Friday March 29th, 2024 1:11AM

The Last Time: Georgia vs. Vanderbilt

There was a time long ago, boys and girls, when Vanderbilt actually beat Georgia two years in a row.

We call these "The Goff Years" and we never speak of them.

We've taken all evidence of these troubled times, and buried them, right alongside Tennessee's "Life Champion" trophy and South Carolina's hope of ever winning the conference.

Thankfully, those dark days are behind us.

(Well, not for Gamecock fans.)

Happy Homecoming, Bulldog Nation. If it's homecoming, that means we must be playing the Commodores.

Let's get some stats up in this club to celebrate.

The last time...

1) These teams met:

It was but a minor speed bump in the magical 2017 season — not so much a speed bump, more of a pickup truck driving over Mr. Commodore's lifeless body outside of Nashville.

(Yes, the very creative name for Vandy's mascot is Mr. Commodore. He's also known as "Mr. C," which I can't help but notice is also the name Santa goes by when writing a note in The Polar Express.)

Last year's game in Nashville saw Nick Chubb and Sony Michel combine for a ho-hum 288 yards on 18 carries as Georgia demolished Vandy 45-14.

Elijah Holyfield scored his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter, if you needed some extra trivia.

2) Georgia lost to Vanderbilt three times in a decade:

For this exercise, we're slotting decades the way we think of them fondly: '80s, 60's...you get the idea.

We're nearing the end of the 2010's (the '10s? Teens?) and the Commodores have somehow managed to nip the Bulldogs twice — in 2013 and 2016.

A win this year or next year would give Vandy a milestone it hasn't reached since the 1950's, when it knocked off Georgia three straight years in '56, '57 and '58.

3) Vanderbilt had a winning record through six games:

The Commies are sitting at 3-2 after five games, needing a win Saturday to stay above .500 on the year.

It would be the first time since 2008 that Vandy was sitting above break-even at the midway point of the season.

That year, the Commodores started off 5-1, including a 14-13 win over Auburn on what remains the only time College Gameday ever went to Vandy.

(That day, too, has since been buried.)

4) Georgia scored at least 38 points in six consecutive games:

So far this season, the Bulldogs have scored: 45, 41, 49, 43 and 38.

Those five games alone are the longest such streak since 2013, but Georgia hasn't made it to six in a row since ... the dawn of time.

There have, by my research, only been two other occasions where the Bulldogs got this treak to five. The first happened to open the 2012 season.

The second opened this one.

5) Vanderbilt won a game outside the state of Tennessee:

There are only three stadiums the Commodores have won a football game in the past two years: Vanderbilt Stadium, Neyland Stadium and Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium.

(Floyd is Middle Tennessee, if you're wondering.)

Its last win outside the Volunteer State came back in 2016 ... in Athens, Ga.

The 'Dores stole the show on homecoming, 17-16.

6) A class of Georgia seniors finished 4-0 against four SEC East teams:

The Class of 2017 wasn't perfect by any stretch, but it did bring home perfect 4-0 records against Vanderbilt, Missouri and Kentucky, not to mention a 4-1 record against Auburn that included the first SEC Championship since 2005.

The Class of 2018, however, is looking to top that, already 4-0 against South Carolina and the Tigers, with chances to add to that list against the Commodores on Saturday and the Wildcats in November.

They would be the first class since ... well, ever. No Bulldog class has managed to go 4-0 against four SEC East teams, though a few have come close, with the class of 2005, most recently, owning 4-0 records against the Gamecocks, Kentucky and Vanderbilt, plus a 3-1 mark against Tennessee. Similarly the Class of 2003 was 4-0 against the Vols, Commodores and Wildcats, but only 3-1 against South Carolina.

(It's also worth noting that, starting in 2012, this became a bit easier, thanks to Missouri joining the SEC East, meaning there are six divisional opponents each year, instead of five.)

7) Vanderbilt pulled down an interception against Georgia:

There are no current Commodores who can say they've intercepted a Bulldog pass.

The last one to do so was Jahmel McIntosh, who intercepted a Hutson Mason pass in Georgia's 44-17 victory in 2014.

Since then, Greyson Lambert, Jacob Eason, Brice Ramsey and Jake Fromm have combined to throw 79 passes without a pick against Vandy.

8) Georgia won its game as the Braves won a post season series:

Atlanta hasn't won a post season series since 2001, when it topped the Astros in three games in the NLDS, clinching a spot in the NLCS on Oct. 12.

A day later, the Bulldogs knocked off ... Vanderbilt, 30-14, on the road.

It's possible Saturday's game could sandwich another NLDS win for the Bravos, with Game 4 set for Monday at SunTrust Park against the Dodgers.

It could also be day of misery but, hey, I'm a Cardinals fan, so what do I know?

Well, I know how to look up stats. So let's jump to a few more figures in the realm of "How does Georgia do if the Braves are in the post season?"

Since 2001, the Bulldogs are 5-3 in games immediately following an Atlanta post-season series. (The Braves are 0-8 in post-season series across that span, including seven trips to the NLDS and one loss in the Wild Card round in 2012.)

9) Vanderbilt beat a sophomore quarterback at Georgia:

The last three quarterbacks to lose to the Commodores while wearing the Red and Black are Jacob Eason, Aaron Murray and Matthew Stafford, who were a freshman, junior and freshman, respectively, at the time.

Murray and Stafford both got wins as sophomores over the 'Dores, though Eason never got the chance.

Fromm will look to avoid becoming the first signal caller since Charley Britt to lose to Vanderbilt as a sophomore.

In his first year as a starter in 1957 (freshmen weren't allowed on the varsity squad back then) Britt and the Dogs fell to the 'Dores 9-6.

Since then, sophomores who start at QB for the Dawgs are 14-0-1 against Vanderbilt. The lone tie came in 1985, when James Jackson was at the helm.

10) Georgia lost a home night game:

The Bulldogs haven't lost a night game (6 p.m. kickoff or later) at home since Kentucky came to town in 2009, leaving with a 34-27 upset.

Since then, Georgia is 12-0 in night games Between the Hedges.

It would've been 13-0, but the 7:30 kickoff against Middle Tennessee was moved up to noon due to Hurricane Florence.

***

Here's the part where I give a prediction.

As of this writing, Georgia is a 27.5-point favorite at home over the Commodores.

While I don't think Vandy is complete pushover, I do think this is a game the Bulldogs should win easily.

I predicted a cover last week, and was wrong, but I'm sticking with my gut once again. (Read: Go the other way.)

Georgia 44, Vanderbilt 14

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