Tennessee lost a key member of its defense during the first quarter of Saturday’s game against Georgia.
Deandre Johnson delivered a late hit against Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett on a 2nd-and-5 play in the middle of the first quarter. Johnson was originally called for a late hit, but the referees called him for targeting after reviewing the play. Johnson leaned his head down and rammed it into Bennett. He was ejected from the game.
Tennessee LB Deandre Johnson deserved his ejection after lowering his head and hitting Stetson Bennett pic.twitter.com/yDb0U16iKt
— Larry Brown Sports (@larrybrownsport) October 10, 2020
Not only did the Vols lose a top player because of the play, but the penalty helped Georgia keep a drive going.
Instead of having a 3rd-and-5, Georgia got a first down. They were able to score a touchdown and tied the game a few plays later.
Johnson had been great for Tennessee this season with 3.5 sacks through the first two games, including 2.5 against South Carolina.
