Georgia outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins dominated the defensive statistics in the Bulldogs' victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday: a game-high 11 tackles, including 5.5 for a loss and two sacks.
It was, in short, the game he envisioned all week.
“My mindset going into this game was I wanted to be as dominant, as nasty, as physical, as I could be,” Jenkins said afterward. “I really wanted to impose my will against Vanderbilt.”
His two sacks of Vanderbilt quarterback Johnny McCrary came in the second quarter, the first for a loss of seven yards and the second for a loss of eight. He had 4.5 tackles for a loss in the first half alone.
“Jordan brings it every day; that’s just the kind of player he is,” Georgia linebacker Jake Ganus said. “We all knew how talented he was. He showcased it today, and I expect him to do that every game.
“He makes plays, but he’s also getting us pumped up on the sideline and in the locker room. He’s just a good leader, and I enjoy following him.”
Said Jenkins: “I stuck to the game plan. I didn’t try to focus just on negative plays. I did my job, and the plays came to me.”
He has three sacks in Georgia’s first two games, putting him within two of his previous single-season high. He had five sacks in each of the past three seasons.
The improvement is what Jenkins had in mind, coach Mark Richt said, when he decided to return for his senior season rather than entering the NFL draft.
“There were some things he thought he could improve on,” Richt said. “That’s what I like about him, a guy who doesn’t think he hung the moon by any stretch.
“Jordan just played with such a great edge (Saturday). He has been playing excellent ball. He has been named a captain for Game 1 and Game 2, and he’ll probably get named captain for Game 3, considering what he did this week.”
