Georgia football coach Kirby Smart knows a thing or two about the rivalry with Tennessee.

The current Bulldogs head coach was once a Bulldogs player, having played at UGA from 1995 to 1998. In that time, Georgia, despite becoming one of the conference's better teams toward the end of Smart's career, never beat Tennessee. But Smart has cemented his alma mater's 21st-century dominance against UT since becoming head coach.

And while some would say a one-sided rivalry is no rivalry at all, Smart isn't downplaying the significance of this weekend's 54th meeting between Georgia and Tennessee.

“It’s a historic rivalry, because it’s been so many years played over time, and it’s a lot of big games,” Smart said [h/t On3]. “A lot of big games during Coach Richt’s era, and Coach Donnan’s era, been a lot of big games played between Tennessee and Georgia. Not a lot more I can say than that. All those border wars are big-time rivalries.”

In 1995, Smart, then a redshirt-freshman backup safety, intercepted Volunteers quarterback Peyton Manning's pass during a back-and-forth slugfest in Neyland Stadium. Unfortunately for Smart, Tennessee kicker Jeff Hall nailed the 34-yard game-winning field goal with 10 seconds left to give the Vols a 30-27 win.

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The following year, Georgia fell 29-17 to Tennessee at home, and, back in Knoxville in 1997, the 13th-ranked Dawgs suffered their most lopsided defeat of the season. Manning carved the UGA defense up for 343 yards and 4 touchdowns in the 38-13 win for the No. 9 Volunteers. Smart finished his career with a 0-4 record against UT, thanks to a 22-3 loss in the 1998 meeting, which featured six fumbles and five combined interceptions between fourth-ranked Tennessee and No. 7 Georgia.

Things changed at the turn of the century, and the results have been especially slanted toward the Dawgs since Smart returned to Athens as a coach.

Aside from a heartbreaking loss in Smart's first season as UGA head coach, in which Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs connected on a 43-yard Hail Mary with Jauan Jennings as time expired, the rivalry has been all Georgia. The Bulldogs, who trailed the all-time series 23-21-2 after the 2016 defeat, have won eight straight against Tennessee, and all eight have been won by at least 14 points.

With the series lead decisively on his side now, Smart certainly hopes to add to UGA's longest-ever win streak against Tennessee and earn its fifth straight win in Knoxville. Kickoff between No. 6 Georgia and No. 15 Tennessee is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.