Vanderbilt Commodores (0-7)
at
#11/10 Georgia Bulldogs (6-2)
VUCommodores.com
Twitter • @VandyFootball
Instagram • @VandyFootball
Facebook • VanderbiltAthletics
In-Game Notes • @VandyNotes
Dec. 5, 2020 • 3 p.m. CT
Sanford Stadium • Athens, Ga.
SEC Network
Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst),
Lauren Sissler (sideline)
WQZQ 830 AM • 93.3 FM
Joe Fisher (play-by-play), Norman Jordan (analyst),
Kevin Ingram (sideline)
• Vanderbilt stays on the road for a 3 p.m. CT contest at No. 11/10 Georgia. The contest is currently the last scheduled game for the Commodores as the Southeastern Conference, Vanderbilt and Tennessee continue to work toward rescheduling the tilt with the Volunteers originally scheduled for Nov. 28.
• Vandy and Georgia have played annually since 1968. Saturday’s tilt will be the 82nd in series history. Vanderbilt has played only Tennessee (114), Ole Miss (95), Kentucky (92) and Alabama (84) more than the Georgia.
• On Sunday, Vanderbilt named Todd Fitch as the team’s interim head coach. Fitch, a 35-year college football veteran, came to West End in 2020 after a successful stint with head coach Skip Holtz at Louisiana Tech where Fitch helped the Bulldogs to four consecutive postseason victories. The Ohio native will continue to serve as the Commodores’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
• The Bulldogs are Vanderbilt’s fourth ranked opponent this season joining No. 10/11 Texas A&M (Sept. 26), No. 20/17 LSU (Oct. 3) and No. 6/5 Florida (Nov. 21).
• The Commodores’ scoring defense against ranked teams has greatly improved from 2019 to 2020. This year’s group has surrendered 96 points, an average of 32 points/game. A season ago, Vanderbilt gave up an average of 50.7 points/game to ranked opponents.
• In its last game against a ranked opponent, Vanderbilt led 10-7 after the first quarter against No. 6/5 Florida. It was the program’s first opening-quarter lead against an Associated Press top-10 team since holding a 7-0 advantage versus No. 4/6 Florida on Oct. 13, 2012.
• At Missouri (Nov. 28), senior Sarah Fuller kicked off to begin the second half, becoming the first female to play in a Power 5 contest. Fuller’s kick went 30 yards and was downed at the Missouri 35-yard line. Fuller, from Wylie, Texas, spent four seasons as a keeper for the Vanderbilt soccer team. The Commodores won the 2020 SEC Tournament with Fuller in goal for all four postseason wins.
• With 2.0 sacks at Missouri (Nov. 28), senior defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo has 31.0 career tackles for loss, tied for the sixth most in Vanderbilt history. Odeyingbo paces the Commodores with 8.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
• Fifth-year senior linebacker Andre Mintze is one of 20 semifinalists for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award and a candidate for the Wuerffel Trophy.
• Vandy’s offense has committed just two turnovers in the last three games after committing five at Mississippi State (Nov. 7) and averaging 2.8 turnovers during the first five contests.
• In the fourth quarter at Kentucky (Nov. 14) and during the opening frame against Florida (Nov. 21), the Commodores combined to score 24 points. In the first three games, spanning 12 quarters, Vanderbilt totaled 26 points.
• Freshman Ken Seals has already set the Vanderbilt freshmen single-season passing yardage record with 1,689 yards. He is the only true freshman quarterback to have reached the 300-yard plateau in three games this fall.
• Senior wide receiver Chris Pierce Jr. owns five touchdown receptions in the last five games, tied for the third most among Power 5 receivers during the span. Pierce Jr.’s five touchdown grabs this season are the most for a Commodore since Jared Pinkney (7) and Kalija Lipscomb (9) in 2018. His
• Pierce Jr. caught two touchdown passes against Florida (Nov. 21), the most by a Commodore against an SEC foe since Lipscomb had two against Ole Miss on Nov. 17, 2018.
• Junior wide receiver Cam Johnson leads all FBS players in receptions since Oct. 25 with 40. Johnson’s 49 receptions this season are tied for the 10th most by a junior in Vanderbilt history.
