Years from now, people will look at the box score from Vanderbilt's 17-16 win over Georgia, see a 421-171 deficit in total offense, and wonder how it happened.

It can be summed up in one name: Zach Cunningham.

The junior All-American candidate had 19 tackles, including the one that won the game, as the Commodores, 13.5-point road underdogs, scored their first Southeastern Conference victory of the year.

Trailing by a point, Georgia drove to the Vanderbilt 41 and had a fourth-and-1 play with 1:02 left. The Bulldogs put wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie at tailback and lined their best tailback, Nick Chubb, in front of McKenzie. VU positioned Cunningham on the line of scrimmage between the guard and the tackle.

The play went right, away from Cunningham. It didn't matter. The junior fought through the traffic and McKenzie was nearly past him, but VU's star inside linebacker reached out with both arms, grabbed McKenzie by the waist, and slung the Georgia receiver to the turf almost before McKenzie knew he was there.

The mark was short of the first down. The Commodores had held. A couple of kneel-downs later, VU had its first Southeastern Conference victory, and the first league road win in coach Derek Mason's three-year career.

Early in the second half, VU appeared to have lost its shot at an upset.

Trailing 10-6, Georgia quarterback Jacob Eason hit Isaac Nauta with a 19-yard toss for a score, with kicker Rodrigo Blankenship's point-after giving Georgia a three-point lead.

With 13:47 remaining in the game, Blankenship's 36-yard field goal put the Bulldogs up, 16-10.

But Vanderbilt, which had done next-t0-nothing on offense all day, mounted an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive that ended when running back Khari Blasingame rumbled in from two yards out. Tommy Openshaw's extra point put VU up a point with 9:43 left.

Vanderbilt held a 7-6 halftime lead, despite a 204-64 deficit in total offense.

The Commodores got off to a great start when Darrius Sims returned the opening kickoff to the Georgia 3. Two Bulldog penalties moved the ball to the 1, where two plays later, running back Ralph Webb crashed over for six points.

Georgia's Blankenship countered with a pair of first-half field goals from 45 and 22 yards, cutting the lead to one.

After throwing for 29 yards last week, Eason was 27-of-40 for 346 yards, with a touchdown and no picks. But the Bulldogs' offense often bogged down as it neared the red zone, and Georgia missed an opportunity to score before half when a drive stalled at the 37 to end the period.

Webb, the SEC's second-leading rusher, played with a heavily-taped left ankle, but managed 48 carries on 19 yards and added two catches for 44.

But the day belonged to Cunningham, who had a game-high 19 stops, with six being solo. He also broke up a pass on the game's final drive, and had 2.5 stops for loss.

VU: Ralph Webb 1-yd. run, Tommy Openshaw PAT. (2 plays-1 yd., 14:38/1st qtr.) VU, 7-0

GA: Rodrigo Blankenship 45-yd. field goal. (9-51, 4:15/1st) VU, 7-3

GA: Blankenship 22-yd. FG (14-83, 9:43/2nd) VU, 7-6

VU: Openshaw 38-yd. FG. (4-7, 12:26/3rd) VU, 10-6

GA: Jacob Eason 19-yard pass to Isaac Nauta, Blankenship PAT. (6-77, 9:46/3rd) GA, 13-10.

GA: Blankenship 36-yd. FG. (5-20, 13:47/4th) GA, 16-10

VU: Khari Blasingame 2-yd. run (8-75, 9:43/4th) VU, 17-16