Georgia didn’t exactly put on a clinic Saturday, but it still walked out of Athens with a 38-14 win and a 5-0 record.
That was the story for Kirby Smart’s group against Vanderbilt: plenty to clean up, enough firepower to stay in control, and a second-half finish that slammed the door. The Bulldogs were tested, especially early, before turning the game into a comfortable victory by the end.
The biggest swing came through the air, where Gunner Stockton answered a rough outing against Oklahoma with one of his cleanest games yet. Vanderbilt loaded the box and dared Georgia to beat it elsewhere, and Stockton did exactly that. The senior went 25 of 32 for 295 yards and three touchdowns, showing the kind of efficiency Georgia needed when the run game wasn’t getting much going.
His best moment came early, when he dropped a 55-yard throw to a covered Landon Roldan that set up a one-yard touchdown on the very next play. It was the kind of strike that changed the feel of the afternoon and gave Georgia an answer when the ground game was being squeezed.
That ground game, though, was a problem for most of the day. Georgia had just under 100 rushing yards before the fourth quarter, and there wasn’t much push up front or room between the tackles. If the Bulldogs want to leave Tuscaloosa with a win next weekend, that has to get better in a hurry.
Defensively, Glenn Schumann’s unit had its own rough patches. Georgia was poor on third down and didn’t play at an elite level for much of the game.
Vanderbilt veteran Blaze Berlowitz, filling in for Jared Curtis, gave the Bulldogs some headaches with his legs and also hit some important third-down throws. He finished with 190 passing yards and 37 rushing yards.
Even so, Berlowitz and the Commodores couldn’t keep pace with Stockton and the Georgia offense.
The Bulldogs found their rhythm after halftime, putting together a touchdown, a field goal, and another touchdown to open the second half and effectively put the game away. They weren’t flawless, but they did enough in the moments that mattered and never allowed Vanderbilt to make it a real threat.
Georgia also kept Vanderbilt off the board in the second half, and that mattered just as much as the points it put up. The Bulldogs were not the nation’s best team on this day, but they still handled business and showed enough in the final 30 minutes to feel better about where they stand.
There’s still plenty to sort out before Alabama. Georgia will need a healthy Nate Frazier, stronger quarterback play, and a more productive run game if it wants to survive next weekend. The defense has work to do, too, especially with receivers getting loose downfield and too many first-contact opportunities not ending the play.
But for one Saturday, the result was clear. Georgia won decisively, got a strong performance from Stockton, and kept moving forward. Now the focus shifts to Alabama.
In Other News...
Kirby Smart Seemed To Send A Message In Georgias Vanderbilt Win
Jared Curtis did not suit up in Vanderbilts recent meeting with Georgia after the quarterback, who had flipped his commitment from the Bulldogs to the Commodores last year, was injured. Georgia handled the game the way a team trying to stay in the thick of the national title race needed to, while Vanderbilt came away with its season outlook looking far less secure than the one in Athens.
Afterward, Curtis made his way toward Kirby Smart, setting up a moment that drew attention for what happened as much as what did not. Smarts body language suggested he was not eager to linger, and the interaction felt like the sort of understated sideline scene that can say plenty without anyone having to say much at all. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Is Already Pressing Georgia On One Concern Before Alabama
Vanderbilt kept things interesting for a half before Georgia pulled away for a 38-14 win, scoring the final 17 points to close it out. Clark Lea had reasons to point to some progress on the Commodores side, especially in protection and the run game, while Kirby Smart came away talking about the kind of things he likes to see from his own team this time of year: conditioning, execution and the steadier finish that can matter when the schedule tightens.
Smarts focus now turns quickly to Alabama, and it sounds like he is already sharpening one concern before that matchup arrives. Even after a comfortable win, Georgia is still looking to clean up areas that can become costly against a better opponent, and Smart did not hide that there is more work to do before the next test. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia May Be Catching The Worst Possible Version Of Alabama
Alabamas offense has been looking more like the force Georgia expected to see all along, and Keelon Russell is a big reason why. Against Mississippi State, he threw three touchdown passes, added a score on the ground and finished with 301 total yards in a 56-23 win, continuing a stretch that has turned him into one of the most dangerous players in the country.
For Georgia, the timing is what makes this so tricky. Russell has piled up 970 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions over his last three games against Power 4 competition, and he is now the betting favorite for the Heisman Trophy at FanDuel Sportsbook. If that version of Alabama shows up, the Bulldogs may be facing far more than just a familiar rivalry game. [Read more 🡒]