Preview: No. 1 Georgia at Vanderbilt
WHERE: Firstbank Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
WHEN: Saturday, 11 a.m.
RECORDS: Georgia 6-0, 3-0; Vanderbilt 2-5, 0-3
TV/RADIO: CBS (Tom McCarthy, Ross Tucker, Tiffany Blackmon); Georgia Football Radio Network (Scott Howard, Eric Zeier, DJ Shockley).
After putting together its best effort to date by thrashing Kentucky 51-13, Georgia heads back on the road for an early kickoff with Vanderbilt.
Kickoff is set for Noon ET on CBS.
On paper, this shapes up as another easy victory, although Kirby Smart will abide no such talk about that. The last thing the Bulldogs want or need to do after such a convincing victory over Kentucky is follow it up with a clunker against the Commodores.
Nobody in Red and Black wants Vanderbilt to "blow the admiral" more than absolutely necessary.
Smart should not have to worry about that.
Quarterback Carson Beck continues to improve week by week and shouldn’t have much trouble padding his stats against a Vanderbilt team that’s surrendered jalmost 40 points on average over its past five contests.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, will be looking to keep their offense rolling.
Georgia posted its best offensive performance since 2020 when it tallied 608 yards on 73 plays in its win over Kentucky. It was the most by the Bulldogs since finishing with 615 against Missouri in 2020.
For those counting, Georgia ranks third in the SEC in scoring offense (40.6 points per game) and second in total offense (502.3 yards per game).
The Bulldogs are also on a school-record 23-game winning streak that began with a 31-14 win over Michigan in the 2021 Orange Bowl. Georgia has also won 33 consecutive regular-season games, a streak that should continue heading into next week’s bye weekend before traveling to Jacksonville to play Florida.
Georgia: QB Carson Beck, RB Daijun Edwards, RB Kendall Milton, TE Brock Bowers, WR Dominic Lovett, WR Ladd McConkey, WR RaRa Thomas, WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, OL Sedrick Van Pran, OL Earnest Greene III, DE Mykel Williams, N Nazir Stackhouse, LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, LB Smael Mondon, CB Kamari Lassiter, S Tykee Smith, S Malaki Starks, S Javon Bullard
Vanderbilt: QB Ken Seals, RB Patrick Smith, WR Wil Sheppard, WR Jayden McGowan, TE Justin Ball, LT Gunner Hansen, DE Darrin Agu, DT Nate Clifton, Anchor Chad Taylor, Star Aeneas DiCosmo, S Jalen Mahoney.
Keep up the offensive momentum going: The Bulldogs enjoyed their best offensive output in almost three years last week. Georgia started quickly and finished out the game equally as strong. No need for that to change.
Force more turnovers: Georgia has eight interceptions, but six games in have yet to recover any of the three fumbles the Bulldogs have forced.
Continue to own third downs: Georgia ranks third nationally in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert just .238 percent (19 of 80) of their third-down attempts. No need for that to change, either.
RB Roderick Robinson (ankle) Doubtful
LB Darris Smith (personal) Doubtful
S David Daniel-Sisavanh (illness) Probable
OL Amarius Mims (ankle) Out
RB Branson Robinson (torn patella tendon) Out
DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (foot) Out
• This will be Vandy’s 11th appearance on CBS and first since facing Alabama on the network in 2017. Vandy and Georgia have met twice on CBS, splitting match-ups in 2013 (31-27 Vandy) and 2015 (31-14 UGA). The first Vandy appearance on CBS in SEC play was a 1982 win over Ole Miss (19-10 in Nashville).
• Vanderbilt is coming off a 38-14 loss at Florida last Saturday. The Commodores and Gators were even at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter, but the Gators scored the next three touchdowns to lead 28-7. Vandy cut it to 28-14 in the second half but Florida pulled away with 10 more points in the fourth quarter.
• Will Sheppard caught an 85-yard touchdown from Ken Seals against Florida, matching the fourth-longest completion in program history. Sheppard is one of six Commodores all-time to rank in the top 10 for career receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns receptions. He currently sits in ninth for catches (140), is tied for third with 21 receiving touchdowns and is ninth in receiving yards (1,933).
• Quarterback Ken Seals got his second consecutive start of the season (18th career) at Florida, finishing 19-of-34 for 276 yards and two touchdowns. This is the second game this season and sixth time in his career Seals threw for 250+ yards. This is also the first time Seals threw two touchdowns in back-to-back games since 2020 (11.14.20 at Kentucky, 11.21.20 vs. Florida).
• The Commodores’ defense has eight interceptions this season, tied with Georgia for most in the SEC and fifth in FBS. Vandy’s 10 turnovers gained is second in the SEC and 26th in FBS. De’Rickey Wright’s team-leading two picks rank fifth in the conference and 33rd in FBS.
• Will Sheppard caught multiple touchdowns in Vanderbilt’s first three games of the season. He is the first Vanderbilt player since at least 1996 to record three consecutive games with two or more touchdown receptions. He is the fifth player in the SEC to record three straight games with multiple touchdown receptions in the same season since 2019, joining Jalin Hyatt (Tennessee), DeVonta Smith (Alabama), Terrace Marshall Jr. (LSU) and Ja’Marr Chase (LSU). Across all of FBS, Sheppard is the ninth player to record three straight games with multiple touchdown receptions in the same season.
The Commodores are struggling. What else is new?
Georgia on the other hand, is coming off its best game of the year and will look to go into next week’s bye on a high. Prediction: Georgia 51, Vanderbilt 7.
