What We Learned From Vanderbilt
Georgia throttled Vanderbilt 62-0 on Saturday, and there were several takeaways from the contest.
The team is still attempting to figure a few things out about itself, and the game against the Commodores helped give us some answers to those questions. Here are the biggest storylines out of the Vanderbilt game.
Brock Bowers is a legitimate Mackey Award candidate
Bowers had three touchdowns on the day, bringing his team-high total up to five. His final stat line on the day read four catches for 69 yards and two scores, with a 14-yard rushing touchdown mixed in.
He is Georgia's leading receiver to date, and there is no reason to think that his productivity will drop off once tight end Darnell Washington returns. He is becoming an integral part of their offensive attack, and Georgia can involve him in various ways. Bowers has the most touchdowns of any tight end in college this year and is second in receiving yards at the position.
Georgia has been attempting to revitalize the position for several years, and Bowers is the first in line to help change the trend. The last Georgia tight-end that became a first-round pick was Benjamin Watson in 2004, and it seems early that Bowers could change that.
Jalen Carter has taken the next step
Carter was one of the best freshmen in college football last season and only got better over the offseason. He has a rare blend size, motor, and intelligence and put together a dominant effort against Vanderbilt.
His counterpart, defensive tackle Jordan Davis, exited the game after nine snaps, leaving Carter to assume the No. 1 role at defensive tackle. He did not disappoint, making several big plays in the backfield to change the complexion of drives.
One point of emphasis for Carter over the offseason was to show up in better shape. His body wasn't quite ready for every down duty in 2020, but he refocused over the offseason and refined his body for that workload. Carter is playing much faster and has cemented himself as a potential all-conference selection alongside Davis.
Though what has stood out the most is his ability to disrupt blockers. He is disengaging at a much higher rate in 2021 than last season.
The offensive line is still a question mark
This was one problem coming into the day that was not solved. Georgia has yet to find a starting five that they like, and they will head into the Arkansas game without a definitive starting unit.
Georgia threw a multitude of lineups at Vanderbilt. Several new faces got time, and while they held up fine, they didn't dominate the line of scrimmage. Against Vanderbilt, that is not a good sign.
The issue boils down to this: the team does not have a starting left tackle. Jamaree Salyer has been impressive in his first four starts at tackle, but the coaching staff has been adamant that they want him to play guard.
They have a few prospects that could play left tackle, but none have emerged yet. Tackle Broderick Jones has seen the most opportunities at the position but has yet to take the job. Freshman Amarius Mims has seen time during the past two games but just hasn't seen enough time to warrant legitimate playing time.
Center Sedrick Van Pran has also struggled to identify defenses pre-snap. That will likely change over the course of the season, but it is still worth noting. Quarterback JT Daniels has had to make most of the calls at the line of scrimmage, and while he is capable of it, that is a tall ask of your quarterback.
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