After a lackluster 13-9 victory over Northern Illinois, Tennessee heads on the road to Athens to take on the 10^th ranked Georgia Bulldogs.  The Vols (2-3, 0-2 SEC), winners of three of the past four contests against the Bulldogs, hope to continue their recent success as they try to turn their season around.

"It's great to be sitting here with a win under our belts...as we prepare for this huge football game with the University of Georgia," Tennessee head football coach Phillip Fulmer said.

While Tennessee did just enough to get the win against NIU, it will take a much better effort to beat Georgia (4-1, 1-1 SEC) who is trying to bounce back from an ugly 41-30 loss to Alabama two weeks ago.

The Volunteers have averaged only 10.3 points over their last three games, with back-to-back SEC losses to Florida and Auburn.  The poor offensive output led Fulmer and offensive coordinator Dave Clawson to go in a different direction at the quarterback position, starting sophomore Nick Stephens against Northern Illinois.

Stephens completed 10-of-17 passes for 156 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown to Denarius Moore.

"Nick did a good job getting the ball out quickly," Fulmer said after the team's workout Sunday. "He did a good job managing the offense for the most part...I think we took a step in the right direction."

Despite a solid effort, Fulmer knows his Vols need to vastly improve on consistency if they hope to compete this Saturday.

"Offensively, we're still fighting for that consistency that we all are looking for," Fulmer said. "I thought Nick (Stephens) gave us a lift from that standpoint."

Because of this consistency, Fulmer and Clawson are going with Stephens again this weekend, despite the inexperience.

"Nick, as an individual, the more practice reps he gets, the more game reps he gets, he certainly should improve as we go along and continue to progress."

Stephens didn't get much help on the ground however, as the Vols were held to only 69 rushing yards on 32 carries.  The running game took an even bigger hit Tuesday after Coach Fulmer suspended offensive linemen Darius Myers and Ramone Johnson for two games.

"Darius Myers and Ramone Johnson are suspended for two weeks of practice and two games for lack of academic effort and violation of team rules," Fulmer said.

The Tennessee defense, which has struggled at times this season, goes up against Georgia's star running back, Knowshon Moreno, who was held to a career low 30 yards rushing on 13 carries last season against the Vols.  Moreno severely injured his right elbow in Georgia's loss to Alabama but is expected to return this weekend.

Moreno, who going into the game was considered an early Heisman Trophy candidate, had nine carries for a season-low 34 yards and suffered the injury as the Bulldogs fell behind 31-0 by halftime and never recovered.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford, considered by many to be the best NFL prospect in this year's class, leads the Bulldogs against a Tennessee secondary that has been one of the few bright spots for the Vols this season.

"Georgia offensively has great balance," Fulmer said. "Stafford is a really fine quarterback."

One area of concern for Georgia this season has been penalties. Georgia is averaging 87.4 penalty yards, compared to 33 per game for its opponents.

Tennessee returns starting punter Britton Colquitt this weekend, fresh off a five-game suspension for disciplinary reasons.

"In the kicking game, with Britton being back, I expect to see a marked improvement," Fulmer said. "He's a guy that can certainly make a difference in field position."

Halfway through the season already, Fulmer is hoping his team can find some sort of continuity against the Bulldogs.

"I'm looking forward to how our team responds, offensively to work toward that consistency and defensively, to continue to improve on our production," Fulmer said.