The No. 20 Vanderbilt Commodores secured a 70-21 victory over Georgia State Saturday night, improving to 4-0 on the season. Diego Pavia finished his day early in the third quarter, leading the way by completing 70% of his throws for 245 yards and a touchdown. He also led all rushers with 86 yards on 9 carries with one rushing touchdown. Vanderbilt excelled in all three phases of play, cruising to a complete win and avenging its loss to Georgia State from a year ago.
With that, let’s take a quick look at three key takeaways from the dominant Vanderbilt win.
A ‘Dynamite’ offense
In the first year under the Tim Beck offense, Vanderbilt earned a reputation as a ground-and-pound team with a gritty rushing attack. However, the Commodores’ offense was somewhat predictable, with many teams not believing in any true danger coming from the pass. This season has been much different for Vanderbilt. Between efficient passing and fantastic RAC gains, the offense has elevated into a dynamic, balanced attack. The Commodores scored 70 points, their most since a 1918 win over Tennessee.
Against Georgia State, the Vanderbilt offense accumulated 635 total yards, with 349 coming through the air and 286 coming on the ground. While still maintaining its downhill running scheme, 12 different receivers connected with Pavia, Blaze Berlowitz, Drew Dickey and Whit Muschamp. On the ground, seven different Commodores found the endzone, blasting through a Georgia State defense that couldn’t make any stops. Eli Stowers and Junior Sherill each had receptions that turned into gains of 48 and 40, respectively. Overall, the Commodores averaged 15.2 yards per completion and showed that their aerial attack has to be respected.
A solid defensive performance
No group has been more impressive this season than the defense under new defensive coordinator Steve Gregory. The momentum the defense garnered after brilliant performances against Virginia Tech and South Carolina carried over into their matchup against the Panthers.
Although Vanderbilt held Georgia State to 21 points and 290 yards, there were some minor concerns when it came to tackling in the open field and the team putting themselves in the right position. While some of this could be attributed to Vanderbilt exploring its depth during a blowout win, the defense didn’t look as dominant as it did in previous contests. Regardless, the Vanderbilt defense got the job done and played relatively well for four quarters.
The program has soul
Even after a pregame lightning delay, FirstBank Stadium was rocking throughout the first half. With the product on the field being better than ever, the support from the fanbase has been substantially growing. In spite of the fact that the crowd started to thin as the blowout continued, at its peak, the stadium was filled to the brim and as loud as it could be.
More than anything, the environment felt proper for a football team ranked in the AP Poll’s Top 25. From a halftime drone show and a rocking band to a slew of alumni, including Jay Cutler and Darius Garland, in attendance, the atmosphere was terrific. For the second time this season, Vanderbilt has gathered a sold-out crowd against a non-conference opponent, a telltale sign of the brewing belief in West End’s finest. With expectations rising by the week, it appears that both Vanderbilt and its supporters are prepared to live up to the hype.
Next up, Vanderbilt will once again defend home turf as it takes on Utah State. Kickoff is set for 11:45 am CDT on Saturday, Sept. 27, at FirstBank Stadium.
