Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Georgia Bulldogs: The Truth

The Vanderbilt Commodores go on the road this weekend to take on the Georgia Bulldogs, and here’s the truth in a nutshell: to say this will be an uphill battle for the Commodores would be an understatement.

The betting line on this matchup has the Bulldogs a 33.5 favorite, and of course all-time the Bulldogs have a 53-19-2 record against the ailing Commodores. Vanderbilt will have a small ray of confidence in having beat the Bulldogs last year 31-27, but that will do them little good today.

The Georgia Bulldogs just barely got by the Tennessee Vols last Saturday with a close 35-32 win, and if not for Vols quarterback Justin Worley getting dinged up and having to step out for just a bit, I believe the Vols win that game. In short, Georgia wins this game against Vandy, but they are not without some holes that can be exploited.

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For Vanderbilt to have a chance in this one, and I mean any chance, we’ll have to see a better than average performance from true freshman quarterback

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From all reports, the 6 foot 5 inch, 216 pound prospect and possible future for Vandy at that position is scheduled to get the start as Patton Robinette is still reportedly suffering from lingering concussion effects he suffered in the 17-7 loss to Kentucky.

For fans, the onus may fall on Freebeck, but coach Mason has said very pointedly that the problems Vanderbilt has experienced this season has been a shared responsibility.

"Other guys around need to pick things up, too. It’s not all on Wade. It’s on players. It’s on coaches. The accountability factor has got to be high. People want to look at the quarterback position, and he needs to get some things done. But no one player can do it by himself. Protection has to be better, and that’s what we have to start with.We’re not coaching it good enough. Let’s get it coached better. Let’s hold guys accountable. If they can’t do it, let’s get the next man up."

I’m personally glad to hear Mason admit that the coaching has not been good enough, because Vanderbilt coaching has been some of the most inept I’ve witnessed, and while all that is certainly true, it’s also true that the onus really does, to a great degree, fall on Freebeck to perform better than he has.

Wade got the call against Kentucky after Robinette was injured, and went just 8 for 25 with 85 yards in passing and three interceptions! Of course he was sacked four times, and the Vanderbilt O-Line will need to do a better job protecting him, but Freebeck also needs to do a better job on reads and pocket awareness.

Outside of Freebeck and the O-Line, keep your eye on returner Darius Sims. Sims got an interception and a touchdown for Vanderbilt’s only score against Kentucky last weekend, but also had a great return game for multiple scores in Vandy’s loss against South Carolina. If Sims can help pump up and jump start this Vandy offense, he could be a motivating factor.

Freebeck needs protection and time to pass, and if Vanderbilt will spread out their receivers often in this game, work space, and keep the George linebackers guessing, they could have some success passing the ball.

The good news is that Todd Gurley, arguably the best running back in the country, may not see his usual number of carries in this game. Because Vanderbilt is obviously not the toughest opponent Georgia will face, my guess is that they will limit Gurley in this game to keep him as healthy as possible going down the stretch. If not, Vanderbilt could see Gurley get between 150 and 200 yards rushing. They will need to stop him as often as they can.

Vanderbilt loses this one, and that’s not a tough call. You never know what to expect in these games though, and as we are nearing the mid-point of the season, Vanderbilt could make this interesting, especially if Georgia relaxes a touch as I expect they will. It won’t be very interesting though, and I expect the Bulldogs to win this one 35-21.