After playing some really ugly games against much weaker opponents than Georgia, Vanderbilt found a way to look competent against a national title contender on the road. They also did it without their 5-star freshman starting QB. Blaze Berlowitz stepped into the game and looked better than he looked against either Austin Peay or Delaware. Still, the Commodores were outmatched and still did things to make life so much easier for the Bulldogs. As VandyFled asked the mailbag, we get to dive into my deeper thoughts on where the team really stands and whether it is more underperforming or fluked into a good game.
Penalties are this team's biggest problem. Georgia accepted 9 penalties against Vanderbilt that accounted for 60 yards of field position. There were 5 false starts along with a soft OPI, 1 DPI by a defensive lineman, 1 defensive holding,1 blindside block. Gunner Givens had 2 false starts, including 1 on a PAT. The blindside block ruined a drive that started in Georgia territory thanks to a good punt followed by a sack just outside the Georgia goal line then the ensuing Georgia punt being fair caught at the UGA 42. The drive ended with a blocked 58-yard FG.
The special teams have been downgraded because of the inconsistency. Special teams avoided any complete disasters, but Tyler Ebel is nerve-wrackingly inconsistent. His first two punts went for 25 and 27 yards each. The first was a 30-yard punt that backspun 5 yards and was downed at the UGA 20. The second was a horrifying shank. Later, he blasted one 61 yards that ended up being a touchback. Brock Taylor did have a FG blocked, but it was a 58-yard attempt. He left it a little low, and a defensive lineman got a hand up on it.
Jared Curtis is the present and future of Vanderbilt football, but Blaze Berlowitz is not the scrub he looked like in his 2 starts. Curtis should be allowed to heal to whatever passes as "fully healed" in football. Almost every player is banged up to some extent after week 3 or 4, if not even earlier. Still, the last thing Vanderbilt needs is a serious injury due to him playing on something already damaged. Berlowitz stepped in and had an inconsistent but explosive game without doing anything particularly damaging. He was 12 of 23 passing for 190 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT while carrying the ball 8 times for 37 yards for a QBR of 81.3. The interception was on a double move deep ball in the 4thquarter after Georgia extended the lead to 31-14. He hesitated just a split second and had an All-American CB make a great play to pick the pass off. Berlowitz was shifty and elusive when Bulldogs got to him and threw some really pretty deep balls. He does not have nearly the arm strength that Curtis does, but the touch he put on the throws coupled with good anticipation made for some explosive moments.
Junior Sherrill kept up his run of impressive play by having another 100-yard receiving game. He caught 7 passes for 107 yards and a TD. His receiving totals by game this season are, in order, 70, 94, 108, 95, and 107. At times, it has felt like teams are so sure he is not a deep threat that they take bad angles and leverage, which lets him use the good speed he does have to burn them. Judging by how often DBs take the wrong step or are left chasing him, Sherrill's route running is borderline or fully elite. His drop issues also appear to be put in the past.
Cole Spence, even with limitations, is an impact player for Vanderbilt's offense. He only had 1 catch for 15 yards, but Georgia defenders were clearly keying on him. His blocking on a dinged leg is impressive and gives Vanderbilt even more flexibility. The catch he made was sliding and had his brace catch the grass in a way that had him hobbling. It appeared the play had no lasting effects. Vanderbilt needs him to get more and more back to healed every week. If the weather is as ugly as expected, a 6'7" safety blanket could be a life saver for whoever plays QB.
The receiving corps may be going with a "by committee" approach behind Sherrill. Yes, they did only combine for 3 catches for 60 yards behind Sherrill, but Georgia's defense is elite. Ja'Cory Thomas also had a catch negated by a very soft Offensive Pass Interference call where the DB flopped. That penalty, Thomas's two official catches, and Tristen Brown's lone reception were all on the same TD drive just before halftime. Getting those two in rhythm earlier and more often is going to be important.
The biggest deterrent to the passing game remains the OL. The biggest concern is not getting beat while engaged. The 5-man unit plus any attached blockers are not adjusting pre- or post-snap properly. Too many defenders are coming through free and clear. I cannot imagine trying to pick up the complicated and exotic blitzes they face week in and week out. Other teams do it. Other Vanderbilt offensive lines under Tim Beck's offense and Chris Klenakis's offensive line tutelage have done it. The only glimmer of hope is that they have been shifting bodies some to find their best 5. Center Lyndon Cooper has also been banged up in the last few games. The QBs behind them may also not be helping the OL get into the right protections. On the ground, the 3.3 yards per carry average would rank very low for an offense, but Georgia only allows 1.91 yards per carry on the season. The 8.3 yards per attempt passing also well outpaced Georgia's 5.7 yards per attempt allowed thus far. For refence, if Vandebilt can best Ole Miss's season averages then they will average better 7.9 yards per passing attempt and 4.64 yards per carry.
The defensive line also helped hold Georgia below their offensive averages. The Bulldogs have averaged 6.49 yards per rush and 9.6 yards per pass. Georgia was still very effective unfortunately, but they were pulled down slightly with 5.2 yards per rush and 9.2 yards per pass. The defensive line did most of their work with 4- or 5-man pressures. They are standing their ground, and that was impressive against Georgia's OL and bruising rushing attack. Frankly, without one 59-yard carry, Georgia's 31 carries for 119 yards at 3.8 yards per carry looks a whole lot different. I can live with that all day. That play came on Georgia's final offensive drive when the game was all but over, and there was more intent to knock the ball free than get Walker down since a turnover was the only potential for any miracle. This front may make some offenses have tough days. The secondary behind them gelling would go a long way, too. And maybe…
Here for at least one more week, is the defense going to find their way? It is weird to say they might be improving after giving up 38 points from 471 yards of offense and 7 of 10 3rddowns allowed to be converted. Georgia's offense is a buzzsaw though. Ole Miss can also light the fireworks pretty effectively. They still need to clean up some explosives, mostly from miss communications against Georgia along with the absurd athleticism the Bulldogs have across the board. Ole Miss will present a lot of challenges with their athleticism and dynamic QB. Bottling him up and keeping the ball in front on the back end could go a long way to setting the table for an upset.
How does Vanderbilt handle a game where they are coming off a harsh test while Ole Miss got to rest and lick their wounds from Florida? My expectation would be that the Rebels are angry and hungry to unleash fury in order to make a statement. Normally, the week after playing Georgia would be especially tough for Vanderbilt, too. However, I do not feel like the Commodores were completely bullied in a way that would set them up to fail this week. I am sure there were bruises and bumps. It just does not feel like Vanderbilt should limp into FirstBank Stadium on crutches.
Is there a statement to be made? The last forecast I saw at time of writing had the weather looking less awful than 6 hours prior when writing my Saturday Predictions. Maybe that plays against the Commodores since Ole Miss has the better offense, but the Rebels defense may also be straight up worse. The Dores rising to the challenge and stealing this could do wonders for the season. Again, even a loss to a Top 10 team would not be too troublesome if they can show improvement that will turn into results against better teams. It will never be "as good as a victory," but it may encourage fans that victories will come against the non-Top 10 opponents, which would currently be everyone except Alabama.
