ATHENS, Ga. -- Two games and two daunting tests later, Tennessee's run defense is probably holding up about as well as can be expected.
It's still not enough for the Volunteers, though.
For most of Saturday's 35-32 loss at Georgia, Tennessee did an admirable job defending Todd Gurley and company, but it all came undone in the fourth quarter, when the Bulldogs piled up 134 of their 289 rushing yards for the game.
"We didn't win, and the expectation at the University of Tennessee is to win," Vols coach Butch Jones said. "We're a work in progress. We have some individuals laying it on the line for us. I think they've played with great effort and a tenacity, but again, it's disturbing when we need a stop to let them run the ball down the field.
"We take great pride in our run defense. We gave up a great run. Yeah, he's a great back, but in our defense, that's unacceptable. I'm proud of those guys. We'll go back, and we'll go to work."
After he had 79 yards on 16 carries through three quarters, Gurley exploded for 129 yards on 12 runs in the fourth quarter, his 51-yard touchdown dash and 4-yard run on fourth-and-3 inside the final minute the biggest blows to Tennessee.
"He's definitely one of the top backs in the nation, but we prepared for it," said linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who had 10 tackles. "We knew the challenge we were going to face. We worked on it all week, and we're not going to back down from anybody. We feel like we can tackle anyone, and everyone's the same to us."
Through the first month of the season, Tennessee ranks 79th nationally against the run, as opponents are averaging 169 yards on the ground against the Vols, who faced one of the nation's biggest and most experienced offensive lines at Oklahoma two weeks ago and Georgia's power-run game in the SEC opener.
The Sooners ran for just 146 yards on Tennessee, and through three quarters in Athens, Georgia stood at 155 yards, well below its season average of 304 yards, which entered the game second in the conference in rushing.
"I've got total belief in our defensive line," Reeves-Maybin said. "The media might think we're small up front, young up front, but we don't care about any of that stuff in our room. We know those guys can play, and we trust them. We grind together, and we fight together, so we've got each other's back."
Tennessee head coach Butch JonesWhile Tennessee's new-look defensive line is perhaps exceeding expectations, the Vols' inexperienced offensive line has surrendered 12 sacks through four games after the Vols gave up 15 all of 2013.
Among teams from the SEC, Pac-12, ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten conferences, only UCLA, Washington State, Purdue, Illinois, Penn State, Louisville and Wake Forest have allowed as many or more sacks than the Vols, and every one of those teams except for UCLA have played five games.
While Oklahoma is 34th nationally in running the ball, Georgia is 10th and rolled up 53 carries against Tennessee.
"You know they're gonna run it," Jones said, "but they do some really good things creativity-wise in terms of running the football, scheme-wise trying to make you a gap short defensively.
"We were challenged today, and it's one of those things where they keep running the ball, keep running the ball, keep the running ball. I've been on teams that have been like this. The more you continue to run the football, the more your chances of having a big play occur because that's just what they do."
After managing just 38 yards in the first quarter, Georgia got its ground game going behind Gurley and freshmen Sony Michel and Nick Chubb in the second quarter, when the Bulldogs ran 15 times for 82 yards.
"They just started making plays, I guess," said linebacker A.J. Johnson, who led Tennessee with 17 tackles. We could've fit some gaps a little better than we did."
On his long touchdown, Gurley found a seam in the left side of Georgia's offensive line. Tennessee linebacker Curt Maggitt couldn't get to Gurley off the back side edge, and the Bulldogs blocked the Vols' other three linemen and got bodies on A.J. Johnson and Reeves-Maybin at the second level. Gurley then made safety Brian Randolph miss in the open field.
The Bulldogs were more effective running the ball when they spread out Tennessee's defense as they did on that play.
"They did what they do," Johnson said. "We prepared for the type of run formations they did, and that was what they did."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.