Georgia-Vandy RECAP & TAKEAWAYS

(photo: ugawire)
To say that the Georgia-Vanderbilt game was a blowout would be a gross understatement. The Bulldogs beat the Commodores 62-0, but it seems as though Kirby Smart’s crew could have scored a hundred if they wanted to.
Starting QB J.T. Daniels went 9-10 for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns before he was replaced in the second quarter after going up 35-0. Stetson Bennett came in for Daniels and played through most of the third quarter. He went 11-15, for 151 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Brock Bowers scored 3 touchdowns, 2 receiving, 1 rushing, and totaled 81 yards.
Zamir White led Georgia in rushing with 9 carries for 48 yards and 1 touchdown, with a long of 11 yards. They totaled 210 yards as a team. Although the numbers look fine, the run blocking as a whole is a weakness for this team. The big boys up front are opening holes, but they’re not sustaining blocks long enough for the backs to get through. It’ll be even tougher next week against a physical Arkansas front.
The defense raised a few questions last week about their ability to prevent explosive plays but responded well, even against a far less superior Vanderbilt offense. We’ll have to wait until next week to see how they’ve improved in that aspect. They played extremely disciplined and physical yesterday, only allowing Vanderbilt to total 77 yards and forced three turnovers. Vandy converted just a pair of their 13 third-down attempts. Fans are hopeful that Tykee Smith, the West Virginia transfer, can make his Bulldog debut against Arkansas.
When asked if there was anything “substandard” about the game yesterday, Kirby replied with “the kickoffs.” He also said, “you can’t be elite some of the time. It has to be all of the time.” He ended the press conference by challenging the fans to be earlier, louder, and more intense than they have ever been next week against Arkansas. The highly anticipated game against the Razorbacks will most likely be a top-ten matchup in Athens, GA.