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Vanderbilt’s loss at Auburn left Georgia a useful blueprint

Vanderbilt walked out of Auburn with a six-point loss, but also with more total yards than the Tigers. That kind of result can be read in a couple of ways. The Commodores might see the 311-to-279 yardage advantage as proof they were right there in the game. Auburn, on the other hand, might notice the 4-for-17 mark on third downs and wonder how all those yards only turned into 15 points.

Both ways of looking at it make sense. Vanderbilt gave up a blocked punt for a touchdown, which put them behind, but they responded with a 75-yard drive to start the second half. Sedrick Alexander capped that 14-play series with a three-yard touchdown. The Commodores also got three field goals from Brock Taylor and pulled within six points with over six minutes to play. So, this was not an offense that faded after halftime.

It was an offense that kept needing another play. Seventeen third downs create too many opportunities for a defense to tighten coverage, rush the passer and dictate where the ball must go. Even with Jared Curtis producing 199 passing yards and 46 rushing yards, Vanderbilt could not turn enough possessions into touchdowns. Auburn then picked up the first downs needed to close the game.

Georgia’s defense is built to make those third-and-long situations even tougher. Oklahoma managed just 65 rushing yards on 35 carries, and the week before, Arkansas only got 17 yards on 20 attempts. Raylen Wilson had 11 tackles and a forced fumble against the Sooners, while Chris Cole chipped in with eight tackles, a sack, and two recoveries. When a defense keeps teams from picking up four yards on first down, it does not need to pull off anything special on third down. The playbook can do the work.

That does not mean Vanderbilt is about to fall apart if something goes wrong. Curtis led the team in rushing at Auburn, and Junior Sherrill made the most of his chances with six catches for 95 yards. Auburn’s edge defenders will need to keep Curtis from breaking outside the pocket, and the secondary has to stay alert for Sherrill, even when it looks like the defensive front has done its job. A third-and-eight that turns into a quarterback scramble or a tough catch still moves the chains.

There is also something for Georgia’s offense to take from this. Oklahoma forced five Bulldog punts and held them to 308 yards, even though turnovers made the final score look more one-sided than the game itself. If Vanderbilt’s defense can force a similar number of empty drives, the Commodores could keep things closer than the records might suggest. Georgia would be wise not to look at Auburn’s win and assume Vanderbilt cannot hang around. Win on early downs, keep Curtis in a tight pocket, and finish drives when the offense gets its chances.

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