After defeating the No. 20-ranked Kentucky Wildcats in Sanford Stadium last Saturday, the Georgia Bulldogs now prepare to travel to Nashville this weekend.
The Bulldogs head into the contest 58-20-2 all-time against the Vanderbilt Commodores, and there isn’t much that suggests they will struggle on the road this time around.
Head coach Kirby Smart told the media after last weekend’s game that his team was already looking ahead to the contest in Nashville.
“For us, on to Vandy. Yesterday, we got a start on these guys in terms of watching games and Clark Lea’s team,” Smart said. “I have a lot of respect for Clark [Lea]. He’s been a good friend for a while but has really become a closer friend since being in our league.
"He’s a very intellectual guy. He was the head of our meetings for the SEC meetings, and I thought he did a tremendous job of leading the discussion about issues and things we come across in our conference, but he does a tremendous job. He’s gotten more energy and had some big wins since arriving there. I know he’s an alumnus, which takes a lot of pride in being from the school, as I know myself.”
The Commodores are in their third year under Lea and have accrued a 9-22 record in that time span.
Vanderbilt is on a five-game skid since defeating Alabama A&M and Hawaii in its first two games of the year. The team’s latest loss came against the Florida Gators in Gainesville last weekend.
In that game, Commodores’ quarterback Ken Seals threw 276 yards at a 56-percent clip with two touchdowns and no turnovers.
Smart commented on Seals’ ability behind center and Vanderbilt’s quickness out wide.
“They have speed at receiver. They have really good wideouts. I didn’t realize – I was watching all the games yesterday – how fast they are at wideout.” Smart said. “Their quarterback has done a great job getting them the ball. They’ve had some injuries up front and had some guys going in and out of the offensive line, but he buys them more time with his mobility. He’s able to highlight the players they have. They have really good wide receivers, and he buys time to make throws, off-platform throws, scramble throws. He’s got a really good arm, and he’s a good athlete. So when he extends a play, it brings out the best in their offense.”
It was Vanderbilt’s rushing attack that couldn’t get going. Lea’s offense gained only 66 yards on 19 carries.
That doesn’t bode well for the Commodores after the Bulldogs’ defense held Kentucky’s strong ground attack to only 55 total rushing yards.
On top of the defensive prowess Georgia has shown recently, quarterback Carson Beck has been proving why the Bulldogs’ offense is one of the best in the nation.
Last weekend, Beck went 28-for-35 with 389 yards and four touchdowns through the air, turning the ball over only once. He had over 300 yards passing in the first half, and Smart acknowledged he’s come a long way in terms of comprehending the position.
“He’s a great processor. I mean, Carson is very intelligent. You can say what you want about the quarterback position, but you have to process information rapidly, and the more information you can handle, the more flexibility your offense has,” Smart said. “The flexibility of an offense is usually tied to what the quarterback can handle, and our quarterback, not only because he’s smart because he’s also of age and been in the same system for multiple years, has been able to grow from that. It’s very rare in college football or pro football for a quarterback to be in the same system for more than three years.”