Kirby Smart evaluates how Tennessee is able to put pressure on defenses

Georgia and its vaunted defense will face quite a test on Saturday when Tennessee and its high-powered offense make the trip to Athens. Kirby Smart knows the task at hand, too.

The Volunteers play fast and leads the nation with 553 yards of total offense per game this year. Josh Heupel’s group has multiple weapons, headlined by dual-threat quarterback Hendon Hooker. But Hooker has plenty of playmakers he can work into the game plan, and the scheme puts some major pressure on opposing defenses, Smart said.

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“It’s different,” Smart said during an appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show” on Friday. “You have coverage rules we talk about each week, and there’s a lot of overlap. There’s no overlap when you play Tennessee. It’s very different. The pace forces you to make decisions quickly. You can’t roll your kids up too much because things change.

“They’re very good [in] the vertical passing game. They’re explosive. And people don’t give them enough credit for running the ball. Their backs run really hard and they’re really physical. They do a great job of staying balanced.”

Smart attributed Tennessee’s success on offense to the time Hooker has to throw the ball and connect with his receivers. Jalin Hyatt has put himself on the map this season with some breakout games, and the Vols got Cedric Tillman back in the lineup last week. It’s not easy to cover those outside threats, and Smart knows that.

“It’s always hard to cover good receivers one-on-one,” Smart said. “There’s guys in the NFL trying to do that. It’s the amount of time he has because they wear you down with the number of snaps you take, your pass rush is affected by that. You don’t get as much pass rush and, therefore, they have more time to hold the ball.”

However, as much as Smart can adjust his defense for the passing game, there’s one big threat remaining in the backfield that adds another layer to Tennessee’s offense. If the defenders fall back, Hooker can take off and run. He’s not only averaging 292.3 passing yards per game, but he’s also running for 42.3 yards per contest, as well.

That means Georgia has to prepare for anything.

“If you do cover them, you’ve got a guy back there that can take off and run,” Smart said. “It’s the ultimate true weapon. He can run or pass, he can run quarterback draws. They do a tremendous job keeping him as a weapon.”