Georgia’s home opener will likely be a glorified exhibition game against FCS school Tennessee Tech

Tennessee Tech (0-1) at No. 1 Georgia (1-0), Saturday, 2 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

BettingMGM College Football Opportunities: No line.

Series record: Georgia leads 2-0.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Not much. This is essentially a glorified exhibition game for Georgia, while their FCS opponent gets paid a pretty penny for playing a game they can barely win. The Bulldogs will likely let their starters play for half a minute before emptying the bench. This is a chance for the reserves to make a positive impression with more important games coming up. Frankly, the main goal for both teams is to get through this expected blowout without serious injuries.

IMPORTANT MATCHUP

Tennessee Tech QB Jordyn Potts vs. Georgia’s defense. The Bulldogs gave up just 188 yards to Clemson in a 34-3 defeat to open the season, and now they face an FCS team’s second quarterback. 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 moving the ball against Georgia’s fearsome defense will be a challenge.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tennessee Tech: WR Ashton Maples opened the season with three catches for 57 yards, including two touchdowns.

Georgia: RB Trevor Etienne is expected to make his debut for the Bulldogs after being suspended in Week 1 for an out of season arrestGeorgia’s running game took a while to get going against Clemson, and it will be interesting 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 while 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 won 67-0. In their only other game, Georgia won 38-0 in 2009. … After a two-phase renovation, Sanford Stadium’s capacity has increased slightly to 93,033. It remains the ninth-largest campus stadium in the country. … The Bulldogs have won 12 consecutive home openers. … Tennessee Tech nearly beat an FBS opponent in their first game. The Golden Eagles gave up a touchdown with 16 seconds left in the game and lost to Middle Tennessee 32-25. … Georgia has won a school-record 40 consecutive regular-season games, with the last loss being a 44-28 defeat to Florida on Nov. 7, 2020. … QB Carson Beck is 14-1 as Georgia’s starter.

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