ATHENS, Ga. - Tennessee had two big problems through three quarters Saturday: The Vols' special teams were nothing special and their quarterbacking was nothing stable.

Those two flaws spotted sixth-ranked Georgia an 18-0 lead, and though the Bulldogs hiccupped some in the fourth quarter, they came away with an 18-13 victory.

Georgia is 6-0 and in the driver's seat to win the SEC East. But instead of euphoria, several Bulldogs were ticked that they gave up the shutout in the fourth quarter.

"That's what we expected," defensive end David Pollock said of holding 10th-ranked Tennessee scoreless for 45 minutes. "It was that last quarter that wasn't us."

The Vols were hardly themselves in the first three quarters. Missing their starting quarterback - Casey Clausen sat out the game with a broken collarbone - they could generate little consistency on offense. Their special teams were consistently bad - they allowed a blocked punt, a blocked field goal and committed two personal fouls on separate punt plays.

With Clausen out, the Vols started C.J. Leak - his first action with the game in doubt since he transferred from Wake Forest. Leak took just six snaps - and never threw a pass - before being pulled for third-stringer James Banks.

Leak played one series late in the third quarter, after Georgia led 18-0, and though he never drove the Vols across midfield, he was surprised how little chance he got Saturday.

"To be honest, I was (surprised), but that's the coaches' decision. I don't have a lot of input in it," said Leak, a junior and former All-American at Independence High.

"I've been through a tremendous amount of adversity (following an injury and a transfer) and I'll bounce back. I'm a team player. I always have been."

Banks, who also plays wide receiver, has quicker feet and was constantly on the run. The Vols' best plays for most of the game were bootlegs and scrambles. Not that they had many plays to choose from in Clausen's absence.

"We had limited play-calling today because of the inexperience at quarterback," said Kelley Washington, Tennessee's always-candid wide receiver. "I feel like I have to make plays, but it was hard to with the play-calling today."

Minus Clausen, Tennessee tried to run the ball, consume the clock and win with defense. But you can't win that conservatively without a lead, and the Vols blew their only chance for one when Georgia's Kenny Bailey blocked Phillip Newman's 44-yard field-goal attempt in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, Georgia quarterback David Greene played a marvelously efficient game - 22-of-37 for 232 yard and a touchdown. He was intercepted once, but that came on a tipped pass, and for the most part he moved the Bulldogs without taking any silly risks.

So down 18, the Vols (4-2) had no choice but to open it up. Banks' screen pass to tailback Derrick Tinsley turned into a 33-yard touchdown. Then Tinsley threw a 5-yard option pass to tight end Jason Witten in the end zone to cut the deficit to five with 3 minutes, 21 seconds left.

The only choice left was an on-side kick, which failed. The Vols were out of tricks and the Bulldogs didn't need any: Greene took three knees to let the clock mercifully expire.