Vols not doomed in SEC East, but Georgia now must-win game

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Perhaps this is a good time to review Tennessee’s recent Hail Mary history.

Let’s go all the way back to Oct. 1 of last year. Back to when the Vols were celebrating a last-second victory over Georgia at Sanford Stadium.

The 43-yard Hail Mary from quarterback Joshua Dobbs to Jauan Jennings did more than beat the bewildered Bulldogs. It advanced the Vols to 5-0, putting them in position to do what most folks thought they would do in preseason: win the SEC East.

More:Tennessee Vols have plenty to correct in aftermath of loss to Florida Gators

Things didn’t work out that way, though. Never mind that the Vols had beaten both Georgia and Florida. They couldn’t beat South Carolina or Vanderbilt.

And they couldn’t win the East.

Now, let’s reflect on a more recent Hail Mary – the one Tennessee didn’t celebrate, the one that continued Florida’s series dominance.

The Gators’ 26-20 victory on a last-second, 63-yard touchdown pass from Feleipe Franks to Tyrie Cleveland on Saturday extended Florida’s winning streak to seven games against UT in The Swamp. The victory also gave it a significant edge over the Vols in their quest for a third consecutive division championship.

More:Vols' football loss to Florida best, worst includes Quinten Dormady, John Kelly

But remember last season.

Remember this, too: The SEC East is still a flawed division. Florida and Tennessee spent most of Saturday afternoon in The Swamp proving that.

The Hail Mary made for a classic ending. It didn’t make up for all the wrongs both teams committed.

They gave us drama and a shocking twist at the end. They didn’t give us a well played game. Not even close.

At no point in the game did I think I was watching two Top 25 teams. My Associated Press Top 25 ballot reflected that. In fact, I might as well have been watching South Carolina vs. Kentucky.

More:Butch Jones: 'Accumulation of plays,' not just final one, betrays Vols against Florida

One game, no matter how dramatic, won’t win or lose the East. Just because Florida beat Tennessee doesn’t convince me it can beat Kentucky on Saturday. 

And just because Georgia beat Notre Dame in the final minutes at South Bend doesn’t mean it’s going to distance itself from a weak field and roll into Atlanta for the SEC championship game. What’s so great about Notre Dame this season? It’s better than last season’s 4-8 team. That’s all.

One loss to Florida won’t doom the Vols in the division. But it does make Georgia a must-win game on Sept. 30, particularly since the Vols have to play at Alabama in October and at home against LSU in November.

You can’t lose three games, lose the tiebreaker to both Florida and Georgia, and still hope to win the division. So the Vols have to figure out how to beat the Bulldogs.

Certainly they can’t make the mistakes they did against Florida.

More:Vols football comeback in Swamp sunk again by Florida on Hail Mary

First-year starting quarterback Quinten Dormady threw three interceptions against the Gators. You can’t expect to beat the worst team in the East with that many turnovers.

But despite those mistakes, you have to appreciate how Dormady plays under pressure. You saw that when the Vols overcame a double-digit deficit and beat Georgia Tech in double overtime in the season opener. You saw that again against Florida.

If running back John Kelly hadn’t dropped a pass near the goal line, UT probably would have won the Florida game in regulation, and Dormady, not Franks, would have been the hero.

Dormady obviously can put mistakes behind him and play his best when the odds are against him. If Tennessee hopes to win the East, it will have to do the same.

Reach John Adams at john.adams@knoxnews.com or 865-342-6284 and on Twitter @johnadamskns.

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