Bulldogs look for turnaround on road trip

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Usually, a visit to Vanderbilt is just what a struggling Southeastern Conference team needs to work out its problems.

The way the Georgia Bulldogs are struggling, it might not be enough.

Georgia (3-3, 2-2) has lost two in a row, and the 45-19 beating last week at Tennessee has the Bulldogs busy trying to regroup with their Eastern Division hopes essentially extinguished. The Bulldogs can’t get close to the end zone, and the defense is giving up more points than anyone else in the league.

When they take the field today for their second consecutive road trip to Tennessee, they will find the Commodores (2-4, 0-3) just as frustrated and unhappy as they are.

“We both really need a win,” Vander­bilt receiver John Cole said.

Georgia has dominated this series over the years and has won 13 of the past 14.

But these teams met a year ago in Athens with both ranked in the Top 25, so Georgia isn’t alone in not following up on high expectations this season.

Vanderbilt is coming off a 7-6 season that was its first winning record since 1982 and a Music City Bowl victory – the program’s first in 53 years.

“You hear about them struggling and think they are having a down year, but they’re not,” Georgia quarterback Joe Cox said. “You watch them on film, especially on defense, and they are a real hungry team that’s really played well against everybody.”

Vanderbilt rank second in the nation against the pass, allowing a meager 118.2 yards, and 22nd in total defense, giving up an average of 288.3 yards.

“They have had their struggles on offense, but defensively they are really giving everybody a bunch of grief,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “Overall they are a very well-coached team. It is a team that I’m sure is just as hungry for a victory as we are. We are looking forward to getting over there and getting back on the winning track,” Richt said.

Penalties and an off-season switch to a no-huddle offense combined with injuries to the receiving corps and running backs has Vanderbilt 87th nationally with 335.8 yards offense. It would be worse if not for freshmen running backs Warren Norman, eighth in the SEC with 66.3 yards a game, and Zac Stacy.

“When you have the potential that we have, and that’s kind of a tricky word,” said Cole, who returned last week despite having a plate protecting his broken hand. “But when you have the ability and you’re just not contributing on the offensive side at all, it’s really frustrating from that standpoint.”

Vanderbilt played Georgia very well in Nashville two years ago. The Bulldogs had to hold on for a 20-17 win.

The Commodores are coming off a 16-13 loss last week at Army when a penalty was called on receiver Udom Umoh for setting a pick near the goal line when he was shoved by an opposing player into a defender. Vandy settled for a field goal, then Norman was stripped of the ball at the goal line in overtime.

Vandy gets no sympathy from the Bulldogs.

“We are staying optimistic, not getting down and realize that there are going to be failures, but we just have to continue to fight hard,” Georgia linebacker Rennie Curran said.