ATHENS, Ga. – Vanderbilt allowed a tight game in the first half to open up after intermission, and No. 2 Georgia pulled away for a 41-13 win on Saturday at Sanford Stadium.
Here’s how it went down:
WHAT HAPPENED: Vanderbilt struck first on a Ryley Guay field goal to give the visiting team a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. But Georgia answered with a pair of touchdowns, one on a pass from Jake Fromm and another on a run from Elijah Holyfield. The Dawgs used that momentum to take a 21-6 lead into the break. Georgia then found points on four consecutive drives in the second half to put the game away for good.
TURNING POINT: Vanderbilt made it a one-possession game with 2:18 until halftime on a Ryley Guay field goal, 14-6. But Georgia marched downfield on its ensuing possession with a 75-yard touchdown drive that took just 1:04 off the clock. A Fromm touchdown pass helped the Dawgs lead 21-6 into the break, and they didn’t look back from there.
HELMET STICKERS
RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
Vaughn helped set up Guay’s first field goal and give Vanderbilt an early 3-0 lead with a 43-yard run in the first quarter. The redshirt junior contributed 79 total yards on nine carries vs. Georgia.
WR CJ Bolar
With leading receiver Kalija Lipscomb fielding double-coverage all night, the freshman Bolar showed flashes against Georgia’s defense. Bolar led the Dores with four catches for 46 yards on the night, including a long catch of 15 yards.
K Ryley Guay
One week after struggling with a pair of missed kicks against Tennessee State, the walk-on Guay went 2-for-2 by knocking in kicks of 42 yards and 25 yards on Saturday.
GIVE ME THE NUMBERS
560
Yards of offense recorded by Georgia. One of the SEC’s most prolific offenses was just that on Saturday, amassing 560 yards and averaging 8.6 yards per play against Vanderbilt. That included 276 passing yards from Fromm.
9
Vanderbilt penalties against Georgia. The Commodores were flagged for nine penalties for 69 total yards, including six penalties in the first half.
2
Vanderbilt’s combined conversions on third or fourth down in the first half. The Dores moved the chains just twice on third or fourth down in eight combined tries in the first half. That stalled early success on offense against Georgia.
WORTH NOTING: With 169 passing yards on the night, Shurmur surpassed the 7,000-yard plateau for his Vanderbilt career.
WHAT’S NEXT: Vanderbilt returns home to host Florida next Saturday at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN.
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.
