Georgia head coach Kirby Smart speaks after a football game against Oklahoma in Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. Georgia won 41-13. (Photo/Evan Frilingos; @frilingos.photos)
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart speaks after a football game against Oklahoma in Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. Georgia won 41-13. (Photo/Evan Frilingos; @frilingos.photos)
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No. 2 Georgia football will play its second consecutive home SEC game Saturday, looking to stay undefeated against Vanderbilt, which is playing its second straight road game and needs to right the ship after its 21-15 loss to Auburn.
The Bulldogs are still looking to build their resume but have done all they can do to this point, handling their first four opponents and most recently dominating Oklahoma in the Sooners’ first ever trip to Sanford Stadium, 41-13.
Meanwhile, the perception of the unranked Commodores has diminished some from last season, when the team went 10-2 and just barely missed the College Football Playoff.
Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea impressively turned the program around in a short time, improving what was a two-win team in 2023 to its best record in program history in a mere two seasons. The Commodores defeated five top-20 teams in the last two campaigns, most notably recording one of the biggest upsets in SEC history by stunning No. 1 Alabama 40-35 in Week 6 of 2024.
Yet its significant roster overhaul in the offseason, specifically the departure of Heisman Trophy-candidate quarterback Diego Pavia, puts Vanderbilt at risk of returning to its old ways. With the Commodores opening as 23.5-point underdogs against Georgia, the signs do not point towards another all-time upset.
Even though its best win so far has come against an Oklahoma team that had already tumbled out of the rankings before its trip to Athens, Georgia’s season is off to a near-dream start.
The Bulldogs blew through their first two opponents, defeating Tennessee State 63-3 in one of their most dominant season openers ever, then tying a program-record 49 points in one half in an equally dominant 70-20 victory over Western Kentucky.
Georgia had to leave home just once through the first five weeks, handling Arkansas with little trouble and allowing just three points in the first three quarters of the 45-17 win. Last week, the Bulldogs took advantage of four Oklahoma turnovers – one of which was an 85-yard Chris Cole fumble recovery touchdown – to win with ease against the Sooners despite missing star running back Nate Frazier.
On the other hand, while a 3-1 record that includes a Power Four win might not seem so bad, Vanderbilt’s start leaves much to be desired.
Against its two non-Power Four opponents to start the season, Vanderbilt was unconvincing in both games. The Commodores started with a 28-9 victory over Austin Peay, scoring only three touchdowns, then showed defensive woes in a 35-26 win over Delaware. In those two games, senior quarterback Blaze Berlowitz lost the starting job to Jared Curtis, a true freshman who spent 14 total months committed to the Bulldogs before a surprise flip to Vanderbilt in December.
In its next clash against NC State, Vanderbilt benefited from one of the strangest endings to a game in recent memory.
Leading by three and in possession of the ball on a fourth down in the final seconds, the Wolfpack would have almost certainly secured a win by simply punting or surrendering a safety as time expired. They attempted the latter, but a disastrous fumble in NC State’s own end zone lifted the Commodores to a miraculous win.
A similar stroke of luck was nowhere to be found at Jordan-Hare Stadium, as Auburn conceded just one touchdown to doom Vanderbilt to its first loss of 2026.
Since head coach Kirby Smart took over ahead of the 2016 season, Sanford Stadium has been one of the hardest places in the country for visitors to win — and for Vanderbilt, which has spent much of its time in the SEC as conference bottom-feeders, that trend has been especially apparent.
Georgia is a dominant 61-20-2 against Vanderbilt all-time, with an even more commanding record of 31-7 at home. Since 2010, the Commodores have come to Athens six times, and all but one trip ended in blowout fashion.
During Smart’s first season at the helm when the Bulldogs went just 8-5, Smart’s worst record by winning percentage during his tenure at Georgia, the Bulldogs lost to Vanderbilt 17-16, picking up just three points on its final four drives.
Georgia’s offense was too much for the Commodores to handle in every other meeting in that span, as the Bulldogs put up 40 or more points in all five other meetings. Vanderbilt’s most recent trip to Athens in 2022 was one of the worst beatdowns in matchup history — a 55-point shutout win in favor of the Bulldogs.
While Vanderbilt’s wins in Athens have been few and far between, most teams can relate. Georgia has become mightier than ever on its own turf, losing just one of its last 41 contests at Sanford Stadium. Alabama snapped Georgia’s recent 33- game home winning streak, but Vanderbilt will have a much taller task if it wants to be the one to end the Bulldogs’ new seven-game streak.
