No. 1 Georgia’s home opener likely to be glorified scrimmage against FCS school Tennessee Tech

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.

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.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up