Georgia’s improbable fumble recovery symbolizes early offensive struggles against Tennessee

To find a representation of Georgia’s offensive struggles in early action against Tennessee, look no farther than Bulldogs tight end Isaac Nauta.

Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm took the snap on third down, and the Bulldogs were already in position to post its first points, but then pass protection broke down. Once in search of a receiver, Fromm was stripped and brought to the ground by Tennessee linebacker Darrell Taylor.

It was Nauta’s fault, until he proved to be hero.

He scooped up the fumble and found space, worked past a few Tennessee defenders and somehow found the end zone 31 yards later.

Nauta notched the Bulldogs’ first score in a 38-12 win over Tennessee but stood in confusion after he crossed the pylon. He later said he wasn’t sure how he had the stamina to score after it felt like a “trailer was attached” to his back.

“The first thing I thought was I didn’t pass protect well enough,” Nauta said. “I had to go pick it up and make up for the mistake I had just made.”

After the technicalities were settled, Nauta was credited with a 31-yard rush on a fumble advance. So, that means he got a rushing touchdown (his first ever) on zero attempts.

Nauta finished as Georgia’s fifth-leading rusher without taking a carry.

Many were stunned by the play, including Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt. But Georgia head coach Kirby Smart didn’t have the same reaction.

“You’ve got to block the guy,” Smart said. “So I don’t live on luck, and there was a lot of luck on that play.”

Nauta indicated the scoop-and-score was a representation of finding ways to score in the SEC, and early on against the Volunteers, Georgia’s offense didn’t have much luck doing so.

The drives were stagnant, the big plays were sparse and the Bulldogs couldn’t immediately find identity in the run game. In turn, Georgia had its first scoring output under 40 points this season.

Georgia finished with 251 rushing yards in the 26-point victory, but the early-game numbers weren’t quite as inviting. In the first quarter, starting running back D’Andre Swift averaged two yards per carry, and the team only averaged 3.75 in the following period.

“We did enough to get by,” Georgia wide receiver Terry Godwin said.

Trying to find an answer, Georgia tinkered with its offensive line rotation. Cade Mays was exchanging snaps with Kendall Baker and Solomon Kindley at right guard, and starter Isaiah Wilson was even substituted at times in favor of Baker at right tackle.

Smart, with an offensive line featuring starters around 350 pounds and coveted running backs in his backfield, had an expectation for early results, as did 93,000 fans in attendance.

But in the SEC, that doesn’t prove to be the case.

Smart opted to commit to the Bulldogs’ run-first mentality — which has been the case in each of Georgia’s games — and use the offense’s size to his advantage.

It clicked in the fourth quarter. With only a 12-point lead, the Bulldogs opted to use dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields and a host of running backs to pull away with the rushing attack.

“If I saw right, they were subbing defensive lineman in and out because they’re trying to keep their guys fresh,” Smart said. “We aren’t subbing. You have to have body blow after body blow until it wears people down.”

As Georgia crossed the pylon on a 15-yard run from Fields to clinch the victory over Tennessee, the feeling on the Bulldogs’ sideline was different. It was more conventional, less confusion and wasn’t the result of a mistake.

It also showed a returning glimpse of Georgia’s best offense.

“I was proud of the way everybody fought there to put out a tight game,” Nauta said. “Or what was tight for a minute.”