The Georgia Bulldogs (5-0) continued their run to the SEC championship by dominating the Vanderbilt Commodores (3-2) in a 38-14 win. Georgia fans didn't get to relish starting against former Georgia decommit Jared Curtis, as he was ruled out for the game, but the Bulldogs still took care of business.
The Commodores actually played the Bulldogs close, down just 21-14 by the end of the half, but the Bulldogs released the afterburners by the second half. They held Vanderbilt scoreless, picking off Blaze Berlowitz and forcing a turnover on downs, while Gunner Stockton threw two touchdowns and lead a field goal drive. Nest up, Georgia will face the Alabama Crimson Tide on the road.
Gunner Stockton's best game
Gunner Stockton had an awesome game, with 295 yards and three touchdowns
on 32 attempts. He's definitely had better games: he had over 300 yards against Tennessee last season, and five touchdowns against Western Kentucky in Week 2.
However, the tape showed him playing his best game from a processing standpoint. He was chucking the ball all game, completing throws of 30, 43 and 55 yards. He was in rhythm the entire game, and when the time comes for his name to be brought up in Heisman conversations, this will be a game people look back on to prove his case.
Dwight Phillips Jr. with another big game
Nate Frazier has been dealing with a leg injury recently. It's forced him to miss the entire Oklahoma game, and he had just two touches for nine yards in the game against Vanderbilt. As a result, someone has had to step up for the departed Frazier.
Enter Dwight Phillips Jr. The junior running back had 210 yards on the ground and lost six yards through the air last season, but in the past two games, he's definitely made his case for lead back in the future.
Against the Oklahoma Sooners, Phillips Jr. had 84 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Versus Vanderbilt, he didn't have nearly as many yards, with 27 yards on five carries, but his contribution came in the passing game, where he had 75 yards and a touchdown through the air. Phillips Jr. has been great so far, and I'd expect him to get a bigger role next season if he stays with Georgia.
Secondary could be an issue moving forward
Unfortunately, there were negatives for Georgia in this game: most notably, the secondary. They weren't as good as they should've been in this game, especially against Blaze Berlowitz.
He had his way in the first drive, firing a 60-yard bomb to Junior Sherrill to make it 14-7. He kept several plays alive with his legs, and Vanderbilt was great on third down in the first half.
The defense was alarming at times, but not disastrous. They got the job done in the end, especially on that scoreless drive by Vanderbilt.
Georgia cruises to 5-0, but they face their biggest test yet: the Alabama Crimson Tide. They're undefeated, and if they beat Georgia, the Crimson Tide could be considered the No. 1 team in the nation. The game will commence at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10.
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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Three takeaways from Georgia's 38-14 win over Vanderbilt
