Georgia moved up to fifth in The Associated Press Top 25 poll, but that's not the biggest reason for the Bulldogs to be confident entering Saturday night's game against No. 8 Tennessee.

Georgia coach Mark Richt is 2-0 at Neyland Stadium. His Bulldogs pulled off a come-from-behind upset in the final minute in 2001 and dominated the Vols in 2003.

Richt not only has been successful at Neyland Stadium. He has been successful after open dates.

Georgia (4-0, 2-0 SEC), which had an open date Saturday, has had some of its biggest victories under Richt when it had two weeks to prepare for an opponent. Not since a 24-17 loss to Auburn in 2001 has Georgia lost a regular-season game that was preceded by an open date.

In 2002, Georgia beat South Carolina 13-7 and routed Georgia Tech 51-7 following open dates. In 2003, Georgia beat Alabama 37-23 and Auburn 26-7 after open dates. Last year, Georgia routed LSU 45-16 and defeated Georgia Tech 19-13 after open dates.

"It gives you a little more time to think through what you want to do," Richt said when asked about the value of open dates before big games. "It helps you get your people healthy if they're banged up.

"You could certainly lose some momentum if you're winning and you get out of the rhythm of playing. I'm much more in favor of having them than not."

Georgia has won its first four games, but Richt isn't sure how good his team is. "We will find out Saturday," he said.

Richt is more certain how hard his team has played.

"They've played extremely hard every game," he said. "That's one thing I"ve been most proud of when I watch the tape. Offense, defense, special teams: They've played hard."

Georgia also has received a boost from new starters who have taken over for star players -- quarterback David Greene, defensive end David Pollack, and middle linebacker Odell Thurman.

"It's obvious (D.J.) Shockley (who leads the SEC in pass efficiency) has done a nice job replacing David," Richt said. "Tony Taylor has done a superb job replacing Odell Thurman."

Defensive end Quentin Moses has picked up where Pollack left off as a playmaker. He ranks second in the SEC with four sacks and has two fumble recoveries.

Safety Greg Belue, who played alongside All-SEC safety Thomas Davis last year, has become the leader of the secondary. Belue leads the Bulldogs with an average of 7.5 tackles per game. Only three defensive backs in the SEC are averaging more tackles than Belue, who is one of the hardest hitters in college football.

Other than Shockley, the Bulldogs don't rank high in individual offensive categories. That's says something about their depth.

Thomas Brown, who ranks seventh in the SEC in rushing, alternates at tailback with Kregg Lumpkin and Danny Ware. The Bulldogs don't have a receiver ranked in the top 10 but they have more balance than last year when they relied heavily on Reggie Brown and Fred Gibson.

"We don't have many individual leaders, but as an offensive team, we're close to the top in most categories," Richt said. "It's because we've spread the ball around to the runners and the receivers."

Georgia ranks second in the SEC in scoring, passing and rushing. But the Bulldogs haven't faced a defense as formidable as UT's.

"They always have guys (on defense) that are big strong and fast," Richt said. "Guys that are very physical.

"(UT defensive coordinator John Chavis) does a great job of mixing man and zone (pass coverage). They've gotten more sophisticated in their blitz packages."