Georgia Bulldogs fans Light Up Sanford Stadium for Homecoming vs. Vanderbilt
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ATHENS - Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are in full control of their homecoming game against Vanderbilt and Bulldog fans were in celebration mode entering the 4th quarter.
Football Halftime Notes: #1 Georgia leads Vanderbilt 28-0
Defense Dominates Again: The Bulldog defense blanked VU in the first half, limiting them to 105 yards on 25 plays.
*The Bulldogs have shut out a team in the first half four times this year (Auburn, Samford and @South Carolina).
*The leading tacklers were sophomore linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson and senior DB Chris Smith with four stops. Entering today, Johnston had a team-leading 29.
*Georgia came in today ranked fourth nationally in Scoring Defense, surrendering just 10.7 points a game.
Red Zone Review: Georgia went 4-for-4 in the Red Zone with 4 TDs. Vanderbilt did not reach the Red Zone in the first half.
*Coming in, Georgia was 35-for-36 in scoring in the Red Zone this season with 24 TDs and 11 FGs.
*VU was tied for the national lead In Red Zone scoring as it was perfect on the year at 21-for-21 (17 TDs, 4 FG) before missing 44-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter.
A Look At The Offense: Georgia came in averaging 39.5 points a game and jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead over Vanderbilt.
*Georgia tallied 296 yards of offense on 39 plays. In the first quarter, the Bulldogs led 14-0 with 135 yards on 18 plays.
First Half Offensive Leaders: *Senior Kenny McIntosh had five rushes for 28 yards and 1 TD on the ground and one receiving TD (two total catches for 20 yards).
*Georgia took a 7-0 lead on its opening drive, going 75 yards on 10 plays in 4:59 including two third down coversions, highlighted by an 11-yard TD pass to Kenny McIntosh. It was his first TD catch of the season and third of career. He would add a seven-yard scamper for a TD, his fourth of the year and 10th for his career for a 14-0 lead with 1:40 left in the first quarter. This marked the first time in his career that McIntosh had a rushing and a receiving TD in the same game.
*Senior QB Stetson Bennett completed 18-of-20 passes for 211 yards and 2 TDs. He had gone three straight games without a TD pass before ending the drought with a 11-yarder to McIntosh in the first quarter.
*Junior Daijun Edwards got his fifth rushing TD and fifth of his career to cap an 11 play, 81-yard drive in 6:00 for a 21-0 edge.
*Junior Dominick Blaylock had his first TD catch of the season, a 10-yarder, and it was the sixth of his career. For Blaylock, it was his first TD catch since 2019 when he had five as a freshman.
*Freshman Dillon Bell was the leading receiver with a career-high four catches for 30 yards.
Special Teams: *Freshman P Brett Thorson punted once (36.0 avg) and placed it inside the 20.
*Redshirt sophomore Ladd McConkey had a 20-yard punt return to the VU 42. Four plays later, it led to a TD and a 14-0 lead.
* Senior PK Jack Podlesny entered today’s game seventh nationally in scoring with 64 points. He had four points at the half.
Captains & Coin Toss: Sophomore Brock Bowers (TE), junior Zion Logue (DT), junior Warren McClendon (RT) and senior Jack Podlesny (PK) were the captains. VU won the toss and elected to defer the ball until the second half.
*Homecoming Queen & King: Selected by a student vote, the Queen and King were Madison Polk of Lithonia, Ga., a fourth year double majoring in political science and sociology, and Obamide Samaye, an Atlanta native and fourth year majoring in economics.
The Georgia Bulldogs WIN the 2021 NATIONAL TITLE!
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BULLDOGS WELCOME VANDERBILT TO ATHENS FOR HOMECOMING
Top-ranked Georgia (6-0, 3-0 SEC) returns to Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium Saturday to play host to the Van- derbilt Commodores (3-3, 0-2 SEC). Kickoff will be at 3:30 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised by the SEC Network. Saturday will be Homecoming, and the Commodores have served as the opponent on this day 24 times. The Bulldogs are 20-4 against Vanderbilt on Homecoming and own a 59-20-2 advantage in the overall series. Vanderbilt’s last win over Georgia spoiled 2016 Homecoming, edging the Bulldogs 17-16.
In the history of Georgia football, the Bulldogs are 80-18-2 on Homecoming. Georgia has faced 10 different SEC teams on Homecoming. Along with the game, the traditions include a Friday afternoon parade, former Redcoat Band members and UGA cheerleaders performing with the current squads during the game and at halftime. Also, a Homecoming King and Queen are crowned.
A GLIMPSE AT VANDERBILT
Vanderbilt finishes a stretch of three straight games against top 10 opponents when it visits top-ranked Georgia. The Commodores led No. 9 Ole Miss 20-17 at the half this past Saturday in Nashville before the Rebels stormed back for a 52-28 win. Two weeks ago, the Commodores fell 55-3 to No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Vanderbilt is in its second season under Clark Lea. The Commodores are averaging 33.2 points a game while allowing 36.8 points a game.
The Commodores are tied for first nationally (with Ohio State, Clemson and Tennessee) having scored on every trip to the Red Zone this season. Vanderbilt is 21-for-21 (17 TDs, 4 FGs) in the Red Zone. In addition, Vanderbilt has registered a takeaway in 15 consecutive games, dating to last season. The 15-game streak is the longest active streak in the SEC and the fourth-longest in the FBS.
GEORGIA RETURNS TO NO. 1
Georgia transitioned from No. 3 in the preseason poll to No. 2 after week one and then to No. 1 in the Asso- ciated Press (AP) poll prior to the South Carolina game. After whipping the Gamecocks 48-7, the Bulldogs assumed the top spot in the Coaches poll as well. The Bulldogs were a consensus No. 1 for the next two weeks. Then Georgia fell to No. 2 in both the AP/Coaches polls following its 26-22 road win at Missouri. After a 42-10 win over Auburn in week six, the Bulldogs reclaimed the top spot in the AP poll. Georgia’s shuffling from No. 1 to 2 and now back to No. 1 over the course of three AP polls hasn’t happened to a school in more than a decade. Florida in 2009 was the last to do it with Alabama as both teams swapped spots in late October. Georgia has been ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in 20 of the past 22 AP polls, with the other two weeks at No. 3.
SETTING THE STANDARD
Despite a record 15 players getting selected in the NFL draft, including five defenders in the first round, Geor- gia’s defense this season ranks as one of the country’s best again. The Bulldogs stand fourth nationally in Scoring Defense at 10.7 points/game. In 2021, Georgia led the nation in Scoring Defense at 10.2 points/game. This marked the third time in school history that Georgia ranked atop that category.
The Georgia Bulldogs WIN the 2021 NATIONAL TITLE!
