ATHENS, Ga. -- The Georgia Bulldogs were able to come out of Nashville with another victory to make them 2-0 on the season. UGA did some good things on the field Saturday, but also looked a little confused at times. Here are the grades for the Bulldogs in their 31-14 win over the Commodores.
Quarterbacks: D
Greyson Lambert started 0-of-8, and didn't complete a pass until the first drive of the third quarter. Yes, he rebounded, completing 11 of his last 13 passes to finish the game with 116 yards. By the time he completed his first pass, a 10-yard pass to Nick Chubb, the Bulldogs were already winning 14-6. The pressure was somewhat released from Lambert by then, seeing how the momentum of the game was already in favor of the Bulldogs. Lambert was able to run in a 5-yard touchdown, but wasn't able to find the end zone through the air. Something has to change – fast. The overthrows and poorly thrown passes won't cut it against the upper echelon of the SEC. Georgia's second-string quarterback, Brice Ramsey, was able to get in for just a drive, and completed two passes for 25 yards. Lambert has a lot of film to watch throughout the week, and he'll have to gain confidence in his ability rather quick, as South Carolina arrives in Athens next Saturday.
Running backs: A
Chubb and Co. continued to look like the best part of the Bulldogs' offense, and it wasn't even close. Chubb extended his streak of 100-yard rushing games, which is now at 10. The sophomore running back rushed for 189 yards on 19 carries. While Chubb didn't have a rushing touchdown, he was the difference-maker on offense, averaging 9.9 yards per carry. Sony Michel also factored into the victory over the Commodores, rushing for 56 yards on 12 carries. Michel was the only offensive player to score a touchdown, besides Lambert. The rushing attack looks like it's already in midseason form. Chubb and Michel might not be able to carry the team for much longer without a little help from the quarterback, though. Vanderbilt started to stack the box with eight defenders at a time since Lambert wasn't posing a vertical passing threat. It will be interesting to see if Steve Spurrier uses the same technique next weekend in Sanford Stadium.
Wide receivers and tight ends: B-
The wide receivers only accounted for 141 yards of offense, but it wasn't their fault. The group of speedy wide outs caught almost everything that was thrown their way, but that was the problem – not much was thrown their way. Malcolm Mitchell hauled in four passes for 36 yards, and Michel caught two passes for 30 yards. The wide receiver group will have to get more involved moving forward. First year offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer needs to expand past the "vanilla" play calling.
Offensive Line: B-
The offensive line still doesn't look like the offensive line from last year, even though four of the five starters returned. Lambert was sacked and stripped of the ball once, though Georgia was able to recover it. The running backs also accounted for 281 yards on the ground, so why a B-? A lot of the runs from Chubb were simply because Chubb was able to bounce to the outside and gain yards on his own. There were a good bit of plays that just couldn't develop because the offensive line wasn't getting a push off the line of scrimmage. It will continue to gain continuity as the season progresses, but as of right now, the linemen don't look on the same page.
Overall offense: C
The stats can be very misleading in this game, especially the final score. Only 14 points came from offensive touchdowns. Lambert has to get locked in and have confidence in his throws, because opposing defensive coordinators will start to really key in on the rushing game and force Georgia to pass.
Defensive Line: B+
The defensive line made the biggest jump from week one to week two. Chris Mayes and Sterling Bailey were able to stuff the middle of the line, allowing the outside linebackers and defensive ends to really make a difference in the game. After a rough start against Louisiana-Monroe, coach Tracy Rocker had his defensive line ready to go. The Commodores rushed for only 105 yards on 39 carries. That's an average of 2.7 yards per rush. While the defensive line didn't register a sack or a fumble, it was a major factor in the game, and will be leaned on heavily to help stop South Carolina next week.
Linebackers: A
Jordan Jenkins had one of the best games of his career for the Bulldogs. With 11 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks, Jenkins led the team in every category. Leonard Floyd also had a great game, accounting for seven tackles, .5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup. Lorenzo Carter, on the other hand, was ejected early in the first quarter for a targeting penalty. The linebacker group didn't miss a beat without the sophomore, though. Jake Ganus grabbed one of Georgia's three interceptions. This group is only getting better.
Secondary: B-
Surprisingly, Vanderbilt passed for 295 yards. Over 100 of those yards came against a Georgia defense that looked like it was preventing as opposed to attacking in the fourth quarter. With that being said, the secondary group still didn't look like it was completely in sync. Aaron Davis and Dominick Sanders were the only names that stood out in a secondary that played eight different players during the game. Sanders had a pick-six late in the fourth quarter, sealing the victory for the Bulldogs. The touchdown by Sanders was one of the few highlights for the Bulldogs' secondary in a mediocre performance.
Overall Defense: B+
The defense allowed 14 points again for a second-straight week. With that, it will have to get better in pass coverage, because this is the second-straight week a mediocre quarterback threw for over 200 yards. The defensive line looked better and seems to finally have a solid rotation of players. The linebackers are clicking. The real test begins next week against a South Carolina team coached by Steve Spurrier, who always seems to find a way to outsmart the Bulldogs.
