No. 2 Georgia leaned on Gunner Stockton’s arm and never let Vanderbilt get comfortable in a 38-14 win Saturday at Sanford Stadium.
When the Bulldogs’ ground game was bottled up for long stretches, Stockton kept the offense moving with a sharp, efficient passing performance. He went 25 of 32 for a season-high 295 yards and three touchdowns, while also adding seven carries for 22 yards. Georgia finished with 295 passing yards and 176 rushing yards on 34 attempts, with Bo Walker breaking loose for a 59-yard run in the final minutes.
The defense did its part, too, holding Vanderbilt to 293 total yards and just 61 after halftime. Safety KJ Bolden and linebacker Raylen Wilson led the way with seven tackles apiece, and Georgia extended its streak over the Commodores to seven straight.
Georgia set the tone early with an 80-yard opening drive that covered 10 plays and ended in a 2-yard touchdown pass from Stockton to Landon Roldan with 6:57 left in the first quarter. Stockton completed all eight of his passes on the drive, which included a scramble, a designed run and a 16-yard catch by Dwight Phillips, Jr. to move the ball to the 14.
Vanderbilt answered on a shot play just before the quarter ended. After Georgia forced a punt on the opening drive and the Bulldogs’ next possession stalled, Blaze Berlowitz found Junior Sherrill on third-and-9 for a 60-yard touchdown down the left sideline, tying it 7-7 with 12 seconds left in the first. It was the first time Georgia had been tied this season other than 0-0, and it was also the first points the Bulldogs allowed in the opening quarter all year.
Georgia needed only three snaps to regain control. Stockton hit Elyiss Williams for 19 yards, then connected with Roldan on a 55-yard strike to the Vanderbilt 1 before Chauncey Bowens punched it in to make it 14-7.
The Bulldogs got another boost late in the half when Jordan Hall blocked Brock Taylor’s 58-yard field-goal try. Georgia took over at its own 40 and appeared to score when Phillips caught a 31-yard pass out of the backfield, but after review he was ruled down at the 1. One play later, Jaden Reddell scored on a 1-yard run to the right, pushing the lead to 21-7 with 3:58 left before halftime.
Vanderbilt wasn’t done before the break. The Commodores put together a 10-play march and trimmed the margin to 21-14 on Sedrick Alexander’s 2-yard run with 33 seconds left. At halftime, Vanderbilt had 234 yards and was 5 of 9 on third down, while Georgia had 215 total yards, 195 of them through the air.
Georgia came out fast again to start the second half. On third-and-4 from the Georgia 43, Lawson Luckie hauled in a deflected pass and turned it into a 43-yard gain to the Vanderbilt 14. A few plays later, Stockton found Williams for a 1-yard touchdown and a 28-14 lead with 8:21 left in the third.
The Commodores threatened again on the next possession, moving into Georgia territory and converting fourth-and-1 at midfield. But on fourth-and-2 at the Georgia 40, a pass that was initially ruled complete was overturned when it was determined to have hit the ground, giving the Bulldogs the ball back with 1:15 left in the quarter.
Georgia couldn’t cash in fully, but Peyton Woodring added a 39-yard field goal to make it 31-14 with 12:27 remaining. Then Ellis Robinson IV came up with the day’s next big play, intercepting a deep throw on Vanderbilt’s first snap after the field goal. It was his first interception of the season and the fifth of his career.
The Bulldogs closed it out with a 12-play, clock-eating drive that lasted more than six minutes and ended with Stockton’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Phillips along the right sideline with 6:02 to go.
Phillips finished with a team-high five catches for 75 yards and added five rushing attempts for 27 yards. It was his second touchdown of the season and his first as a receiver. He was one of eight Georgia players with at least two receptions.
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The broader picture matters for the Bulldogs because these are the kinds of teams and players that shape the states recruiting landscape every year. With rankings shifting and more intriguing matchups still ahead for programs around Georgia, the calendar is only going to bring more chances for prospects to separate themselves and keep drawing attention from Athens. [Read more 🡒]