The most highly anticipated game on the Week 3 college football schedule this week was easily the SEC duel between the Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Given everything at stake this afternoon for both teams, it’s no surprise ESPN College GameDay showed up to Knoxville.
Let’s dive into the winners and losers from a high-scoring, exciting back-and-forth SEC bout between Tennessee and Georgia at Neyland Stadium. It was heartbreak for the Vols in an overtime loss, but there are some things both teams can feel good about coming away from this game.
Winner: Joey Aguilar is ‘The Guy’ for the Tennessee Volunteers
Josh Heupel has done it again. Ahead of the 2021 season, he pulled quarterback Hendon Hooker out of the transfer portal and turned him into a Heisman Trophy candidate and one of the most productive passers in college football. It appears he’s doing that again with Joey Aguilar. After lighting up Syracuse and East Tennessee State in the first two games-535 passing yards, 66.1% completion rate, 5-0 TD-INT- Aguilar delivered big plays against Georgia.
- Joey Aguilar stats vs Georgia (ESPN): 24-of-36, 371 passing yards, 4-2 TD-INT, 1 rushing touchdown
We’ll first address the two interceptions. The first was for all intents and purposes an arm punt, just taking a chance on third down with a minute until halftime. Aguilar’s second interception was the result of his target losing his footing and hitting the ground, resulting in an easy interception. Aguilar delivered big plays in the first quarter to get Neyland Stadium rocking with a 21-7 lead and he helped the offense rally in the final 16 minutes of the game. Aguilar played well enough for the win, but Tennessee’s kicker and defense didn’t.
Loser: Georgia Bulldogs’ Offensive Line is a Big Concern
Winning in the SEC still starts up front. On Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs’ offensive line got bullied in the trenches battle. Caleb Herring was the biggest problem for Georgia up front, often getting around right tackle Earnest Greene with ease. However, Greene wasn’t the only one getting beaten. Right guard Juan Gaston had big problems and then it was left tackle Monroe Freeling giving up the strip-sack that resulted in an easy field goal for Tennessee. In total, the Bulldogs’ offensive line allowed 7 tackles for loss and 4 sacks.
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Winner: Chris Brazzell Torches the Bulldogs’ Secondary
Even when the Bulldogs’ secondary interfered, they had no answer for Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell II. The senior wideout used all of his 6-foot-5 size to make a catch through contact in the first quarter, then maintained his balance and took it the distance for a 72-yard touchdown. On the very next drive, he found open space in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown. In the third quarter, with Tennessee in desperate need of a big play, Brazzell won his one-on-one battle with Georgia corner Daniel Harris, snatching it away from him and walking in for the 55-yard touchdown. Coming off a season with 333 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns, Brazzell has already surpassed that production in three games this year.
- Chris Brazzell stats vs Georgia: 6 receptions, 177 yards, 3 touchdowns
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Loser: Georgia’s Secondary Gets Burnt Orange
Kirby Smart is going to leave this game with plenty of teaching tape for his defensive backs to learn from. For one thing, Georgia missed several opportunities at additional interceptions in this game that would’ve been huge. Even worse, though, the Bulldogs’ cornerbacks often seemed incapable of preventing Chris Brazzell ad Braylon Staley from making big plays downfield. Not exactly what you want to see from this Georgia secondary just two weeks before it faces All-American wide receiver Ryan Williams.
Winner: Caleb Herring Wreaks Havoc off the Edge
On the few instances where the Bulldogs’ offense had a negative play, it was largely caused by the Volunteers’ edge rusher Caleb Herring. A former four-star recruit, Herring led the team in sacks (1.5) and tackles for loss on Saturday. It was also the timing of those big plays. He sacked Bulldogs’ quarterback Gunner Stockton on 2nd-and-goal, playing a crucial role in a red-zone stand that resulted in 3 points allowed instead of a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, he took down Bulldogs running back Chauncey Bowens in the backfield for a 3-yard loss on 2nd-and-goal from the 3-yard line, which resulted in Georgia settling for a field goal two plays later.
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Loser: UCLA Bruins’ QB Choice and Nico Iamaleava’s Decision
In December 2024, Joey Aguilar transferred to UCLA with the expectation that he would be the Bruins’ starting quarterback this year. However, when Tennessee parted ways with Nico Iamaleava after his NIL demands, UCLA released Aguilar to bring in Iamaleava. Four months later, Aguilar transferred to Tennessee. For a 0-3 UCLA team coming off a loss to New Mexico, Iamaleava has a 3-3 TD-INT ratio with an interception in every game this season. Meanwhile, Aguilar is thriving in Heupel’s offense at a fraction of what it cost to land Iamaleava.
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Winner: Zacharian Branch Thriving in New Home
A change of scenery can sometimes be a good thing. Once a 247 Sports‘ five-star recruit, rated as the No. 1 receiver in the 2023 recruiting class, Zacharian Branch transferred away from USC this offseason. He’s found a home in the Bulldogs’ offense. Mike Bobo has found the ideal role for Smith, getting the football in his hands quickly and then letting Smith’s athleticism do the rest. We saw that on display Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium, with Branch finding the end zone and delivering the game-tying, two-point conversion in the fourth.
- Zachariah Branch stats vs Tennessee: 5 receptions, 69 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 1 two-point conversion
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Loser: Max Gilbert Chokes It Away
Tennessee is no stranger to experiencing heartbreak on field-goal attempts against SEC rivals. That’s why when Max Gilbert walked out to attempt a game-winning 43-yard field goal, you could feel the uneasiness at Neyland Stadium. While Gilbert wasn’t helped out by a false start penalty moving the kick 5 yards back, this was still a makeable game-winner.
Winner: Gunner Stockton is a Star Quarterback
Carson Beck who? Georgia’s SEC title hopes this season will largely be determined by what version of quarterback Gunner Stockton they get. What he just did on the road at Neyland Stadium in front of a raucous crowd on a national stage passes the big test. It’s even more impressive because Stockton did all of this despite being under duress quite often. What really stood out, of course, was his game-tying drive that he capped off with a perfect 28-yard touchdown pass to London Humphrey on 4th-and-6. Both programs have to come out of this game feeling great about their quarterbacks.
