Top-ranked Georgia looking to stay perfect visiting struggling Vanderbilt – News18

No. 1 Georgia (6-0, 3-0 SEC) at Vanderbilt (2-5, 0-3), Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (CBS)

Line: Georgia by 31 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record: Georgia leads 60-20-2.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

The top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs can extend their school record winning streak to 24 straight and their record of consecutive wins in the regular season to 34 with a win Saturday. The Bulldogs’ 33 straight wins currently is the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision. A win also will keep the Bulldogs undefeated and cruising toward an open date before the annual showdown with Florida. Vanderbilt wants to snap a five-game skid this season and against the Bulldogs.

KEY MATCHUP

Georgia’s stout defense against Vanderbilt’s offense. The Bulldogs have shut out Vanderbilt in each of the last two games between these SEC Eastern teams with Georgia winning by a combined 117-0. The Commodores are scoring an average of 28.9 points a game. This might be Georgia’s opportunity for its first shutout this season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck is coming off the best game of his career, throwing for 389 yards and four touchdowns against Kentucky. He’s the first quarterback for this program since Aaron Murray in 2013 to post three straight games of at least 300 yards passing.

Vanderbilt senior wide receiver Will Sheppard ranks third in FBS and second in the SEC with eight touchdown catches. He is one TD reception from matching his total for all of last season, which would make him the first in program history to have at least nine TD catches in a single season twice in a career. He has scored 48 points, which is eighth in the SEC and 26th in FBS.

FACTS & FIGURES

These teams first started playing in 1893. … Georgia is 5-1 with Kirby Smart as coach with a morning kickoff, and this game kicks off at 11 a.m. local time. … This will be the 10th time Vanderbilt has played the No. 1 team in program history and first since Sept. 23, 2017. The Commodores lost to Alabama 59-0. … Georgia is coming off its best offensive performance since 2020 after compiling 608 yards on 73 plays in beating then-No. 20 Kentucky 51-13 last week. … Georgia ranks third in the SEC scoring 40.6 points a game and second averaging 502.3 yards per game. … Vanderbilt is averaging 28.9 points a game and giving up 34 points a game. … QB Ken Seals has started two straight games for Vanderbilt. … Vanderbilt has eight interceptions this season, tied for most in the SEC and fifth in FBS. … Vanderbilt punter Matthew Hayball leads the SEC and ranks second nationally averaging 50.1 yards per punt.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)