Georgia has given itself plenty to like through four games, but Kirby Smart still has one clear point of emphasis as Vanderbilt comes to town: finish the job when the quarterback is in the crosshairs.
The Bulldogs are 4-0 and ranked No. 4 in the nation, and they’ve been lighting up scoreboards in a way that stands out even in the 12-team College Football Playoff era. Georgia leads the SEC in points per game at 54.8, which also puts the Bulldogs on top of all college football in that category.
Still, there’s room for improvement, and the pass rush is one of the spots Georgia wants sharpened heading into Week 5. The Bulldogs have 11 sacks so far, a total that lands them in the middle of the SEC.
That works out to 2.75 sacks per game. LSU, by comparison, has 19 sacks, or 4.75 per game.
Georgia did come away with three sacks in its Week 4 win over Oklahoma, but Smart still wanted more from that part of the defense.
"We pressured today and didn't finish," Smart said in the postgame, per 247Sports. "We affected the quarterback, but we didn't really hit the quarterback.
We affected the quarterback. We did not hit the quarterback."
That message matters this week because Vanderbilt’s quarterback situation is unsettled. Jared Curtis is questionable with an undisclosed injury, and Clark Lea said earlier this week, "He's banged up. He's not been able to be full-go in practice, head coach Clark Lea said earlier this week."
If Curtis goes, Georgia will try to make every snap uncomfortable for him. If the Commodores turn to senior Blaze Berlowitz, the Bulldogs will be looking to bring the pressure his way, too - and remind him why he started practicing at wide receiver.
Either way, Smart and Georgia are expecting the same thing from their defense: hit the quarterback.
In Other News...
Jared Curtis Returns To Georgia With One Huge Vandy Decision Under Pressure
Jared Curtis choice to commit to Vanderbilt over Georgia was always going to come with a different kind of spotlight. Instead of signing up to sit behind a roster stocked with national title talent, he picked the path that offered a chance to be a centerpiece early in his college career, and that decision has already shaped how Commodore fans view his arrival.
Now he is heading back to Georgia with an injury adding uncertainty to an already meaningful moment. Vanderbilt expected him to be a significant part of what comes next, and the timing of this trip only heightens the stakes for a player whose biggest decision was about opportunity, not convenience. How much he can actually give against the Bulldogs is still the question hanging over the week. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Tanner Just Added To Vanderbilts Rising 2026-27 Hype
Tyler Tanners return to Vanderbilt already gave the Commodores a major lift, and the preseason attention keeps building around one of the SECs most watched guards. Basket Under Review has tabbed Tanner as the leagues Preseason Player of the Year and a First-Team All-SEC selection for 2026-27, a nod that reflects both his production and the profile he brings back to Nashville after weighing the NBA Draft before deciding to stay.
Tanner was one of Vanderbilts most complete players last season, averaging 19.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game, and coach Mark Byington has pointed to Tanners character as a big reason the program feels good about what comes next. The buzz is understandable, but it also raises the question the Commodores will have to answer soon enough: how much bigger can Tanners game get now that the spotlight is turning his way even before the season begins? [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilts New Standard Faces Its First Real Test
Coming off its first-ever 10-win season, Vanderbilt has moved from hopeful upstart to a program with real expectations, and the next step comes quickly. The Commodores are aiming not just to build on last years breakthrough but to keep pushing toward the kind of standard that would put them in position to chase something even bigger.
No. 2 Georgia offers the first true measuring stick for that ambition. The Bulldogs have recent national titles and the sort of depth and dominance Vanderbilt is trying to emulate, which is why this matchup feels like more than just another SEC game. Even with the underdog label hanging over them, Vanderbilts players and coaches have kept the focus on internal goals, treating the trip as a benchmark for where the program stands now and where it still wants to go. [Read more 🡒]