VandySports.com - Bulldogs pound Vanderbilt in Nashville

October 17, 2009

Chris Lee
VandySports.com Publisher

NASHVILLE, Tenn.-Georgia had been struggling on offense and defense of late. But Saturday, the Bulldogs found the cure for all that ailed them in Nashville.

Georgia's Joe Cox threw for a pair of touchdowns, the UGA defense limited Vanderbilt to 296 yards and 3-of-15 third-down conversions, and its special teams added several big special teams plays, propelling the Bulldogs to a 34-10 rout of the Commodores at Dudley Field.

Georgia jumped to a first-quarter lead on Cox's touchdown pass to A.J. Green, added a second-quarter scoring run by Caleb King, and then a Blair Walsh field goal just before the half to take a 17-3 lead.

Vandy briefly made it a game, pulling within seven when Larry Smith connected with Brandon Barden on a 5-yard touchdown pass with 10:44 left in the third quarter. But it was all Bulldogs from there.

UGA answered with a Walsh field goal on the next possession, then added a 21-yard touchdown reception by King and a 9-yard scoring run by Fred Munzenmaier, both in the fourth quarter, to put the game away.

"They got off to a lead and we just couldn't keep up with them," Vandy Coach Bobby Johnson said.

It was a frustrating day for the Commodores, who tried old things, new things, and everything in between in an attempt to snap what's now a five-game Southeastern Conference losing streak. Receiver-turned-cornerback-turned-receiver Jamie Graham started at wideout, and the 'Dores uncharacteristically made a couple of huge special teams plays, though both went for naught.

The first came when VU's Brett Upson rushed seven yards for a first down on a fake punt that put them at the UGA 40. That drive ended when Reshad Jones picked Smith at the Bulldog 36.

The second was on Walsh's 57-yard field goal attempt just before half, which John Stokes blocked. However, officials ruled that Stokes landed on another player after his leap, resulting in a 15-yard penalty.

Walsh converted the ensuing 42-yarder with seven seconds left, and Georgia took a comfortable lead into the half.

Those weren't the only special teams plays that proved damaging to Vanderbilt, which had done a fair job of covering kicks until Saturday.

Prince Miller returned a first-quarter punt 55 yards to the VU 35, though Casey Heward snuffed out the drive with an interception. Miller added a 40-yard return midway through the fourth quarter to the VU 30, and this time, the 'Dawgs converted on Cox's touchdown toss to King.

VU's best chance came after Smith led the Commodores on an 11-play, 80-yard drive on the first drive of the second half that included his own 21-yard scramble and a 25-yard strike to Collin Ashley that moved the ball to the 8. Smith then ran for three more yards before hitting Barden just across the goal line to cut the margin to 17-10.

Brandon Boykin's 31-yard return of Vandy's kickoff gave UGA good field position at its 38, and Walsh's 43-yard boot punctuated a 12-play, 35-yard drive that put the Bulldogs up by 10.

That marked the beginning of the end for Vanderbilt. Its next three possessions resulted in three-and-outs, and Georgia answered with touchdowns on the last two of those drives.

The Bulldogs, fresh of an embarrassing 45-19 loss to Tennessee last weekend in which its defense and special teams scored 16 points, rolled up 399 yards against VU. That included 120 fourth-quarter rushing yards as UGA salted the game away.

"I'm glad we stuck (with the running game), and as you see, it wears people down," Cox said.

The Bulldogs' 399 yards and 34 points are the most scored against the Commodores defense this year.

Vanderbilt managed 299 yards of offense-a season high for them in SEC play-but 48 came on its last drive of the game when Mackenzi Adams completed 6-of-8 passes for 53 yards, leading VU to the UGA 19 before that drive, too, failed.

Vanderbilt's Smith (11-26, 121 yards) was unable to do much against Georgia's previously-porous pass defense. Adams looked smooth in the game's final drive, but Johnson insists that Smith remains his starter and blamed much of the offense's struggles on poor play by the line, which gave up three sacks.

"Our pass protection was the key problem. We couldn't give (Larry) time to pass the ball. They were getting him out of the pocket," Johnson said.

The Commodores (2-5, 0-4 SEC) travel to Columbia, S.C. to face No. 22 South Carolina (5-1, 2-1) next weekend. Vandy has beaten the Gamecocks in the last two meetings, including the last trip to Columbia when the Commodores upended then-No. 6 Carolina.

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