NASHVILLE — Georgia won another game it was supposed to win Saturday. That’s probably the best that can be said about it.
The Bulldogs did what they had to do to get past Vanderbilt with a 33-28 victory. That was no small thing considering the way the Commodores have played at home this season and what it means for the big picture. But Georgia was not sharp in recording its fifth victory in a row and will have a lot to work on during its week off before meeting Florida in Jacksonville.
The game remained in doubt until Vanderbilt tight end Brandon Barden was stopped at Georgia’s 16-yard line as time expired. The Commodores had a chance to win the game after Udom Omoh — a Georgia native — blocked a Drew Butler punt and recovered it at the Georgia 20 with seven seconds to play.
Georgia was trying to punt the ball away after taking over at midfield with just under a minute to play. It lost 17 yards in the process.
Afterward coaches and officials struggled keep fighting players apart. Included in the fracas was some kind of skirmish between Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and Vanderbilt coach James Franklin.
All facets of Georgia’s play were subpar aturday — offense, defense, special teams and poise. The Bulldogs were flagged 11 times for 89 yards in penalties, including three personal fouls. They also gave up a 96-yard touchdown on a kickoff return, another fake punt, another halfback pass for a touchdown, many yards, and they settled for field goals all night.
As it was, the Bulldogs (5-2, 4-1 SEC) managed to keep pace with South Carolina (6-1, 4-1), which won 14-12 at Mississippi State on Saturday, and remain tied for first atop the SEC East. The Gamecocks hold the tiebreaker by virtue of their 45-42 win over Georgia on Sept. 10 in Athens.
It was a big night for Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, who was 22-of-38 passing for 326 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw a critical interception late in the game.
Two of Murray’s scores were to split end Marlon Brown, who also had a career night with four catches for 121 yards. Michael Bennett added a career-best four catches for 89 yards.
Isaiah Crowell was benched for the first quarter for unknown reasons and played sparingly in the game. He gained 35 yards on 10 carries.
Asked by a Fox Sports reporter at halftime why Crowell was sitting out, Georgia coach Mark Richt said “because I love him.”
It appeared Georgia had clinched the game when Bacarri Rambo intercepted a Jordan Rodgers’ pass over the middle with 1:10 remaining and took a knee at the Vanderbilt 48. And even then the lead was precarious as Georgia’s offense continues to struggle when it has to have a first down.
