Georgia predictably runs all over Vanderbilt in 45-14 rout

Vanderbilt came into its third SEC game of the season having given up more than 700 yards on the ground the last two weeks. That was a bad fit against a Georgia team with arguably the nation’s top stable of running backs.

Nick Chubb and Sony Michel gashed the Commodore defense for 288 yards and the rest of the Bulldog offense added 115 more as UGA ran out to a 45-14 rout at Dudley Field. A solid performance from Kyle Shurmur wasn’t enough to even keep this one close, as Georgia ran all over a gassed and ineffective defense to drop the ‘Dores to 0-3 in SEC play.

The Vanderbilt offense ran in fits and starts throughout the first half, pushing drives into UGA territory before sputtering out thanks to mistakes like false starts and dropped passes. The Commodores weren’t able to get on the board until Kyle Shurmur stepped up to lead an effective two-minute drill as the first half wound down. His 38-yard strike to Kalija Lipscomb set up a one-yard Ralph Webb touchdown that made it 21-7 Georgia at the half.

That gave the ‘Dores hope, and the Bulldogs quickly dashed it. Georgia ran for 163 yards in its first three drives of the second half to score 17 points in fewer than 12 minutes and push its lead to 38-7. An Elijah Holyfield touchdown run made it 45-7 before the Commodores got a big turnover to set up the team’s second touchdown.

Bryce Lewis’s blindside sack put the ball in Nifae Lealao’s hands, and he rumbled 13 yards before being horse-collared at the UGA 1-yard line.

Three plays later, Shurmur connected with C.J. Duncan for a three-yard touchdown pass that served as a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dismal game.

Despite the loss, Vanderbilt still scored more against a stout Georgia defense than Tennessee did -- a stat that wasn’t lost on Volunteers WR Tyler Byrd.

Vanderbilt falls to 3-3 overall and 0-3 in the SEC with the loss. Georgia improves to 6-0 and 3-0. The Commodores return to the field next week with a game at Ole Miss. The Rebels/Landsharks should provide a solid bounce-back opportunity; they’ve lost their last two games, at time of publication, by a combined score of 110-26.