ATHENS, Ga. — Beating 17-point favorite Florida in Gainesville four years ago was an upset.

Beating 13-point favorite Miami in Orange Bowl Stadium last year was an upset.

But beating 121/2-point favorite Georgia 19-14 Saturday amidst all those howling Bulldogs is more than an upset.

Once is an upset. Twice is an upset.

But three times in four seasons, that's a tradition.

The Vols enter Neyland Stadium through the "T." They dance to "Rocky Top." And they beat double-digit favorites on the road.

These odds-defying victories are becoming as much a part of UT football as Gen. Neyland's game maxims.

You think UT over Vanderbilt or Kentucky in November is a sure thing? Why, it's a roll of the dice compared to UT against a double-digit favorite on the road.

You think the Vols are tough in Neyland Stadium? Send them on the road against a heavily favored top 10 opponent. That's what Tennessee-tough is all about.

The underdogs ruled in Dawg Land on Saturday. They just never looked like underdogs.

Instead, they looked like the Vols who knocked off Miami last season and who stunned the Gators three years ago. They looked like a poised, determined team that couldn't wait to prove everybody wrong.

They didn't take long. They drove 80 yards for a touchdown on their first possession. They didn't give Georgia an inch on its first three downs.

And they had enough stamina and resolve to finish what they started, turning back the Bulldogs on the last play from the UT 19.

What happened to the guys who trailed Auburn by 28 points at the half on the way to a 34-10 loss a week ago? They never showed up Saturday.

Neither did the No. 3-ranked Bulldogs, who looked like a national champion in battering LSU 45-16 on the same day that the Vols were embarrassing themselves against Auburn.

Remember Georgia quarterback David Greene, who has had his way with UT for three consecutive years? The same guy who previously passed with such precision sometimes resembled a right-hander trying to throw left-handed.

And he got little help from his receivers, who dropped five passes, or his blockers, who were beaten consistently by UT's unheralded front four.

In fact, all the matchups that seemingly favored Georgia went UT's way. Rarely have so many pregame analyses been so wrong.

I didn't give UT much chance in either one of those other historic upsets. But I gave it even less against the Bulldogs.

At least UT's 2001 team was both experienced and talented. At least, last year's team had Miami quarterback Brock Berlin going for it.

Georgia had Greene. It had a four-game winning streak in the series. It had experienced receivers matched up against UT's inexperienced secondary. It had a freshman quarterback making his first start on the road against one of the best defenses in the country and a crowd whose roar almost approached Swamp-like volume.

One by one, the Vols disproved the pregame perceptions. Ainge, the freshman, was better than Greene, the veteran. The inexperienced defensive backs outplayed Georgia's proven wide receivers.

Georgia defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder was named national assistant coach of the year for 2003. But the coach of the day was UT defensive coordinator John Chavis, whose unit held Georgia to 265 yards in total offense and only 19 completions in 41 pass attempts.

The Vols outpassed the Bulldogs and more than doubled Georgia's rushing yards. They didn't just stymie Greene, but most of Georgia's other stars as well.

All-American defensive end David Pollack didn't have a sack. All-SEC middle linebacker Odell Thurman only had six tackles. All-SEC safety Thomas Davis had 10 tackles, but no tackles for losses, forced fumbles or interceptions.

This wasn't just a big upset. It was a huge turnaround.

UT began the day supposedly on the verge of falling out of the SEC East race. It ended the afternoon as a heavy favorite to win the division.

All it needs to do now is take care of business and hope Auburn keeps winning in the West. That would send the Vols to the Georgia Dome as an underdog in the SEC championship game in December.

They couldn't ask for more.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.