Georgia Bulldogs vs. Vanderbilt Commodores: Complete Game Preview

After a dominating performance against Louisiana-Monroe, the Georgia Bulldogs look to keep the momentum going as they face the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs beat ULM on a lighting-shortened game 51-14 last Saturday. They did it with a strong rushing attack (243 yards) and a stingy defense (255 total yards allowed). The Bulldogs are facing a Vanderbilt team that is coming off a 14-12 loss to Western Kentucky.

Georgia may be the heavy favorites, but head coach Mark Richt knows that it’s going to be a very physical game.

“Defensively, I know it's early in league play, but they are No. 1 in the league in rush defense, No. 3 in first downs allowed and No. 4 in the league in total defense,” Richt said in his Tuesday press conference. "So like I said, going on the road for the first time, playing SEC, Eastern Division opponent for the first time, is something that we all work towards and are looking forward to.”

The last time these two teams faced each other in Nashville, Vandy was the one that came out on top 31-27. So the Bulldogs know it’s not going to be a walk in the park on Saturday.

Date: Saturday, Sept. 12

Time: 3:30 p.m. EDT

Place: Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.

TV: CBS

Radio: Bulldogs Radio Network, Sirius XM 83/190

Spread: Georgia is favored by 20.5 points according to Odds Shark

When Georgia Has the Ball

Greyson Lambert had a solid debut against ULM on Saturday as he went 8-of-12 for 141 yards and two touchdowns. He threw zero interceptions and did not get sacked.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Lambert did not do anything special, but he was smart with the football. Part of the reason for his stability was the success of the running attack. Nick Chubb rushed for 120 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns. Keith Marshall also had a strong performance with 10 carries for 73 yards and two scores.

Georgia will try to do the same thing with Vanderbilt. They will try to attack the defense with the run, then throw off of play action.

That will not be an easy task, because the Commodores are looking to build off a performance where they only allowed 38 rushing yards against Western Kentucky. Cornerback Torren McGaster, linebacker Darreon Herring and safety Andrew Williamson each had six tackles in the loss against the Hilltoppers.

Also, when the Bulldogs decide to throw the ball, they may want to stay away from safety Oren Burks because he had two passes defended to go along with his four tackles last week.

When Vanderbilt Has the Ball

The Commodores had a difficult time scoring against Western Kentucky last week. They could not convert in the red zone, and quarterback Jonathan McCrary's two interceptions thrown did not do them any favors.

Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

However, McCrary did have a solid game, as he threw for 217 yards and one score. He was also able to hit nine different receivers in the game, so he’s learning how to see the entire field.

Running back Ralph Webb is another player who was strong on offense last week, rushing for 76 yards and recording 23 receiving yards. He will be the go-to guy on offense.

The Bulldogs defense only allowed 245 yards of offense last week. They were led by Quincy Mauger, who had eight tackles, half a sack and one pass defended. Aaron Davis had an interception, and the duo of Jordan Jenkins and Leonard Floyd had a combined 15 tackles.

The Bulldogs defense played with a lot of speed last week, and it will not change on Saturday.

Player to Watch for Georgia: RB Keith Marshall

Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are two guys who could make up one of the best running back duos on the country when it’s all said and done. But Keith Marshall proved that he should not be forgotten in the running back rotation.

"

Welcome back Keith Marshall. http://t.co/6AcdZoVE1J

— Brian L Jones (@Brian_L_Jones) September 5, 2015"

Marshall who has been dealing with an ACL injury since 2013, rushed for 73 yards on 10 carries and scored twice last Saturday. He showed the speed that he had in 2012 and was also able to run between the tackles.

Chubb and Michel will get the bulk of the carries because they are No. 1 and No. 2 on the depth chart. But because of how he played last week, Marshall will see plenty of action, and he will have a chance to do some big things against Vanderbilt because he can do a little bit of everything.

Player to Watch for Vanderbilt: RB Ralph Webb

In order for the Commodores to be efficient on offense, Webb will need to have a big day.

The sophomore running back made an impression last year. He rushed for 907 yards on 212 attempts. Webb was the second freshman-leading rusher in the SEC behind Chubb, and he made the All-SEC Freshman team.

"

.@VandyFootball OL 'rather have Ralph Webb than Nick Chubb any day' http://t.co/Hn8X5MqpOx pic.twitter.com/GCzr8krQSn

— Adam Sparks (@AdamSparks) September 8, 2015"

As it was mentioned earlier, Webb had a strong game against Western Kentucky, but the offense made too many mistakes for Webb to be an impact player. Vanderbilt will do more on Saturday to be sure they put Webb in the best positions to make plays.

Prediction: Georgia 35, Vanderbilt 10

Georgia was able to do what it wanted to on offense last week against an experienced ULM defense. However, Vanderbilt’s defense will be ready for the task at hand, especially as nine returning starters will be on the field from last season.

That doesn’t mean the Commodores will have enough to stop the Bulldogs rushing attack. The three-headed monster of Chubb, Michel and Marshall will be too much for Vandy to handle. Then add the fact that the Commodores offense has issues scoring; the Bulldogs defense will be licking its chops to have an even better performance this week.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Vanderbilt is able to keep it close early. But the Bulldogs have too much depth and talent on both sides of the ball for Derek Mason’s group to keep it close for four quarters.