Georgia vanquishes Vandy, 41-13
ATHENS, Ga. — Two years ago, Georgia had its homecoming spoiled by Vanderbilt, one of three losses the Bulldogs suffered that season inside Sanford Stadium.
These are very different times.
The No. 2 Bulldogs produced a homecoming worth celebrating Saturday night, overpowering the Commodores 41-13 to improve to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in Southeastern Conference play. Georgia lost at least one home game in each of the 2013-16 seasons, but Saturday’s slaughter marked Georgia’s 10th consecutive triumph “Between the Hedges.”
“We take pride in not losing at home,” said junior running back Elijah Holyfield, who totaled 64 yards on just six carries and had a 24-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter. “That game two years ago stuck with the guys who are still here, because it hurt us, and we look forward to defending our home.”
Georgia clinched bowl eligibility for a 22nd consecutive season, which is the longest active streak in the SEC, and the Bulldogs have posted consecutive 6-0 starts for the first time in program history.
There is also the unofficial Volunteer State championship that Georgia has attained, with the Bulldogs having defeated Austin Peay (45-0), Middle Tennessee State (49-7), Tennessee (38-12) and now the Commodores by at least 25 points.
Bulldogs senior quarterback Jake Fromm flustered Vanderbilt by completing 17 of 23 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns. Fromm’s big night resulted in a stout efficiency rating of 217.8, and he headlined an offense that amassed 560 yards.
Saturday was Georgia’s first evening game of the season, after last year’s team played its first four at night.
“These make me think back to ‘Friday Night Lights,’ because in high school I always loved to play at night,” redshirt junior kicker Rodrigo Blankenship said. “You get a little since of peace and calm, at least I do, when it’s a night game.”
Following a 35-yard scoring pass from Fromm to running back D’Andre Swift that gave Georgia a 28-6 lead with 11:45 to go in the third quarter, Blankenship made the 120th consecutive extra point of his Bulldogs career. That broke the school mark of 119 set by Blair Walsh from 2008 to 2010.
Blankenship also made a 53-yard field goal late in the third quarter, his longest this season.
Georgia and West Virginia entered Saturday as the only Bowl Subdivision teams yet to trail this season, and while the Mountaineers led wire-to-wire in their win over Kansas, the Bulldogs yielded the first points when Vanderbilt’s Ryley Guay kicked a 25-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
That advantage held up for 15 seconds, as a Fromm 75-yard touchdown pass to Terry Godwin, who got behind the Commodores secondary, put the Bulldogs up to stay at 7-3. It was the biggest play of Godwin’s season, with the proven senior having caught just four passes for 46 yards entering Saturday’s contest.
Vanderbilt drove to Georgia’s 14-yard line at the 10:35 mark of the second quarter, but Khari Blasingame was stuffed for no gain by freshman defensive lineman Jordan Davis. The Bulldogs then drove 86 yards in eight plays, taking a 14-3 lead on Holyfield’s touchdown run.
A 42-yard Guay field goal with 2:18 left in the half got the Commodores within 14-6, but Fromm zipped the Bulldogs offense down the field by going 5-of-6 and finishing with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Riley Ridley for a 21-6 lead with 1:14 remaining.
Fromm completed 14 of 19 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns during the first half, distributing the ball to seven players. The first half was marred by penalties, with the two teams combining on 11 for 103 yards.The Bulldogs and Commodores wound up combining on 22 penalties for 184 yards, with Georgia getting flagged 13 times for 115.
Odds and ends
Georgia starting left guard Solomon Kindley was taken off the field on a cart after injuring his right leg at the 3:58 mark of the opening quarter, and he was replaced in the lineup by freshman Trey Hill. … Georgia’s next game inside Sanford Stadium will not be until Nov. 10, when the Bulldogs host Auburn. … Florida’s 27-19 win over LSU on Saturday prevented this week’s Georgia-LSU game from being the first top-five showdown for the Bulldogs during a regular season since No. 3 Auburn toppled the No. 4 Bulldogs 13-7 at Sanford Stadium in 1983.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.