UGA puts clamps on No. 1 Vols in statement win

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3 years ago

November 6, 2022

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7:37 PM ET

ATHENS, Ga. — Defending national champion Georgia might not have been No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings earlier this week, but the Bulldogs left little doubt Saturday who belongs in that top spot.

Their 27-13 beatdown of No. 1 Tennessee before a deafening crowd at Sanford Stadium was about as thorough as it gets. Senior quarterback Stetson Bennett passed for 257 yards and two touchdowns, and the Georgia defense held Tennessee’s high-scoring offense without a touchdown until the final minutes of the game.

The Bulldogs, who were ranked No. 3 in the initial CFP rankings, dominated the line of scrimmage, as Bennett repeatedly had plenty of time to throw and hit deep shots down the field of 52, 49 and 37 yards. Meanwhile, the Vols had no answers on offense for Georgia’s swarming defense. Tennessee came into the game leading the country in scoring (49.4 points per game) but was forced to punt three times in the first quarter. That’s after punting a total of 18 times in the previous eight games.

It was that kind of afternoon for the Vols, who lost their sixth straight game to the Bulldogs and were bullied physically after scoring a combined 92 points in wins over ranked opponents Alabama and LSU earlier this season.

Georgia (9-0) took a commanding lead in the SEC Eastern Division race and also put itself in prime position to make the College Football Playoff even if it were to lose in the SEC championship game, which would be similar to what happened last season.

Tennessee (8-1) was never able to get on track offensively against a Georgia defense that has allowed just eight touchdowns in nine games. The Bulldogs’ national championship defense a year ago, a defense that produced five NFL first-round selections, gave up 16 touchdowns in 15 games.

In the third quarter, the rain started pouring down, and the Bulldogs just continued to pour it on a Tennessee team that was greeted with chants of “overrated” by the Georgia student section. The Vols were playing in the loudest and most hostile environment they have faced all season. They seemed rattled by the crowd noise, which reached rock concert decibels at times. They committed one false start penalty after another, and in the first half when the game was still close, they were flagged for back-to-back false starts after moving inside the 10-yard line and had to settle for a field goal.

Tennessee’s deep passing game was rendered non-existent against a Georgia defense that was playing without its best pass-rusher, senior outside linebacker Nolan Smith, who is out for the season after tearing a pectoral muscle. The Bulldogs showed off their depth and never allowed Hendon Hooker to find any rhythm.

Hooker, the Heisman Trophy favorite entering the game, finished 23-for-33 for 195 and didn’t throw a touchdown pass for the first time in 20 games.

Hooker was sacked six times and also threw an interception in the second quarter. He was under duress for much of the game, as the Bulldogs repeatedly got pressure. He was hit hard in the final minutes and got up slowly before gingerly trotting off the field.

The Vols’ longest pass play of the game was 17 yards. They came into the game with an FBS-leading 36 plays from scrimmage of 30 yards or longer.

Georgia finished with 387 yards of total offense and was able to keep the ball away from Tennessee’s offense with longer drives, and Bennett wasn’t sacked a single time.

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Follow live: Blue Jays host Yankees in Game 2 of ALDS

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1 hour ago

October 5, 2025

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Brewers CF Chourio’s status uncertain for Game 2

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1 hour ago

October 5, 2025

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Brewers CF Chourio's status uncertain for Game 2

Jesse RogersOct 5, 2025, 04:41 PM ET
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MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Brewers centerfielder Jackson Chourio‘s status for Game 2 of the NLDS against the Chicago Cubs on Monday is uncertain after an MRI on his right hamstring came back inconclusive, according to manager Pat Murphy.

Chourio, 21, left Game 1 on Saturday after legging out an infield hit in the bottom of the second inning. It’s the same hamstring he injured in July — also while playing against the Cubs — putting his immediate playing future in doubt.

“I can’t give you a definitive, but I know that we’re going to test some things today,” Murphy said on Sunday afternoon. “He’s going to be out there today. I don’t know that he’ll do much, but the MRI came back and it’s inconclusive and it’s not a serious hamstring strain, but it’s not necessarily something that won’t limit him.”

Chourio was 3 for 3 in the game before leaving. Murphy indicated rookie Isaac Collins would likely take Chourio’s place in the lineup if the latter player can’t go.

The Brewers manager also announced lefty Aaron Ashby will start Game 2 for his team, though he probably won’t last long after throwing 1⅓ innings on Saturday. He’s likely opening the game to help neutralize Cubs leadoff man Michael Busch — also a lefty — who homered to start Game 1.

“He could go as long as we want him to,” Murphy said of Ashby.

Righty Quinn Priester is likely the bulk innings guy for the Brewers after Ashby, but Murphy stopped short of declaring his plans. The Cubs are countering with lefty Shota Imanaga, who pitched in Game 2 of the wild-card round against the San Diego Padres.

“He’s a competitor,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “And I think he’s a thinking-man’s competitor, and he also pitches with a lot of joy on the mound, while competing at a really high level.”

Imanaga has a 5.73 ERA in four career games against the Brewers, including three starts this season.

