NASHVILLE – It was a night of firsts for Georgia’s receivers during Saturday’s 30-6 dumping of Vanderbilt.
Demetris Robertson, Matt Landers, Lawrence Cager and Kearis Jackson each made his first career catch with the Bulldogs, and the quartet combined for nine receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown. Robertson, Landers and Jackson went all of last year without a catch, while Cager is in his first season as a graduate transfer from Miami.
“I feel like we did well, but there are a lot of things that we can clean up,” Robertson said. “We did well for the first game. We’ve got a great group of physical, fast guys who are going to lay it on the line.”
Robertson had a 72-yard touchdown run in last year’s opener against Austin Peay, but that wound up as his season highlight. The 6-foot, 190-pound former five-star signee from Savannah, Georgia, caught a 3-yard touchdown pass to cap the team’s opening possession Saturday night, and he did not stop there.
Robertson, who began his career at California before transferring closer to home, had a 17-yard reception and a 15-yard run during Georgia’s second possession that also reached the end zone.
Landers had two first-half receptions for 26 yards, while Cager had a 38-yard catch to highlight Georgia’s third touchdown drive.
“Those guys have earned it, and those guys were ready to play,” Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm said. “Matt has done a great job on special teams, and he was ready for the show.”
Tight end Eli Wolf, a graduate transfer from Tennessee, had an 11-yard reception midway through the fourth quarter for his first catch with the Bulldogs.
Historic suds
Saturday’s game was historic from the standpoint that it was the first matchup of Southeastern Conference teams at a campus venue that provided alcohol throughout general public areas.
“The crowds really haven’t been that bad, but we expect to get slammed at halftime,” one of the vendors said more than an hour before kickoff.
A 16-ounce Bud Light, Michelob Light or Natural Light poured in a cup were available for $8, and no more than two cups could be purchased at a time. Seven of the 14 SEC institutions are selling alcohol in general public areas for the first time, though Ole Miss will not introduce such sales at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium until an Oct. 19 visit from Texas A&M.
The SEC revised its alcohol policy in late May, giving each of its schools autonomy. Georgia has not moved forward with sales to the general public but will continue to provide it in select premium seating areas of Sanford Stadium.
Associated Press photo by Mark Humphrey / Georgia running back Zamir White is tripped up by Vanderbilt defensive back DC Williams during the second half of Saturday night’s game in Nashville.Appreciating ‘Zeus’
With 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Georgia fans sounded as if they were booing.
Instead, redshirt freshman running back Zamir “Zeus” White had entered his first college game. White was a five-star signee last year who tore the ACL in his left knee in August 2018, an injury that followed the tearing of his right ACL in November 2017.
The 6-foot, 215-pounder from Laurinburg, North Carolina, gained only 3 yards on his first carry, but he quickly received an ovation. He added a 23-yard run later in the third quarter but fumbled the ball out of bounds.
White finished with 51 yards on five carries.
“He’s been through so much, and he’s such a tremendous kid,” Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said. “To see him go out there and have success – he is so deserving of that. Our medical staff is deserving of a pat on the back for getting him out there.”
Said junior tailback D’Andre Swift: “We’re so happy for him. To go through what he’s gone through, everybody wants to see that young man win. Everybody is a Zamir fan.”
Odds and ends
First-year offensive coordinator James Coley wound up coaching Saturday’s game from the booth. Cade Mays got the start at right guard over Ben Cleveland. Nolan Smith tackled quarterback Riley Neal for a 2-yard gain on third-and-5 on Vanderbilt’s first possession. Freshman quarterback D’Wan Mathis, sophomore offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer and redshirt sophomore outside linebacker Robert Beal did not make the 70-man travel roster. Jackson fielded an early punt inside Georgia’s 10-yard line and got an earful from Smart as a result once he returned to the sideline.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.