Football: Three Matchups to Watch: Vanderbilt at No. 2 Georgia – The Vanderbilt Hustler

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After opening its season 3-0, Vanderbilt dropped its SEC opener at Jordan-Hare Stadium, and the Commodores now face their toughest test yet with a trip to Athens to take on No. 2 Georgia.
Georgia enters this matchup coming off a dominant 2025 — where the Bulldogs went 12-2, won their second consecutive SEC Championship and reached the Sugar Bowl in the College Football Playoff. This year, Kirby Smart’s team has picked up right where it left off. Georgia is 4-0, leading the FBS in scoring with its lowest point total being 41 against Oklahoma. This comes alongside a dominant defense allowing just 13.3 points a game.
Vanderbilt will also be trying to reverse a one-sided history in the series. Georgia leads 61-20-2 all-time and has won the last six meetings. The last time the Commodores beat Georgia came in 2016, during Kirby Smart’s first season in Athens. Now, a decade later, Vanderbilt will look to pull off another upset against one of the SEC’s strongest teams.
Here are three matchups to watch on Saturday.
SEC football stands out for its physicality across the field, but nowhere is it more obvious than in the trenches, where offensive and defensive linemen go to war every play. Historically, SEC games are decided by who can control the line of scrimmage. On paper, the ’Dores looked outmatched up front.
Last Saturday at Auburn, Vanderbilt’s O-line looked completely overwhelmed. The adjustment from the softer non-conference opponents to the powerful SEC defensive fronts proved challenging; the ’Dores averaged a measly 2.8 yards per carry at Auburn compared to 4.4 yards per carry in their first three non-conference games. The offensive line also allowed an absurd 25 quarterback pressures and eight tackles for loss. The Commodores failed to provide a clean pocket for quarterback Jared Curtis, so he often had to evade defenders and make impromptu plays, making it challenging for the Commodores to find any rhythm offensively.
Georgia is known for its strong play in the trenches — producing NFL standouts Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Travon Walker. Last week, the Bulldogs absolutely swallowed John Mateer and the Oklahoma Sooners’ offense. The Bulldogs allowed a mere 1.9 yards per rush and blitzed on 51% of Mateer’s dropbacks. They also posted a 41.5% pressure rate, getting home on their blitzes. The Bulldogs’ front is led by the experienced Jordan Hall and the 6’4, 315-pound Xzavier McLeod.
The Commodores’ O-line has a mammoth task in front of them, but if they can create space for running back Sedrick Alexander and provide a clean pocket for Curtis, Vanderbilt may surprise many.
One of the most important days in Vanderbilt Football history came Dec. 2, 2025. Less than 24 hours before the start of the early-signing period, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea flipped the highest-rated recruit in the program’s history: Jared Curtis. Curtis — the 6’3, 230-pound 5-star QB — was the highest-ranked quarterback and No. 5 overall recruit in the class of 2026.
Despite being a Nashville local, Curtis had previously committed to the Bulldogs in March 2024. However, after Vanderbilt’s historic 10-2 season led by Diego Pavia, the allure of staying at home and having the opportunity to start SEC games as a freshman ultimately led Curtis to choose the Black and Gold — much to the dismay of many Bulldog fans. Just five years ago, a program-defining recruitment flip from Athens to West End would have been unheard of. This seismic shift demonstrates the impact Pavia had on Vanderbilt’s program and how the NIL era has redefined what is possible.
However, much to the surprise of many Vanderbilt faithful, senior Blaze Berlowitz beat out Curtis for the starting job, as Lea announced ahead of the season opener against Austin Peay. Since then, Curtis has won the job by demonstrating his physical swagger and has quickly become the face of Vanderbilt’s program. Curtis has thrown for 746 yards and four TDs, along with 133 yards and 2 TDs on the ground so far. Last Saturday, in his first SEC start, he threw for 199 yards and picked up an additional 46 yards on the ground. Despite facing pressure all game, Curtis led several convincing drives against the stout Auburn defense.
The Bulldogs’ defense is simply next level. They have allowed opposing teams to an impressive 232 yards and 13 points per game. Last weekend, the Bulldogs suffocated the Sooners’ offense, forcing 4 turnovers. The squad is led by linebacker Raylen Wilson, who already has 19 total tackles and 3 sacks this season. Sophomore safety Rasean Dinkins and junior defensive back KJ Bolden command the Georgia secondary.
The atmosphere in Athens promises to be electric, fueled by animosity toward Curtis and his late flip. And now, Curtis finally has his opportunity to show the Georgia fans what talent and swagger they missed out on.
After losing Pavia and much of the 2025 offense, Vanderbilt entered the season 115th nationally in returning offensive production, according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly. At the SEC Media Days in July, Lea described the 2024 version as an option team that grounded out clock and shortened games. He described the 2025 version as one that explored in the opposite direction through tempo and throwing vertically. He explained that the 2026 version would be different, and four games in, they are still searching for a clear offensive identity.
“If we can establish a great run game in front of the quarterback, I think that we take pressure off, and we allow the ball to be distributed to the perimeter in ways that we can become the explosive team that we’ve been,” Lea said at the podium at the SEC media day in July.
He also highlighted how a running back is only as good as the people moving the line of scrimmage. Vanderbilt ranks 13th in the SEC in both rushing yards per game and yards per attempt. The team has also yet to record a run over 20 yards. Against Auburn, Alexander and MK Young combined for 59 yards on 21 carries, 2.8 yards per attempt. Curtis ended up with 18 carries for just 46 yards. The line also battled injury and discipline issues. Center Lyndon Cooper left with an AC joint sprain, and the unit had three false starts. The lack of a run game led to Vanderbilt facing five third-and-longs and 1-for-8 on third down with four or fewer yards to go.
No receiver has stepped up. Junior Sherrill has 367 receiving yards which is just shy of 40% of Vanderbilt’s receiving production this season. Berlowitz even spent time last week lined up at wide receiver, which included a downfield target.
Georgia will be the hardest place yet to find the offensive groove, but if Vanderbilt can establish who it is against this defense, it can do it against anyone, and it will need to.
Vanderbilt will face Georgia at 11:45 a.m. CDT this Saturday, Oct. 3rd, at Sanford Stadium.
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