“I think all the hitters, they understand what they need to do, and I think that’s the Brewers’ offense,” Imanaga said of his struggles against Milwaukee. “Even yesterday, just the next guy was up, the next guy was ready. So I think, for me, it’s just making sure, take it one out at a time, and then thinking about that one out.”

Murphy was asked about facing the second-year Cub who features a rising fastball and a sinking splitter.

“His heater plays way up,” Murphy said. “If it says 91, the hitter sees it as 95 to 96.”

Milwaukee won Game 1 in a route, 9-3.

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AP Week 6 poll reaction: What’s next for each Top 25 team

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3 hours ago

October 5, 2025

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AP Week 6 poll reaction: What's next for each Top 25 team

Oct 5, 2025, 02:25 PM ET

The latest AP poll is out. Most ranked teams held steady. The Ohio State Buckeyes stayed atop the poll after a convincing win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers, and the Miami Hurricanes bolstered their résumé with a win over the Florida State Seminoles. But both the No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions and then No. 9 Texas Longhorns were stunned by unranked opponents. (UCLA and Florida, respectively.)

What does it all mean for the AP Top 25? Let’s break down the rankings.

Stats courtesy of ESPN Research.

All times Eastern.

Previous ranking: 1

2025 record: 5-0

Week 6 result: Defeated Minnesota 42-3

Stat to know: Ohio State has allowed 25 total points this season. That is the fewest points allowed through five games by a Big Ten team since 1985 Michigan.

What’s next: Saturday at Illinois, noon, Fox

Previous ranking: 3

2025 record: 5-0

Week 6 result: Defeated Florida State 28-22

Stat to know: Miami has three straight wins against AP-ranked opponents within a season for the first time since 2004.

What’s next: Oct. 17 vs. Louisville, 7 p.m.

Previous ranking: 2

2025 record: 5-0

Week 6 result: Idle

What’s next: Saturday vs. Indiana, 3:30 p.m., CBS

Previous ranking: 4

2025 record: 5-0

Week 6 result: Idle

What’s next: Saturday vs. Washington State, 12:45 p.m., SEC Network

Previous ranking: 6

2025 record: 5-0

Week 6 result: Defeated Mississippi State 31-9

Stat to know: This is Texas A&M’s first 5-0 start since 2016.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Florida, 7 p.m., ESPN

Previous ranking: 5

2025 record: 5-0

Week 6 result: Defeated Kent State 44-0

Stat to know: This was Oklahoma’s first shutout since its 2023 win over Arkansas State.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Texas (in Dallas), 3:30 p.m., ABC

Previous ranking: 8

2025 record: 5-0

Week 6 result: Idle

What’s next: Saturday at Oregon, 3:30 p.m., CBS

Previous ranking: 10

2025 record: 4-1

Week 6 result: Defeated Vanderbilt 30-14

Stat to know: Kalen DeBoer is now 13-2 in matchups between two ranked teams.

What’s next: Saturday at Missouri, noon, ABC

Previous ranking: 11

2025 record: 5-0

Week 6 result: Defeated Houston 35-11

Stat to know: Texas Tech has now won five straight games by 20-plus points for first time since 1953-54.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Kansas, 7:30 p.m., Fox

Previous ranking: 12

2025 record: 4-1

Week 6 result: Defeated Kentucky 35-14

Stat to know: Georgia has a 16-game win streak against Kentucky.

What’s next: Saturday at Auburn, 7:30 p.m., ABC

Previous ranking: 13

2025 record: 4-1

Week 6 result: Idle

What’s next: Saturday vs. South Carolina, 7:45 p.m., SEC Network

Previous ranking: 15

2025 record: 4-1

Week 6 result: Idle

What’s next: Saturday vs. Arkansas, 4:15 p.m., SEC Network

Previous ranking: 17

2025 record: 5-0

Week 6 result: Idle

What’s next: Saturday vs. Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m., ACC Network

Previous ranking: 19

2025 record: 5-0

Week 6 result: Idle

What’s next: Saturday vs. Alabama, noon, ABC

Previous ranking: 20

2025 record: 4-1

Week 6 result: Defeated Wisconsin 24-10

Stat to know: Michigan has now won consecutive games against Wisconsin for the first time since 2002.

What’s next: Saturday at USC, 7:30 p.m., NBC

Previous ranking: 21

2025 record: 3-2

Week 6 result: Defeated Boise State 28-7

Stat to know: Against Boise State, Notre Dame had four interceptions in a game for the first time since 2023.

What’s next: Saturday vs. NC State, 3:30 p.m., Peacock

Previous ranking: 22

2025 record: 5-1

Week 6 result: Defeated Purdue 42-27

Stat to know: Illinois has now won consecutive games against Purdue for the first time since 2001-02.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Ohio State, noon, Fox

Previous ranking: 23

2025 record: 5-0

Week 6 result: Defeated West Virginia 38-24

Stat to know: BYU has started 5-0 for the sixth time in program history.

What’s next: Saturday at Arizona, 8 p.m., ESPN2

Previous ranking: 24

2025 record: 5-1

Week 6 result: Defeated Louisville 30-27 (OT)

Stat to know: The win over Louisville is Virginia’s second straight overtime win. Virginia had never won multiple overtime games in a season prior to 2025.

What’s next: Oct. 18 vs. Washington State, 6:30 p.m., The CW