ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Stetson Bennett grimaced when told the news.
The Atlanta Braves were knocked out of the Major League Baseball playoffs Saturday.
After No. 1 Georgia romped to a 55-0 victory over Vanderbilt, the Bulldogs’ veteran quarterback pointed to his favorite baseball team — the reigning World Series champions — as an example of how fleeting a title can be.
“Are we gonna cash our chips in after so-and-so games, or are we gonna keep going, keep going, and know this isn’t over until its over?” asked Bennett, whose team is seeking its second straight national championship.
Unlike the Braves, the Bulldogs are still on track.
Bennett threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns — his first scoring passes in nearly a month — and Georgia stamped its return to the No. 1 ranking with a blowout of the lowly Commodores.
Georgia (7-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) led 28-0 at halftime and shook off three straight weeks of rather lackluster performances.
Those games provided a valuable lesson in what it takes to repeat as a champion.
“It’s tough,” Bennett said. “We are not King Kong standing atop the Empire State Building. We’ve gotta work and execute each week, go out there and expect a dog fight until it’s not one.”
Bennett was nearly perfect in the first half, completing 18 of 20 for 211 yards. Darnell Washington, the 6-foot-7 tight end who usually plays a supporting role to Brock Bowers, came up big with four catches for 78 yards, including a one-handed dazzler.
“It’s like throwing to the Pacific Ocean,” Bennett quipped.
Bennett hooked up with Kenny McIntosh on an 11-yard scoring play — the quarterback’s first TD pass in four weeks — and followed with a 10-yard scoring toss to Dominick Blaylock.
“It was good to get in the end zone,” Bennett said. “But it was better to score 55.”
McIntosh added a 7-yard scoring run, while Daijun Edwards powered in from the 1 to spark a second-half exodus of red-clad Georgia fans looking to beat the traffic.
Carson Beck took over for Bennett in the final quarter, throwing two more touchdown passes that merely added to Vandy’s pain.
The Commodores (3-4, 0-3) dropped their 24th straight game in the SEC. They last won a conference game on Oct 19, 2019, beating Missouri 21-14.
At the halftime break, Georgia held a commanding 296-72 edge in total yards and 16-4 advantage in first downs.
“A very frustrating afternoon,” coach Clark Lea said. “We were never able to get a drive going. For us, it’s been this way all year It’s just where we are. It’s a recipe for disaster.”
The Bulldogs defense posted its second shutout of the season, limiting Vandy to just 45 yards rushing and 150 overall.
Georgia piled up 579 total yards.
The Bulldogs moved back to No. 1 in The Associated Press rankings this week, having spent a single week in the second spot behind Alabama.
After starting the season with three dominant victories, which led some to speculate that this team was better than last season’s national champions, the Bulldogs had a tougher time against Kent State, Missouri and Auburn.
Georgia returned to early season form in its homecoming game against the overmatched Commodores.
That was nothing new in this series. Georgia won 62-0 last year and has outscored Vandy 233-33 over the last four meetings.
The Commodores last scored a TD against Georgia in 2018. They have gone three full games since then without reaching the end zone.
BECK IMPRESSES
Beck usually gets in the game during garbage time, but there’s every reason to believe he can step into the starting role next season.
Beck completed 8 of 11 for 98 yards against the Commodores. For the season, the third-year backup is 23 of 30 for 276 yards, with four TDs and no interceptions.
“He keeps getting better,” Bennett said “He’s been in this offense the same amount of time I have. He knows it just as well as I do.”
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Georgia certainly did nothing to endanger its No. 1 ranking, but the schedule looks a lot tougher the rest of the way. Three of the last five regular-season opponents are ranked in the Top 25.
THE TAKEAWAY
Vanderbilt: Lea keeps talking optimistically about the improvement of his downtrodden program. He’s apparently the only one who can see it. The Commodores went three-and-out on six of their 11 possessions and crossed midfield only two times. One drive ended with a fumble, the other a missed field goal.
Georgia: Sure, the blowout came against the SEC’s worst program, but there wasn’t much for coach Kirby Smart to complain about. All three phases of the game were highly efficient, especially an offense that got off to a much-needed quick start. “I was really impressed with the performance early,” Smart said.
UP NEXT
Vanderbilt: Hits the road again next Saturday to face Missouri, the last SEC team to lose to the Commodores.
Georgia: Heads into an off week that will give the Bulldogs extra time to prepare for their “Cocktail Party” game in Jacksonville against the Florida Gators on Oct. 29.
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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963
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