Mark Richt will take his team's 41-14 victory over the orange bunch from Knoxville and try to parlay it into another victory this week— this time against the Vanderbilt Commodores (2-3 overall, 1-1 SEC).
Georgia will have their hands full with Warren Norman, but the Bulldogs are hoping to make this Homecoming game match-up a winning one.
Here's what you need to know about the Commodores:
1. They still have Warren Norman and he's still pretty darn good.
Norman remains a threat, both on offense and special teams, and needs to be given the proper respect. He's averaging 6.17 yards per carry, and is coming off a two-touchdown performance against Eastern Michigan.
He's also averaging better than 30 yards per attempt on kick returns—good enough for 2nd in the SEC.
2. Larry Smith is still Larry Smith.
Smith has proven to be competent when he has time to gather himself behind his offensive line that is, for lack of a better phrase, still a work in progress. That said, he is still prone to decision-making errors that lead to costly interceptions and busted plays.
3. Chris Marve is one of the best linebackers in the SEC—period.
He was forced to miss last week's game due to a torn meniscus, but there was hope that he would be able to return for this week's contest against Georgia. Marve has recorded 100+ tackles in two consecutive seasons and is looking to do so again this year. He, along with Sean Richardson, form a potent tandem in the linebacking corps.
4. They're atrocious against the run.
In their two wins this year, Vanderbilt has given up 300 yards rushing. In their three losses, 619 yards—including 280 to LSU. Needless to say, they have a problem stopping the run. If ever there was a week for Georgia to get the running game going, it's this one.
5. By contrast, their pass defense is nearly tops in the conference.
Vanderbilt's pass defense ranks 2nd in the conference and 15th in the nation. They've allowed 800 yards through the air, on the year, and are holding quarterbacks to less than 60 percent completion percentage. Junior, Casey Hayward, has an interception in each of his last four games, and plays the pass as well as any defensive back in the country.
6. Tim Fugger is a beast.
Fugger has forced fumbles on the year—leading the SEC. He has been one of the more consistent performers on an, otherwise, rebuilding defensive front that is still searching for more playmakers.
7. They're young.
The Commodores have started a lot of freshman this season, and have been aggressively looking for the right mix on both the offensive and defensive lines. However, there is a lack of depth at many key positions and that has meant the team has had to endure an extended bout of growing pains on both sides of the ball.
8. They have had trouble getting into the redzone.
A lack of consistency in the passing game coupled with an under-performing offensive line has meant few redzone opportunities for the Commodores this year. They are dead last in the SEC in redzone attempts (13) and are tied with their in-state counterpart, Tennessee, for touchdowns converted within those attempts (7).
9. The kicking game is still a sore spot.
Vanderbilt averages less than 40 yards per punt. On the flip side, that has made their punt defense very stingy (3.67 avg).
10. Their offense doesn't spend much time on the field.
They average 26 minutes a game in time of possession. That means their defense spends the better portion of each contest on the football field. That likely explains why Vandy ranks near the bottom of the conference in both scoring defense (9th) and scoring offense (11th).
No comments:
Post a Comment