Georgia has a rich history of elite running backs, and its 2026 group is no different. Headlined by Frazier, the Bulldogs have the fourth-most rushing yards in the SEC through four games. Frazier is the team leader with 202 rushing yards and five touchdowns, despite not playing against Oklahoma due to injury. In his absence, Chauncey Bowens rushed for two more scores, bringing his total for the season to five, and Dwight Phillips Jr. recorded career highs in carries and rushing yards against the Sooners while also recording a 54-yard touchdown.
Just as impressive as the Bulldogs’ ability to run the ball has been their ability to stop the run. Georgia has allowed the second-least rushing yards in the conference, and has especially wreaked havoc behind the line of scrimmage with an impressive 26 team tackles for loss.
While Georgia’s run defense has been stout, it will face likely its most dangerous opposing running back yet in Week 5: Sedrick Alexander.
Alexander tallied 767 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns in 2025, and was one of the most crucial returning players for the Commodores. A red zone threat as both a rusher and pass catcher out of the backfield, Alexander finished the regular season with a career day, going for 115 yards and three scores on just 10 carries against Tennessee.
The Bulldogs have not allowed a single running back to rush for 30 or more yards against them yet in 2026, but they must focus on limiting Alexander to stay in control of the game.
Vanderbilt’s incredible 2024 victory over Alabama was just about as shocking as they come, but the means by which it won add up. Major upsets like the Commodores’ often come in back-and-forth high-scoring affairs, with the underdog quarterback gashing the favored defense to pull his team to victory. Just a few weeks ago, Oklahoma State pulled off the young season’s biggest upset so far in this same fashion, taking down then-No. 6 Oregon 39-31.
Curtis will come to Athens with a chip on his shoulder, and with Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton likely to lead his squad to an efficient day on offense, Curtis will need to find holes in the Bulldogs’ defense to keep up. However, Georgia has fallen short in a couple of shootouts in recent memory.
In 2024, one week before that shocking upset against Vanderbilt, Alabama outlasted Georgia, coming through with a late score to defeat the Bulldogs 41-34 and survive a late comback. A similar story unraveled in Georgia’s CFP quarterfinal game last year against Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl, as a successful late drive lifted the Rebels to a 39-34 win on a field goal and safety in the final seconds.
Additionally, the Bulldogs could be in a difficult spot if they find themselves needing to convert on a deep ball. Long passes have never been an emphasis of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s system, and the wide receiver room lacks size and experience.
Another challenge will be Vanderbilt’s pass rush likely not providing Stockton much time to make decisions in the pocket. The Commodores are tied nationally for the 12th-most sacks in the entire Football Bowl Subdivision with 13, something else Georgia must look out for.
While the Commodores have proved over the last two years they should no longer be counted out as they once were, the Bulldogs should not have much of a problem improving to 5-0 this season against Vanderbilt. With much of the focus on Curtis’ return to Athens, the crowd should be able to lift the already more talented Bulldogs to another victory.
Both teams should be able to establish the run game, but Georgia’s is expected to be more effective. The Commodores should force the Bulldogs to pass when possible and put pressure on Stockton, but Georgia should be able to handle what their opponents do in all three phases of the game. While Vanderbilt is a respectable enough opponent to keep the game competitive, Georgia will likely spend most of the contest in the driver seat.
Prediction: Georgia 33, Vanderbilt 13
Just three years ago, London Humphreys was a Vanderbilt freshman catching a 49-yard touchdown against Georgia.
Now, Humphreys will experience the same matchup from a completely different perspective.
Demello Jones’ biggest play of the season so far began with a ball in the air.
He broke on the pass, secured his first career interception and raced 43 yards down the sideline before being stopped at the 1-yard line against Western Kentucky. The play practically put Georgia in the end zone, leading to another score in a 70-20 win.
Four games into a 2026 season where Georgia has faced a few unfamiliar opponents, the Bulldogs will finally meet a familiar foe between the hedges.
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White-Helton has taken a larger role in Georgia’s offense after serving primarily as a reserve during his first two seasons. The junior caught eight passes for 70 yards in 2025 but had already surpassed that production by Week 3 this season. White-Helton’s highlight thus far came against Western Kentucky, when he turned a short pass from Gunner Stockton into a 70-yard touchdown. He can also make a difference as a specialist returning punts, so if White-Helton continues being an explosive play waiting to happen, he can carve out an important role on the Georgia offense.
After not catching a single pass against Tennessee State and recording just one reception for four yards against Western Kentucky, tight end Lawson Luckie finally broke out in Georgia’s SEC opener against Arkansas, finishing with three catches for 59 yards and his first receiving touchdown of the season.
The University of Georgia’s 104th homecoming celebration continues this weekend with a lineup of events across UGA, including the annual homecoming game and homecoming court.
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