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FACTS & STATS: Site: Neyland Stadium (104,000) -- Knoxville, Tennessee. Television: SEC Network. Home Record: Georgia 2-1, Tennessee 2-2. Away Record: Georgia 1-1, Tennessee 0-1. Neutral Record: Georgia 0-0, Tennessee 0-0. Conference Record: Georgia 2-1, Tennessee 0-2. Series Record: Tennessee leads, 20-16-2.

GAME NOTES: The Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers are set to battle in Knoxville, so expect a highly physical SEC showdown.

Georgia carried a three-game win streak into last weekend's clash with LSU, and despite a tremendous effort in front of the home crowd, the result was a heartbreaking 20-13 loss to the Tigers. The Bulldogs are now 3-2 overall and 2-1 in SEC play, and a victory over Tennessee this weekend would keep the squad alive in the race for the SEC East crown. The Georgia offense has been explosive at times this season but rather quiet at others, so coach Mark Richt is hoping for some consistency from his squad.

As for Lane Kiffin, the head coach of the Vols, his tenure has gotten off to a rocky start. The team is 2-3 despite playing four of five games at home thus far. Last weekend, Tennessee was knocked off by Auburn, 26-22, to fall to 0-2 in SEC play.

Tennessee owns a 20-16-2 series advantage over Georgia, but the Bulldogs won last season's meeting by a 26-14 final.

Last season with Knowshon Moreno in the backfield, Georgia was able to run the ball with great success. Moreno has moved on to the NFL, however, and the '09 Bulldogs are only averaging 98.8 ypg on the ground at a clip of 3.3 ypc. Richard Samuel has been the team's best back thus far, but his 292 yards and 4.4 ypc average through five games isn't going to scare anyone. Therefore, a great deal of pressure falls on first-year starting quarterback Joe Cox, who has completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,209 yards and 11 touchdowns against six interceptions. There is no question that Cox benefits from the presence of A.J. Green, one of the nation's truly elite receivers. Green has made 30 catches for 527 yards and five touchdowns. Georgia only managed 11 first downs and 274 total yards against LSU last week. The Bulldogs were unable to do anything on the ground, finishing with 45 rushing yards on 24 attempts. Cox threw for 229 yards and two scores, while Green finished with five grabs for 99 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Georgia is yielding 358.2 total ypg and 27.8 ppg, numbers that could certainly stand some improvement. The run defense has been solid, limiting foes to 3.5 ypc and 121.4 total ypg. As for the pass defense, it hasn't been nearly as staunch, as opposing quarterbacks are averaging 236.8 ypg and 13.0 yards per completion. Of the 13 touchdowns that the Georgia defense has allowed, 10 have come through the air. Perhaps most troubling of all is that the Bulldogs have only generated four takeaways in five games. Rennie Curran is a true star at linebacker for Georgia, as he has recorded 55 total tackles, 26 more than his closest teammate. In the loss to LSU, Curran was all over the field, registering 16 tackles against elite competition. The defense allowed 368 total yards and a pair of touchdowns to the Tigers, including the game-winner on a long run in the final minute.

Tennessee is averaging 188.0 rushing ypg and 188.8 passing ypg, so there is definitely balance offensively. The team is scoring 29.4 ppg, and there are some big-time players on the roster, especially in the backfield. Montario Hardesty has run the ball with great success, as he has amassed 575 yards and five touchdowns through five games. As for Bryce Brown, a highly regarded freshman, he has 229 yards. Jonathan Crompton is the team's starting quarterback, and he has completed 54.7 percent of his passes for 900 yards and nine touchdowns. Unfortunately, he has tossed eight interceptions and has been forced to spread the ball around because of a lack of standout performers at the receiver position. With 410 total yards and three offensive touchdowns, the Vols did find some success against the Auburn defense last week. Crompton threw for 259 yards and two scores despite connecting on only 20-of-43 passes. As for Hardesty, he finished with 90 yards and one touchdown.

It is hard to complain about the performance of the Tennessee defense thus far, as the club is yielding 19.6 ppg and 278.2 total ypg despite facing some outstanding opponents, including top-ranked Florida. The Vols are holding foes to 3.3 rushing ypc and 9.8 yards per pass completions, two figures that Kiffin can be proud of. With eight takeaways and 10 sacks, Tennessee has only made a mediocre number of impact plays, but the defensive unit has been steady if not spectacular. Eric Berry is the star of the UT defense, and he leads the club in tackles with 45, 4.5 of which have occurred behind the line of scrimmage. Auburn racked up 24 first downs and 459 total yards against Berry's defense last week, including 224 rushing yards on 48 attempts. Still, the Vols only allowed the Tigers to score two offensive touchdowns.

Tennessee is a desperate team and will find a way to knock off Georgia. Both teams are coming off tough defeats, and while both may be feeling a bit down, the Knoxville crowd will boost the spirits of the Vols.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Tennessee 23, Georgia 20