It didn’t take long for the Georgia Bulldogs to set the stage for another big win on Saturday.
No. 1 Georgia jumped on Vanderbilt early and put up four touchdowns on its first five drives en route to a 55-0 shutout victory. The win marked a comeback for the Bulldogs, who used a balanced offensive attack and dominant defensive effort to build a big lead Saturday that the Commodores simply didn’t threaten.
Saturday’s four quarters of action helped us consolidate a lot as the Bulldogs head into a bye week. That’s the highlight of what happened at Sanford Stadium.
It is more.
I think it’s perfectly valid for fans to be upset with Georgia’s offense in the first quarter against Kent State and Missouri and Auburn. The Bulldogs looked more out-of-sorts than ever in those games, and in matchups against the Golden Flashes and Tigers, they found a shift that helped keep their opponents out longer than expected.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs came out firing and never let up.
Georgia scored 28 points in the first half, followed by 27 more points, including 21 in the second half. The Bulldogs took advantage early and often against a Commodores team that looked like an improved product in Clark Lea’s sophomore year, so at halftime this game was decided.
The Bulldogs’ offense was relentless Saturday — by the end of the day, Georgia had just one touchdown — and its defense held Vanderbilt to a standstill for most of the 60 minutes of action. Given the difference in talent on both sides, the game was exactly what most viewers expected.
A more balanced attack
What surprised me about Saturday’s performance was how Georgia attacked Vanderbilt because of the offense.
The Bulldogs got off to a rough start this season, but were very balanced during Saturday’s action. In the first half, Georgia ran exactly 20 times and attempted 20 passes in 30 minutes, averaging 4.2 yards per carry and 11.7 yards per completion. After the second half, Georgia’s balance remained intact as they finished the game with 41 rushing touchdowns and 38 rushing touchdowns.
It’s worth remembering that Saturday’s success would tie him with a Vanderbilt team that could finish under .500. Still, that ability to avoid being one-dimensional was useful, and allowed for a variety of players to participate.
When protection works
Vanderbilt was no match for Georgia’s defense Saturday, but what was most impressive to me was the Bulldogs’ performance of simply not giving up.
Georgia controlled the game well at halftime, but the Bulldogs were relentless in the second half. The Bulldogs forced four straight three-and-outs to open the second half, allowing Georgia to extend its lead even further.
Vanderbilt finished the game with 150 yards, and only 45 of those came in the second half.
“[I’m] They are proud,” said the Georgia head coach Kirby Smart He talked about defense. “This was an underdog team. We were better than them and we have to be able to execute when we play people with equal talent.
I think it was easy to expect Georgia to give up more plays in the second half, especially with the Bulldogs’ backups coming on the field. Instead, the Bulldogs continued to play at their highest level en route to another shutout victory.
Another tight ends
We’ve talked about Georgia’s fortunes this late in the season, but Saturday’s game was a good example of what the Bulldogs have to offer.
Brooke Bowers It was more or less a non-factor Saturday and he finished the game with 4 receptions for 19 yards. Two other tight ends made more of an impact in the passing game, as Darnell Washington He had a performance with 4 receptions for 78 yards. Eric Gilbert. He came in late and had 2 receptions for 16 yards and a touchdown.
Washington was an important part of Georgia’s offense heading into Saturday, but he shined and put on a show against Vanderbilt. Gilbert, on the other hand, has been a guy that fans have been hoping to get involved with, and we’ve seen what he can bring to the table against the Commodores.
You can bet the number 19 will play a big role in the upcoming games, but on Saturday he took a back seat and was rarely out.
A much needed break ahead
I can imagine Smart and the rest of the staff breathing a collective sigh of relief as they entered the weekend.
Georgia is 7-0 and now has a chance to restart and, more importantly, the final five games of the regular season before a taxing season heals. The Bulldogs have a number of players — namely running back — that need to heal before they return to the field on Oct. 29 against Florida. Kendall MiltonAdded wide receiver AD Mitchell, defensive end Jaylen Carter and inside linebacker Smael Mondon. – and now you have the perfect opportunity to do just that.
It’s naïve to think that all of Georgia’s concussed players will be back to 100% in a week, but now is the time to heal and for everyone to take meaningful action before the games. The Bulldogs will still work hard in the coming days, but the upside will be that they won’t have another physical game a week from now.
