Vols linebacker says Georgia isn't 'as good as we made them out to be'

Georgia had its way with Tennessee in all three phases of Saturday’s 41-0 win.

But count one Tennessee player who thinks the mistakes his team made contributed more into the outcome of the game.

Asked how good the seventh-ranked Bulldogs are, Tennessee linebacker Colton Jumper said his team’s divisional rival had a solid squad. He then offered one caveat.

“I don’t think they’re as good as we made them out to be,” Jumper said during his news conference.

The Vols’ defense surrendered 378 total yards to a Georgia offense that did struggle a bit in the first quarter. Tennessee did pick off one of quarterback Jake Fromm’s passes and held him to a completion percentage of 47 percent.

But Georgia’s run game got going and totaled 294 yards on the ground. Three running backs ended the game with over 50 yards in Nick Chubb (109), Sony Michel (64) and Elijah Holyfield (51).

During his post-game news conference, head coach Kirby Smart said he wants to guard his team from the hype that yet another win will ultimately bring.

“We’re trying to improve,” Smart said. “We’re starting to see how good we can be but we can’t believe in the hype. They have to stay focused and stay working. That’s the challenge our coaching staff and organization has, to keep this team focused. That’s the hardest thing to do in college football.”

This story was originally published September 30, 2017 at 7:49 PM with the headline "Vols linebacker says Georgia isn't 'as good as we made them out to be'."