ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia and Vanderbilt have taken home-field advantage to the extremes so far this decade.
In the last three meetings between the Bulldogs and Commodores in Sanford Stadium, Georgia has cruised by the average score of 45-7. In the last two matchups at Vanderbilt Stadium, the site of this Saturday's game, it's a virtual tossup.
Georgia won 33-28 in the 2011 meeting. Vandy won 31-27 two years ago.
"I don't know," Georgia coach Mark Richt said Tuesday when asked about the wide descrepancy. "That's something we've got to work on, and that's something we've got to solve. We've got to play better at Vanderbilt than we have been playing, and that's one of our big challenges.
"Three of our last four games up there were extremely close, and we lost one of them. We just have not played extremely well there."
Georgia's 2007 team finished with a No. 2 ranking, but the Bulldogs defeated Vanderbilt 20-17 on a Brandon Coutu field goal as time expired. The Bulldogs survived the 2011 meeting after Drew Butler had a punt blocked in the final minute, but they were not as fortunate in 2013, when the Commodores rallied from a 27-14 deficit.
A targeting penalty on former Georgia linebacker Ramik Wilson early in the fourth quarter was overturned, allowing Wilson to stay in the game, but the 15-yard penalty remained and enabled Vandy to convert a fourth down.
Georgia inside linebacker Jake Ganus, who began his career at UAB, is readying for his first game as an SEC player."That trip (stunk)," Bulldogs senior outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins said. "That was a long trip. Watching the replays on TV and knowing you lost the way you lost - even though we should have never let it get to those situations - it was definitely heartbreaking."
Receiver Malcolm Mitchell is a fifth-year senior who will be playing in Nashville for the first time. He missed the 2011 game with a pulled hamstring suffered at Tennessee, and he missed the contest two years ago with a torn ACL.
"Hopefully I make it there for this one," Mitchell said.
0-for-Nashville
Georgia senior linebacker Jake Ganus never has won in Nashville, either, and in his case, it was really ugly. Ganus is in his only season with the Bulldogs after transferring last winter from UAB, which traveled to Vanderbilt in 2013 and lost 52-24.
Jordan Matthews (115) and Jonathan Krause (108) had 100-yard receiving games for the Commodores against the Blazers, while Jerron Seymour rushed for 108 yards.
"It was not a good game for us," Ganus said. "They just kind of took over. It was Coach (James) Franklin's last year, and I think that was the best year they've had.
"I've still got a bad taste in my mouth from that game, so I'm ready to go back up there."
Missed opportunity
Georgia freshman defensive lineman Trent Thompson, the top national prospect this past winter in 247Sports.com's composite rankings, did not play in Saturday's 51-14 win over Louisiana-Monroe until late in the third quarter. Thompson and other newcomers lost playing time when the game was called with 9:54 remaining.
"Trent and a lot of young guys are continuing to develop," Richt said. "We would have loved to have continued to play so some young guys could play. I'm sure families may have come to visit and would love to have seen their boys play."
Odds and ends
Two Chattanooga-area players started for the Commodores last Thursday night against Western Kentucky and are scheduled to start again Saturday: right guard Barrett Gouger (Baylor School) and cornerback Tre Herndon (East Hamilton). Georgia freshman cornerback Rico McGraw and Vandy freshman corner Donovan Sheffield were teammates last year at Ensworth in Nashville. Vandy coach Derek Mason on Richt: "He's a good man and a good coach with good players."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.