After Week 10 in college football, there is no question who the number one team in college football is. The Georgia Bulldogs proved they deserve that spot by starting the month with a dominating 27-13 win over the formerly No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers. This incredible performance by the Dawgs and the downfall of “Rocky Top” brings great hope to fans across the state for how the remainder of this season will unfold. 

The reigning national champs have faced many hurdles throughout this season. With perhaps the biggest win in Sanford Stadium history, the Bulldogs proved many ideas wrong, including those of the fans, media, and some of our own GC Bobcats. 

Several of GC’s students are proud to call themselves members of “Dawg Nation” and were lucky enough to witness this electric, loud, and rainy atmosphere for themselves. 

“It was crazy. It was very electric,” said Mat Meyer, a senior economics major. “I think we were a little underestimated, and the impact that the fans could bring in Sanford. I think it’s a big part of the reason why Georgia won how they did.”

Meyer has been a fan since his junior year of high school. This was one of the two games he’s attended in Athens. Like many fans, he was surprised by how the game unfolded for both the teams involved. 

“I thought it would be a lot closer, originally,” Meyer said. He recalls his favorite part of the game in the fourth quarter, where the stadium was filled with the roars of Dawg Nation chanting “OVERRATED.”

For Georgia fans, this performance will be easy to remember.

Freshman chemistry major Raylee Dean has been a proud fan since she was born. She considers Saturdays in Athens to be a tradition. “I’ve been going to games since I was a kid because my mom’s a huge fan, she graduated from UGA,” Dean said.

She couldn’t pick one play that was her favorite. 

“Every time we scored a touchdown, everybody cheered and went crazy, so that was great.” Dean said.

This unforgettable night in Athens drew an incredible audience. According to Yahoo Sports, the CBS-broadcasted game drew more than 13 million viewers, making it the most-watched College Football game of the year. It attracted a larger audience than Game 6  of the 2022 World Series between the Astros and the Phillies, which consisted of over 12.5 viewers.

Oliver Sanchez is a junior music therapy major here at GC and has been a proud Georgia fan since 2014. He did not doubt that the Dawgs could conquer the Volunteers, but was still taken by surprise regarding the game’s outcome. 

Like many Georgia fans, he loved what he saw in UGA head coach Kirby Smart’s defense that night.

“I thought it was going to be a lot more of a shootout than it was,” Sanchez said “Overall that’s the best the defense has played all year.”

Sanchez has not had the opportunity to attend a game at Sanford Stadium but hopes to do so in the near future.

According to OnlineAthens, Tennessee held incredible offensive stats compared to the rest of the SEC. The Volunteers’ offense averaged 49.4 points per game, 353.4 offensive passing per game, and 553 yards of total offense per game. The Dawgs held this prolific offense to 13 points, 195 passing yards, and 289 yards of total offense.