No. 1 Georgia's home opener likely to be glorified scrimmage against FCS school Tennessee Tech
Georgia head caoch Kirby Smart wears the Old Leather helmet as he celebrates after defeating Clemson inn the Aflac Kickofff Classic NCAA college football game Aug. 31, 2024, in Atlanta. Credit: AP/John Bazemore
Tennessee Tech (0-1) at No. 1 Georgia (1-0), Saturday, 2 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
BetMGM College Football Odds: No Line.
Series record: Georgia leads 2-0.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Not much. This is basically a glorified scrimmage for Georgia, while its FCS opponent collects a hefty paycheck for playing a game it has little chance of winning. The Bulldogs will likely give their starters a half or so of action before clearing the bench. This will be a chance for the backups to make a favorable impression with more important games still to come. Frankly, the main goal for both teams is to get through this expected blowout without any major injuries.
KEY MATCHUP
Tennessee Tech QB Jordyn Potts vs. Georgia’s defense. The Bulldogs surrendered only 188 yards to Clemson in a 34-3 rout to open the season, and now they're facing the second-string quarterback on an FCS team. Potts took over last week when starter Dylan Laible was injured. Potts played well in a close loss to Middle Tennessee, completing 27 of 38 for 256 yards with three touchdowns. But it will be a major challenge to move the ball against Georgia's fearsome defense.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tennessee Tech: WR Ashton Maples opened the season with three catches for 57 yards, including a pair of touchdowns.
Georgia: RB Trevor Etienne is expected to make his debut for the Bulldogs after being suspended in Week 1 because of an offseason arrest. Georgia's running game took a while to get going against Clemson and it will be intriguing to see what kind of boost Etienne can provide, even against an overmatched opponent. He rushed for 753 yards and eight touchdowns a season ago playing behind a porous offensive line at Florida.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) escapes from Clemson defensive end T.J. Parker (3) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Aug. 31, 2024, in Atlanta. Credit: AP/John Bazemore
FACTS & FIGURES
Tennessee Tech has yet to score a point against Georgia. When the teams first met in 1943, the Bulldogs romped 67-0. In their only other matchup, Georgia cruised to a 38-0 victory in 2009. ... Following a two-phase renovation, the capacity at Sanford Stadium has increased slightly to 93,033. It remains ninth largest among campus stadiums nationally. ... The Bulldogs have won 12 straight home openers. ... Tennessee Tech nearly knocked off an FBS opponent in its first game. The Golden Eagles gave up a touchdown with 16 seconds left to fall to Middle Tennessee 32-25. ... Georgia has won a school-record 40 straight games in the regular season. The last such loss was a 44-28 setback to Florida on Nov. 7, 2020. ... QB Carson Beck is 14-1 as Georgia's starter.
