This Saturday, the Georgia Bulldogs will take the field for the first time this season in Nashville to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. The game will kick off at 7:30 PM.
As one might expect, the stats from last season suggest that this should be a Georgia victory in blowout fashion. The Bulldogs are better than the Commodores in virtually every facet of the game. Let’s take a closer look at how the teams stack up on paper.
Offensive Breakdown
Scoring offense
Last season, UGA ranked 14th nationally with 37.9 points per game. Vanderbilt didn’t have as much success, ranking 68th with 28.5 points per game.
rushing offense
Last season, Georgia had the 16th-best rushing attack in the nation, averaging 238.79 yards per game. Leading tailback D’Andre Swift remains with the team this season. Vanderbilt was 66th in the country with 167.54 yards per game. This year they will be lead by star running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
passing offense
Neither team ranks near the top in passing offense. Georgia was 73rd in the nation with 226.1 yards per game, while the Commodores were 56th with 243.7 yards per game. This game doesn’t project to have much of an aerial element.
total offense
Georgia has the clear advantage here. The Dawgs were 18th in the country with 464.9 yards per game. Vanderbilt checked in at number 59 with 411.2 yards per game.
FIRST DOWNS
Another key offensive indicator is how many first downs a team gets. Georgia was 22nd in the nation last year with 23.6 first downs per game. Vanderbilt was once again 59th with 21.2.
penalties
Georgia gave up 5.5 penalties a game last year resulting in 48.6 yards, good for 46th in the nation. Vanderbilt also gave up 5.5 penalties a game but only for 43.7 yards, 24th in the nation.
turnover margin
Both teams had a positive turnover margin. The Dawgs were at .21, 50th in the nation, while Vanderbilt checked in at .62, 20th in the nation.
sacks allowed
Georgia projects to have one of the best offensive lines in the nation this year. In 2018, they gave up 1.43 sacks per game, 26th in the nation. The Commodores gave up 1.69, 34th nationally.
Defense
scoring defense
Last year, the Dawgs had the 14th best scoring defense in the nation, giving up just 19.2 points per game. Vanderbilt is nowhere close in this category, ranking 60th by giving up 26.6 points per game.
rushing defense
The defensive line is one of the biggest questions for Georgia heading into this season. Last year, they gave up 134 yards per game on the ground, 31st nationally. Vanderbilt gave up 194.69, ranked 94th.
passing defense
Passing defense is another area where the Dawgs set themselves apart in this matchup. Even with a relatively inexperienced defensive backfield, Georgia still managed to only give up 180.3 yards per game, 12th in the nation. Vanderbilt gave up a far worse 244.2 yards per game, which was ranked 85th.
total defense
Georgia also ranked near the top in total defense, ranking 13th giving up 314.3 yards per game. Vanderbilt didn’t have such luck, ranking 99th with a whopping 438.9 yards given up per game.
sacks
One area where Georgia did not meet expectations in 2019 was sacks. The Dawgs were 84th in the nation with just 1.71 sacks per game. Vanderbilt was just behind them at 97th with 1.69 per game. Both quarterbacks will look to have plenty of time on Saturday to get the ball out.
