Georgia vs. Vanderbilt Preview
by Chito Chibuye
Dawgs OTL Writer/ UGA Alumnus
The Commodores of Vanderbilt will travel from Nashville, TN to Athens,GA to take on the red hot No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs between the hedges. UGA (4-0, 2-0 SEC) comes in after beating the brakes off of Oklahoma which was considered to be their toughest test of the season. The Bulldogs are averaging an FBS-best 54.8 points per game and have won every contest by at least 28 points, add that to a defense that is 4th in yds/g allowed (232.5), 18th in pts/g allowed (13.3), and 11th in Turnover differential (+5) and you’ve got a MEAN machine in red and black.
This isn’t your daddy’s Vanderbilt either. In what seems like the blink of an eye, Clark Lea is in his 6th year at Vandy and is coming off one of the most memorable seasons in their program's history. The Dores come into this game (3-1, 0-1) after losing on the road @ Auburn 21-15. Homecoming will be the theme this weekend in the Classic City, but there will be plenty of fans who remember a “100% committed” Jared Curtis who ended up spurning the Dawgs for his hometown team.
Georgia Football vs. Vanderbilt: Players to Watch
QB Jared Curtis
Curtis caught some flack for choosing Vandy over UGA and not even starting the year as QB1! I was not one of those criticizing, because if you watch his tape it was only a matter of time before this kid took over, and it didn’t take long. Curtis was a consensus 5 ⭐️ and the No. 1 QB of his class for a reason. He’s a physically gifted athlete that’s mobile and can toss some darts. That has led to Curtis being their second leading rusher in 41 attempts. If it’s too early for you to do math that’s roughly 10 runs a game. It’ll be only his second ever road start against the best team he’s ever seen, he’ll be a problem in the future but probably not this Saturday. The offensive attack is very balanced but they only managed 311 total yards against the Tigers while Curtis threw for 199 yards and took 4 sacks on the day. A stat the UGA defense will look to improve on or replicate to make Jared uncomfortable.
Sr. RB Sedrick Alexander
Sedrick Alexander is the team's leading rusher that adds balance to the offensive attack. Career totals exceed 1,600 rushing yards and 20+ TDs. His jersey number is 28.
WR Junior Sherrill
Junior Sherrill is the primary target and leading receiver. This year he leads the team with 21 receptions for 367 yards and 2 TDs. He is a reliable downfield threat that Curtis will look for to make plays. His jersey number is 0.
LB Nick Renaldi
Defensive Team Captain and Pass Rush Specialist. His backstory is unique as he only played one year of high school football and then managed to walk-on at Vanderbilt. He’s quick and dodgy and looks like he could have been a third down running back Ala if a 240 pound Cash Jones suited up to play defense you’d basically have Rinaldi. His jersey number is 24.
Georgia vs. Vanderbilt Side Missions
In light of the most anticipated video game release of GTA 6, we are giving a nod to the culture and picking out our own side missions from here til seasons end. Last week the Dawgs impressed by going 3-0 on all the side missions for the game, can they do it in back-to-back weeks?
Side Mission 1: 3+ Sacks
3+ sacks- Jared Curtis, meet Chris Cole. Curtis can run, and he is big so this defense will need to take him seriously when he gets out of the pocket. If anything, containing the QB could go a long in preparing for Keelon Russell who is another talented playmaker that the Dawgs will see soon. Vandy gave up 4 sacks to Auburn. Georgia needs to unleash Chris Cole early and set the tone the same way we did against OU.
Side Mission 2: O-Line Improvement
O-line improvement- 150+ rushing yards, 0 sacks allowed:
This is not a complaint by any means as we have been rotating players here to speed up development. There have been very few lapses from this unit, but we are in conference play now and it’s crucial that our O-line is cohesive and our strength week in and week out.
Side Mission 3: Starters Rest in 4Q
Starters rest in 4Q:
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Vandy” and I respected OU too. The Dores will have a great game plan but I want to see this team be locked in even though it’s homecoming, go out and execute at a high level offensively and defensively and put this team away early. If we can rest the starters in the 4th Quarter we can be healthy and mentally prepare for Bama.
Georgia vs. Vanderbilt Prediction
One day soon Jared Curtis will be an All-conference, maybe even an All-American QB, but that day is not Saturday. He’s much more likely to be baptized by fire by the team he chose to flip on. As of right now, Curtis is listed as questionable. So if he wants the smoke this stout Georgia defense will be ready. No hard feelings, but we don’t forget easily and now you gotta come see us. Go Dawgs!
Georgia vs. Vanderbilt Score Prediction
Score Prediction: Dawgs win 41-10
