Dawgs Fell the Dores

The tension was high in the stands on Twitter as UGA and Vanderbilt fans fought for fandom supremacy, but on the field, it was Georgia dominance.

By the end, Georgia asserted their control over the game through nearly 11 yards per reception and over eight yards per carry.

The Vanderbilt offense could not sustain a drive to score a touchdown, and even with the substitution of back up QB, and dynamic running threat, Deuce Wallace, the Dores couldn’t find a spark.

Despite the passionate performance by the Commodores, the Georgia Bulldogs established a line of scrimmage and ran the ball for three Touchdowns in the first half, separating the Dawgs from the Dores for the rest of the game.

One of the question marks coming into the game was who would play QB1 for the Commodores, Riley Neal or Deuce Wallace. Neal is a senior and more of a traditional passer while Deuce Wallace is a dual threat that could potentially keep the Georgia defense on their heals, making the Vanderbilt offense more dynamic with the triple threat of Ke’Shaun Vaughn, Kalija Lipscomb, and Jared Pinkney.

However, through the first half, Vanderbilt only managed 145 total yards for six points. On the ground, Vaughn has 43 yards at 6.1 yards per clip. And in the air, Vaughn, Pinkney, and Bolar have combined for just 48 yards, never completing a pass more than five yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

On the other side of the ball, 8.6 yards per in the air and 8.1 yards on the ground. Stand out running back D’Andre Swift has 74 yards on eight carries in the first half. Although the two first half TD’s on the ground came from Brian Herrian and James Cook, while the other UGA TD came from Demetris Robertson.

The Commodores moved the ball down the field 52 yards for a field goal in less than a minute, albeit aided by a defensive face mask by Georgia, to make lessen the deficit 21-6.

In the third quarter Swift broke two handoffs for 51 total yards leading to a Georgia field goal illustrating an inconvenient truth. Georgia’s Jimmies and Joes can out compete Vandy’s, or even play them to stand still, but will edge them in the end for a three points here and there.

It is a fine line between good and elite, and Georgia danced all over it tonight.

By the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Dawgs had 380 yards of offense to Vandy’s 162. Georgia didn’t run or throw all over Vanderbilt. The score was 24-6, but the Dawgs controlled the game because they didn’t allow the ‘Dores to do anything on offense.

New life was breathed into the Vanderbilt sideline when the defense forced and recovered at fumble at the 10:00 minute mark in the fourth quarter, on an apparent chunk play from UGA.

But the Commodores could not capitalize. At the 5:36 mark, they turned the ball over at a mesh point between Neal and Vaughn. Georgia recovered the fumble and ran the clock out for a 27-6 win.

Vandy, despite the three headed monster of Vaughn, Lipscomb, and Pinkney, could not muster a touchdown against Georgia. Meanwhile, the Dawgs offense only scored three touchdowns, all in the first half.

Once again, Georgia’s offense was efficient, average almost 11 yards per reception and over eight yards per carry. Meanwhile, the Commodores struggled with just six yards per receptions and three and a half yards per carry.

Vanderbilt didn’t play poorly, but they didn’t excel in the necessary areas to keep the game competitive.

Georgia’s offense and defense, considered elite in the NCAA only scored 30 in Nashville. But it was enough to cover the spread of 21, against a feisty if not overmatch Vanderbilt squad.