season with its Southeastern Conference and national title hopes intact, but the Bulldogs have to avoid a slip-up when they travel to Tennessee for an SEC East contest Saturday afternoon. "Going to Knoxville is never easy," Georgia coach Mark Richt told reporters. "Coaching in this league for 13 years now, I've been there a few times and have probably run every gamut of emotion from elation to getting your tail kicked." The Bulldogs have done the kicking lately, winning three straight meetings and four of the last five.

The Bulldogs are riding high after a 44-41 home win over LSU in which they drove 75 yards to score the winning touchdown with less than two minutes to play. The shootout victory established Georgia as the front-runner to win the SEC East, which could put the Bulldogs in position to play their way into the national title game. Tennessee has won four straight at home, but it had plenty of trouble putting away South Alabama in a 31-24 victory last week.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Georgia -10.5.

ABOUT GEORGIA (3-1, 2-0 SEC East): The Bulldogs have played one of the most challenging schedules in the nation thus far - facing three top-10 opponents - but have come through the brutal stretch in good shape. The offense has shined despite the stiff competition, averaging 41.2 points and 554 yards (sixth in the nation), but could be without leading rusher Todd Gurley (ankle). The youthful defense has taken its lumps but has been solid against the run, which bodes well against Tennessee.

ABOUT TENNESSEE (3-2, 0-1): First-year coach Butch Jones accentuated the positive at Monday's media day - focusing on the success of the running game, the discipline in terms of penalties and the defense's penchant for forcing turnovers - but the Volunteers are still looking for a signature win. The ground game has been strong with Rajion Neal (468 yards, 5 TDs) leading the way, but Tennessee needs more consistent play from quarterback Justin Worley. The defense also has struggled and was completely overmatched against Oregon, a bad sign against another strong offense in Georgia.

EXTRA POINTS

1. QB Aaron Murray needs 100 passing yards to surpass former Bulldog David Greene (11,528) for the Georgia and SEC records, and he needs 574 yards to pass Tim Tebow (12,232) for the SEC mark for total offense.

2. Tennessee is tied for the national lead with Virginia Tech with 11 interceptions and ranks third in the nation with 15 total takeaways. The Volunteers have forced multiple turnovers in four of their five games.

3. The Volunteers haven't beaten a ranked opponent since knocking off No. 21 South Carolina in 2009, and they haven't topped a top-10 team since they beat No. 10 Georgia in 2006.

PREDICTION: Georgia 47, Tennessee 33