22 hours ago
AP
AP
ATHENS, Ga. – – Stetson Bennett grimaced at the news.
The Atlanta Braves were knocked out of the Major League Baseball Championship knockouts on Saturday.
After No. 1 Georgia won 55-0 over Vanderbilt, the Bulldogs veteran quarterback pointed to his favorite baseball team – the reigning World Series champions – as an example of a title how fast can be.
“Are we going to withdraw our chip bonus after the same games, or are we going to go on and on and know this isn’t over until it’s over?” Bennett asked, the team is looking for a second consecutive national championship.
Unlike Braves, Bulldogs are still on the rise.
Bennett throws 289 yards and two touches – his first scoring pass in almost a month – and Georgia is back at number 1 in the rankings with a bunch of lowly Commodores.
Georgia (7-0, 4-0 Southeast Conference) took a 28-0 lead at halftime and started three straight weeks with a rather lackluster performance.
Those matches provided a valuable lesson in what it takes to repeat as a champion.
“It was difficult,” Bennett said. “We’re not King Kong standing atop the Empire State Building. We have to work and execute every week, go out there and expect a dogfight until it’s not one.”
Bennett is almost perfect in the first half, finishing 18 out of 20 for 211 yards. Darnell Washington6 foot-7 tight end, who often plays a supporting role Brock Bowersgreat results with four catches in 78 yards, including a hand dizziness.
“It’s like throwing to the Pacific,” Bennett quipped.
Bennett connected with Kenny McIntosh in an 11-yard scoring game – the quarterback’s first TD pass in four weeks – and followed by a 10-yard strike Dominick Blaylock.
“It was good to get to the end zone,” says Bennett. “But it’s better to score 55.”
McIntosh added a 7-yard scoring run, while Daijun Edwards assisted from the first half to spark an exodus into the second half of the red-shirted Georgia fans looking to beat the traffic.
Carson Beck Substitute Bennett in the final half, launching two more touchdown passes that hurt Vandy more.
Commodores (3-4, 0-3) dropped out for the 24th consecutive game at the SEC. They last won a conference game on October 19, 2019, beating Missouri 21-14.
At halftime, Georgia had a 296-72 lead for total yards and a 16-4 advantage in early knockdowns.
“A very frustrating afternoon,” said coach Clark Lea. “We could never drive away. For us, it’s been like that all year. It’s just where we are. It’s a recipe for disaster.”
The Bulldogs’ defense posted for the second time of the season, limiting Vandy to just 45 yards forward and 150 times overall.
Georgia piled up a total of 579 yards.
The Bulldogs are back at number one in the Associated Press rankings this week, after spending a single week in second place behind Alabama.
After starting the season with three wins, leading some to speculate that the team is better than last season’s national champions, the Bulldogs had a tougher time against Kent State, Missouri and Auburn.
Georgia returned to early-season form in a home game against the highly rated Commodores.
That’s nothing new in this series. Georgia won 62-0 last year and beat Vandy 233-33 in the last four encounters.
The last time Commodores scored a TD against Georgia was in 2018. They have gone three full games since then without reaching the final round.
CLASSIC IMPRESSIONS
Beck usually comes into the game in garbage time, but there’s every reason to believe he could step into a starting role next season.
Beck finished 8/11 for 98 yards against Commodores. For the season, the third-year backup is 23 out of 30 for 276 yards, with four TDs and no interception.
“He kept getting better,” said Bennett. “He committed this crime around the same time as me. He knows it as well as I do.”
HINT POLL
Georgia certainly did nothing to jeopardize its #1 ranking, but the schedule looks a lot tougher for the rest of the way. Three of the five competitors of the last season are ranked in the Top 25.
CARRIED AWAY
Vanderbilt: Lea continued to speak optimistically about the improvement of her oppressive program. He seems to be the only one who can see it. Commodores have won 3 and lost 6 of their 11 properties and have only crossed midfield 2 times. A drive that ended with a fumblingthe remaining target is a missed field.
Georgia: Sure, this matchup goes against the SEC’s worst program, but there’s not much for coach Kirby Smart to complain about. All three phases of the game are highly effective, especially a much-needed quick-start attack. “I was really impressed with the early performance,” Smart said.
NEXT
Vanderbilt: Hit the road again next Saturday to face Missouri, the SEC’s final team to lose to Commodores.
Georgia: Starting a week off will give the Bulldogs more time to prepare for their “Cocktail Party” game in Jacksonville against Florida Gators on October 29.
