Vanderbilt dropped its SEC opener to No. 10 Georgia, 31-14, on Saturday.

Here is a look back at and analysis of what transpired:

5 TAKEAWAYS

  • Turnovers continue to haunt the Commodores: In 14 games under Derek Mason, the Commodores have yet to have a positive turnover margin. Georgia won the turnover battle 3-0 on Saturday. Enough said.
  • Time of possession was the focus: Moving at the speed of molasses, Vanderbilt ran more than twice as many plays as the Bulldogs in the first half and ultimately won the time of possession (32:57). However, most of that damage was done while trailing in the game, which kind of defeats the purpose.
  • Vanderbilt’s defense was again solid: It wasn’t a perfect performance, but it was one that kept the Commodores in the game against a superior team. If this group is able to start forcing turnovers, Vanderbilt may see itself staring at some conference victories this season.
  • Johnny McCrary has an interception problem: Last week, McCrary threw two crippling interceptions in the red zone that cost the Commodores a win against Western Kentucky. This week, McCrary threw three more interceptions, including another in the end zone and one returned for a touchdown. These are mistakes that Vanderbilt cannot overcome at this point.
  • Drops are also a problem: For as much blame as McCrary has received for the offensive woes of the first two games, the receiving group needs to shoulder some of that burden as well. WR Darrius Sims dropped a pair of catchable passes at key moments, and TE Steven Scheu dropped three in a row on a critical possession deep in Georgia territory at the end of the first half that likely cost the team points.

REPORT CARD

Offense: D+ — For the second week in a row, the Commodores offense sputtered when approaching the end zone, which ultimately cost them a chance at an upset on Saturday.

Defense: C — Played well enough to win with some offensive support, but 281 rushing yards and lack of turnovers were sore issues.

Special Teams: C — K/P Tommy Openshaw was a field goal that bounced off the upright away from an A+ on his own, but allowing a punt return for a touchdown is hard to overlook for the unit.

Coaching: C — I didn’t hate the game plan on either side of the ball, but the Commodores did seem to ignore success in the hurry-up offense and may have stubbornly stuck with an ineffective quarterback.

Overall: C- — Georgia left the door open for Vanderbilt to make some noise in this game, and it just seemed like the Commodores couldn’t get out of their own way. A frustrating loss for a team looking for its first conference win under Derek Mason.

GAME PLAN

Though they lost by 17 points, it appeared as though the Commodores were actually fairly successful with executing their game plan. Vanderbilt set out to control the tempo and time of possession in an attempt to keep Nick Chubb and the Georgia rushing attack off the field as much as possible. They were able to have some sustained success with the approach, but it ultimately did not end with enough points to win the game, mostly due to turnovers and failure to execute in the red zone.

GAME BALLS

  • RB Ralph Webb: While his numbers weren’t overwhelming and he did not find the end zone, Webb did touch the ball 32 times for the Commodores on Saturday, producing 125 total offensive yards.
  • K/P Tommy Openshaw: Openshaw made two of his three field goal attempts and did a fine job punting (45.0 yard average on six punts), but his game ball was earned by picking up a bad snap on a punt attempt and scrambling 13 yards for a Commodores first down.
  • DL Jonathan Allen: The junior got to Wisconsin QB Joel Stave twice on Saturday, recording two of the defense’s three sacks.

Injury Report

  • LB Harding Harper appeared to suffer a significant leg injury on special teams.
  • NB Emmanuel Smith was not dressed for Saturday’s game.
  • TE Steven Scheu was evaluated after a big hit after catching a pass over the middle and did not return.