Good news: Tomorrow is Saturday, so here's some college football
Will Tennessee finally get its act together in time for Bulldogs?
Georgia’s visit to Tennessee is anything but the gimme some seem to expect.
Sure, Georgia is playing much better than Tennessee, which gave away the Florida game and barely beat a Massachusetts team that plays in a stadium seating 17,000 and has won 10 games since moving up to the FBS level in 2012.
And the Bulldogs have had convincing wins – convincing, in some form or fashion – over all four opponents.
The Vols are pretty decent against the pass, 11th nationally with 140.5 yards a game allowed and have some quality special teams.
Much is made of the Vols refusal to give in under Butch Jones, but if Georgia gets out to nice two-touchdown first-half lead, it might be enough to cause a little crack. And with the way Tennessee beat Georgia last year, the Bulldogs will try to employ a different kind of hobnail boot.
Tennessee has about seven players probable or questionable for Saturday, while Georgia is getting healthier, at quarterback and elsewhere.
Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
Georgia Tech
Health is an issue for North Carolina, which visits a rested Georgia Tech group at noon on Saturday (ESPN2).
Reports are that receivers Austin Proehl and Rotavius Groves plus defensive tackle Tyler Powell were banged up in the loss Saturday to Duke.
The Tar Heels need all hands on deck for the nation’s No. 1 rush offense and No. 14 total defense.
Mercer
The calendar hasn’t flipped to October yet and Mercer is in something of a must-win situation as far as the Southern Conference goes.
The good news is that VMI, 0-4 VMI, is next, and at home. The Keydets are icing the bruises from a 63-7 loss to Chattanooga in a game they trailed by 42 in the first half before scoring.
Mercer is off another late-game stumble, losing 26-23 in overtime at ETSU.
The Bears are 78th on the FCS level in total offense and 55th in total defense, but the problem is pass efficiency defense, where they’re 100th.
That won’t be a problem this week. VMI is 11th in passing efficiency offense and 115th in passing yards.
And expect the Bears’ offense to roll again against a defense giving up195.3 rushing yards and 257.5 passing yards a game.
The road team has done well in this short series, but odds are that won’t continue.
Kickoff is 4 p.m. Saturday.
FVSU
The Wildcats step up in competition with a visit to Southern in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Southern has lost three straight – two coming to FBS programs Southern Miss and Texas-San Antonio – since opening with a 14-8 win over South Carolina State.
FVSU is 1-2 and carries some positive vibes after last week’s 31-28 double-overtime win over Benedict.
Neither school’s website had any updated information. Southern beat FVSU 55-23 in 2009, and 10-2 in 1947.
Georgia Military College
The Bulldogs are on a pretty nifty roll after opening the season with a 23-7 loss at home to Navarro.
GMC did well to appreciate the community on Community Appreciation Day on Sept. 2 by beating Middle Georgia State’s club team 71-0, but followed that up with a 39-38 win over ASA at James Madison and College of DuPage 30-19.
Former West Laurens quarterback Garrel Quainton is 52 of 91 for 551 yards and five touchdowns with four picks. Brandon Brawn of Rutland is tied for fourth with 16 tackles, with Noah Lavender of John Milledge right behind with 12.
GMC, which is getting 196.8 yards a game on the ground, hosts ASA Miami at noon Saturday.
Around the state
It’s an odd time for Georgia State and Georgia Southern.
Both are off this week, Georgia State thanks to weather.
The Panthers’ game with Memphis was cancelled, so they must wait until Oct. 7 to play Coastal Carolina, which is 1-2 and off a 52-10 loss to Western Illinois.
Georgia Southern, idle this week, has scored 36 points in three games, albeit against then-No. 12 Auburn, New Hampshire in Birmingham, and a Indiana.
Arkansas State brings the No. 103 total defense and No. 104 run defense to Statesboro next week. …
No Division II teams in Georgia are ranked. Only West Georgia and Clark Atlanta at 3-1 have winning records.
Friday, Sept. 29
Miami at Duke, 7 pm, ESPN
Saturday, Sept. 30
SEC
Vanderbilt at Florida, 12 p.m., CBSSN
New Mexico State at Arkansas, 12 p.m. SEC
Georgia at Tennessee, 3:30 p.m., CBS
Eastern Michigan at Kentucky, 4 p.m., SEC
Mississippi State at Auburn, 6 p.m., ESPN
Troy at LSU, 7 p.m., ESPNU
South Carolina at Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m., SEC
Mississippi at Alabama, 9 p.m., ESPN
ACC
North Carolina at Georgia Tech, 12 p.m., ESPN2
Rice at Pittsburgh, 12 p.m., ACCNE
Syracuse at N.C. State, 12:20 p.m., ACCNE
Central Michigan at Boston College, 1 p.m., ACCNE
Murray State at Louisville, 3:30 p.m., ACCNE
Florida State at Wake Forest, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Clemson at Virginia Tech, 8 p.m.
STATE
ASA Miami at GMC, 12 p.m.
VMI at Mercer, 4 p.m.
FVSU at Southern, 6 p.m.
Albany State at Miles, 7 p.m.
North Alabama at West Georgia, 1 p.m.
Shorter at West Alabama, 6 p.m.