Mark Richt, Georgia not among those discounting Vanderbilt

History says Georgia had best be careful when going to Nashville to play Vanderbilt.

The ninth-ranked Bulldogs will again rate as the heavy favorite when they face the Commodores on Saturday for the SEC opener for both teams, but coach Mark Richt said during Tuesday’s weekly teleconference that he’s not taking anything for granted.

And not just because Vandy upset the deeper and more talented Dawgs, 31-27, the last time the two teams tangled in Music City two years ago. Three of the last four meetings in Nashville between the two SEC East opponents have been decided by five points or less.

“We have to play better at Vandy than we have been playing,” Richt told reporters. “That’s one of our biggest challenges. We just haven’t played extremely well there.”

Vanderbilt pulled off one the biggest upsets of the college football season in October 2013 when it rallied from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the 16th-ranked Dawgs. The victory was the Commodores’ first over a ranked opponent since 2008.

Georgia again rates as the prohibitive favorite this weekend after easily dispatching Louisiana-Monroe, 51-14, in last Saturday’s weather-shortened game at Sanford Stadium. The Bulldogs are loaded with talent in the likes of tailback and Heisman Trophy candidate Nick Chubb and a big-play defense that is full of future pros.

The Commodores, on the other hand, failed to win a conference game in 2014, and struggled mightily offensively once again in an ugly 14-12 loss to visiting Western Kentucky on Thursday evening.

But Richt said he’s not taking this week’s opponent lightly, noting that a stingy Vanderbilt defense now led by coach Derek Mason did an exemplary job in slowing down a potent WKU offense.

“Going on the road for the first time, playing an SEC East opponent is something we all work towards and look forward to,” he said.

Georgia has won 18 of the previous 20 meetings against the Commodores.

In other press conference news:

• Richt reiterated that Greyson Lambert would again start at quarterback, but added that Brice Ramsey would again see time in the game as was the case last week. Richt praised Lambert for his decision-making and proper reads in last week’s win over ULM.
• Richt said that return man Isaiah McKenzie is doing much better now following the hamstring injury he suffered in August and should be healthy enough to return punts this week. The coaching staff, however, will hold him out of kickoffs for now as a precaution. Reggie Davis will continue to return kicks.

John Hollis

John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.