NASHVILLE, Tenn. – For Georgia fans expecting to ring in the start of 2019 college football season with a resounding win over Vanderbilt, Saturday’s 30-6 victory left a bit to be desired.
Although the Bulldogs (1-0, 1-0) were never seriously threatened, it was the way the Bulldogs meandered their way through much of the contest that left many in a post-game funk.
This did not look like the nation's third-ranked team.
After scoring three straight touchdowns to go up 21-0, the Bulldogs could only manage a couple of field goals heading into the fourth quarter, a stat that held up following a fumble by Kearis Jackson inside the Vandy 10.
Not that there weren’t some bright spots.
D’Andre Swift didn’t start on Saturday, but finished with 16 carries for a game-high 149 yards. Otherwise, other than seeing Zamir White mark his debut with five carries for 51 yards, that was just about it.
It wasn’t the best of days for Georgia’s ballyhooed offensive line, which not only proved inconsistent with its pass protection, but struggled at times with its run-blocking, despite the fact the Bulldogs finished with 325 rushing yards.
Twice, the Bulldogs were unable to convert a pair of short-yardage situations into first down--failing once on a fourth-and-3 and a second time on a third-and-1 in the fourth quarter that forced Georgia to reach for a 37-yard field by Rodrigo Blankenship, his second of three for the game.
Defensively, Georgia didn’t allow a touchdown, but also didn’t really create the kind of havoc that head coach Kirby Smart had been preaching the Bulldogs produce ever since the spring until recovering a fumble with 5:36 to play.
Ten penalties for 117 yards didn’t help matters, either, and will certainly be an area the team will look to correct in practice this week before Saturday’s home opener against Murray State.
The Bulldogs started quickly, scoring on their first three possession to take a 21-0 lead.
Three different players had the honors.
First, it was Demetris Robertson, who caught a three-yard pass from Fromm, followed by James Cook and Brian Herrien, who scored on runs of 18 and 1 yard, respectively. Herrien finished with 12 carries for 65 yards.
Herrien’s run came with 8:01 left in the third quarter before the Commodores finally got on the board, driving 73 yards on 12 plays, capped by a 26-yard field goal by Ryley Guay.
However, the Bulldogs would limp to the locker room.
A facemask penalty on Richard LeCounte kept a late drive alive for Vanderbilt, followed by an off-sides call that gave Guay just enough room to convert a 46-yard goal right before half.
