KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Georgia did what Kirby Smart-coached football teams do against Tennessee, executing in clutch moments to take down the Vols, 44-41, in overtime.

The Bulldogs (3-0, 1-0 SEC) also finished the game off in Smart’s preferred style, with three powerful runs in overtime, capped by Josh McCray’s game-winning 1-yard touchdown run.

Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton, making his first road start, came up big in the clutch with a fourth-down 28-yard touchdown pass to London Humphreys to cut Tennessee’s fourth-quarter lead to 38-36, then fired a 2-point conversion pass to Zachariah Branch to tie the score at 38-38 with 2:32 remaining.

The Vols (2-1, 0-1 SEC) drove the ball 50 yards to the Georgia 25, but kicker Max Gilbert missed a potential game-winning 43-yard field goal with three seconds left, leading to the overtime period.

Georgia’s players, like the UGA fans who had seen the Bulldogs win eight in a row in the rivalry series, appeared to get an immediate boost.

UGA won the toss and elected to go on defense, and its defense caught a second win, holding Tennessee to just 1 yard on its overtime possession, setting up Gilbert for a 42-yard field goal that he made for a 41-38 lead.

The No. 6-ranked Bulldogs, who had stubbornly run the ball in the second half, got the payoff they were looking for when Nate Frazier broke a 21-yard run on the first play.

Josh McCray, a 240-pound transfer from Illinois, powered the ball to the 1-yard line on the next play, setting up his game-winner.

Here are three takeaways from Georgia’s win over No. 15 Tennessee:

Gunner Stockton comes through

Smart noted in his on-field interview there had been a lot of naysayers when it came to Stockton’s ability to push the ball downfield and lead the team.

Stockton did indeed come through, making enough plays to pull out the game, most notably his perfectly thrown pass to Humphreys into the end zone on fourth-and-7 at the Tennessee 28.

Stockton was 23-of-31 passing for 304 yards and 2 touchdowns, and his carries netted but he also lost a fumble on a strip sack that led directly to a Tennessee field goal in the fourth quarter that put Georgia down 38-30.

Stockton was sacked three times, limiting him to 38 yards rushing on 13 attempts, including his 6-yard touchdown run that opened the scoring.

Defensive under review

Georgia linebacker CJ Allen lived up to his preseason All-American billing, leading the Bulldogs with 11 tackles, while Kyron Jones stepped up from his safety position with 10 stops.

KJ Bolden’s interception set up a Georgia field goal that proved pivotal in the fourth quarter, as every point counted in this one.

It was a rough day for the Bulldogs’ cornerbacks.

Ellis Robinson IV had two pass interference penalties in the first quarter and was beat on a 72-yard touchdown pass by Chris Brazzell ll, and Daniel Harris was later beat by Brazzell on a 56-yard deep touchdown pass that enabled Tennessee to reclaim the lead at 28-27.

Vols quarterback Joey Aguilar opened the game 14 of 14 passing for 213 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Vols raced to a 21-7 lead.

Clutch calls, go-to receiver

Smart made what might have been the most pivotal call in the game when he elected to go for a fourth-and-3 at his own 48 down 21-7 with 16 seconds left in the quarter.

The Bulldogs went to their most clutch offensive skill position player — USC transfer receiver Zachariah Branch, and Stockton’s dart was on target hit Branch on a slant route for a 13-yard gain to sustain a touchdown drive that brought Georgia back to within 21-14 on the first play of the second quarter.

Smart’s expert coaching adjustments stifled Aguilar and Tennessee after their explosive first quarter, as the Vols had just 57 yards on 20 plays from the start of the second quarter until the Big Orange touchdown drive that was culminated by Brazzell’s 56-yard TD catch with seven seconds left in the third quarter.

Branch, who led Georgia receivers with 69 yards on five catches, came up big with the game on the line in the fourth quarter when he broke open to catch the 2-point conversion pass that tied the game at 38-38.