Protect the house.

Tennessee football players have repeated the concept all week.

Linebacker Jason Mitchell might be an economics graduate, but he touched up on his history lessons with Georgia coming to his cozy home of 108,000 this Saturday.

He did his research and he watched film. He knows the Bulldogs haven't exactly been cordial guests in their past two visits to Neyland Stadium.

"I think about those 44 seconds (when Georgia went on a game-winning drive in 2001)," Mitchell said. "That always comes to my mind.

"Then the year they demolished us up here (41-14 in 2003), I hated that feeling."

Tennessee players remember Georgia players jumping up and down on the 'T' at midfield.

They understand the fact Tennessee is 0-5 at home in its most recent showdowns against top-10 ranked teams.

Taking control of the home turf has become a point of emphasis again with the No. 5 Bulldogs set to take on No. 8 Tennessee in Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. Saturday (TV: WVLT).

UT (3-1, 2-1 SEC) already has had its share of big SEC road trips at Florida and LSU. But this — if you throw out last week's 27-10 victory against Ole Miss — is the first major test at home.

"It is a point of pride," Mitchell said. "What hurt me the most, losing to Georgia in 2001, is when they stomped on the 'T.'

"Fred Weary (former UT offensive lineman) was almost to the locker room. He saw that, turned around and went back. He showed me the pride in protecting his house, and that's how I feel about this Saturday."

The Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0) pose a roadblock to a potential return trip to the SEC championship game.

A possible BCS bowl game is at stake.

Georgia's success on the road under head coach Mark Richt is well documented. The Bulldogs are 16-2 in opposing stadiums under Richt, including victories against six teams ranked in the Top 25.

"Georgia stands in the way of what we want to get done," UT offensive lineman Cody Douglas said. "It puts us back in the race for the East and you've got to be excited about that.

"It's Georgia. It's a big rivalry game and an exciting game to be a part of."

C.J. Fayton just hopes he's able to participate. Tennessee's leading receiver is still recovering from a sprained ankle and hasn't practiced this week, but he's still there in spirit.

"This is our house," he said. "We don't want anybody to come in here and make us look bad on our own field."

Auburn, ranked No. 8 at the time, did it in 2004. The Tigers beat the Vols 34-10 en route to an unbeaten season.

Georgia did it in 2003.

Florida and Miami did it in 2002. The No. 10 Gators grabbing a 30-13 victory and the No. 1 Hurricanes a 26-3 win.

In 2000, No. 6 Florida edged the Vols 27-23.

You have to go back to Oct. 9, 1999 to find the last time UT defeated a top-10 team at Neyland Stadium — UT 37, No. 10 Georgia 20.

Again, it's all history.

"This is 2005," Tennessee quarterback Rick Clausen said. "This is a different football team than those previous two teams (losing to Georgia).

"We're going to go out and execute the way we know how and let the chips fall where they may."

Still, just once, before he takes his economics degree into the real world, Mitchell wants to help write his own bit of history.

"I've never beaten Georgia at home," he said. "If we win, it'll feel like an accomplishment.

"It felt good to beat them last year down there, but it would feel even better to beat them at home."