NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs scored 35 points in the first quarter Saturday, then went through the motions with mostly backup players the rest of the way to score a 62-0 victory over Vanderbilt.
Key play
The pregame coin toss, which Georgia won and chose to kickoff. Vandy proceeded to run seven plays in their first three offensive possessions. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs got takeaways on fumbled kickoff return and an interception by Christopher Smith. The result was 35-0 in the first quarter.
Key stat
Georgia outgained Vanderbilt 200 yards to 34 in the first quarter. The Commodores didn’t record a first down until the final three minutes of the opening period, then made three in a row. And after scoring 35 points in the first quarter, the Bulldogs scored three in the second, and that came with only 15 seconds remaining in the half. Backup quarterback Stetson Bennett had taken over for JT Daniels at that point.
Game ball
Give it to Daniels for an incredibly efficient and productive first quarter. The junior quarterback completed nine of 10 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns in the 35-point opening stanza. Daniels lone incompletion was a straight drop by wide receiver Justin Robinson on a perfectly thrown, square-out route on Georgia’s second possession of the game. Daniels recovered to hit Brock Bowers for a 25-yard touchdown on the next play.
What we learned
Vanderbilt is a very poor football team and might not win another game all year. After seeing the Commodores against No. 2 Georgia, the wonder is how bad Colorado State must be to have lost to Vandy 24-21 on Sept. 11 in Fort Collins, Colo. The ‘Dores lost to East Tennessee State 23-3 here in Clark Lea’s coaching debut Sept. 4.
They said it
“I want to issue a challenge to our fans. We’ve got a huge game next week in Athens, Ga., and we want everybody to be there early and be super intense. We have an elite fan base, and we need them to put on a heck of a show in Sanford Stadium.” -- Georgia coach Kirby Smart
“The objective each week is to make our practices harder than our games. They are, and I think it helps. We come to games, and it’s almost like we can take in a big breath and just go play and have fun.” -- Georgia junior outside linebacker Nolan Smith.
What’s next
Georgia: The Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0 SEC) will head back home to Athens to prepare for Saturday’s home game against No. 16 Arkansas (noon, ESPN). The Razorbacks (3-0) were facing No. 7 Texas A&M in their SEC opener in Arlington, Texas, later Saturday.
Vanderbilt: The Gamecocks (2-2, 0-2) play host to Connecticut Saturday (7:30 p.m., ESPNU)
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