ATHENS — Georgia has opened as a 22-point road favorite at Tennessee in the teams’ 3:30 p.m showdown next Saturday.

Coach Kirby Smart never beat the Vols as a UGA player, but he has won four straight against the Big Orange as a head coach by an average of nearly 30 points (29.75).

The Bulldogs rallied from a 21-17 halftime deficit last season to beat the Vols 44-21 with Stetson Bennett at quarterback.

Bennett was looking forward to the rivalry game after beating Missouri 43-6 on Saturday.

“Neyland is gonna be rocking,” Bennett said. “They are gonna be ready for us.”

The No. 1-ranked Bulldogs (9-0, 7-0 SEC) are the first FBS team since Alabama’s 1992 national championship team to hold each of its first eight opponents under 14 points.

Tennessee (5-4, 3-3) plays at the second-fastest clip in the nation and has showcased an exciting and explosive offense.

Vols’ quarterback Hendon Hooker has started seven games and produced 23 touchdowns (19 passing, four rushing) while throwing just one interception. Hooker has averaged 243 yards passing and 51 yards rushing, with Tennessee scoring 38.9 points per game.

“There are a lot of teams that are glad they played Tennessee in September,” SEC Network analyst Gene Chizek said Saturday night.

“You don’t want any part of these guys right now.”

Tennessee is coming off a 45-42 win over Kentucky. The Vols prevailed despite a time of possession deficit of 46:08 to 13:52. The Wildcats ran 99 plays to the Vols’ 47.