Kirby Smart and the No. 2 ranked Georgia Bulldogs (5-0) haven’t exactly had a cream puff schedule, but this team will be tested in the coming weeks, and it all starts when they host the Vanderbilt Commodores (3-2) in an SEC East matchup in Athens on Saturday night.
The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on SEC Network. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including all the ESPN channels and SEC Network. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
SEC Network is included in the “Sling Orange” plus “Sports Extra” add-on bundle. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
ESPN Platforms
Additionally, you can also watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
Preview
The next four games for Georgia will be the toughest slate of the entire season. First, is Vanderbilt at home this week, followed by a trip to Baton Rouge next week to take on No. 5 LSU, then comes No. 22 Florida (fresh off the Bulldogs’ bye week), and then another road game against the only other current unbeaten SEC East team, No. 13 Kentucky (5-0, 3-0).
Before the Bulldogs get to any of that, they must first take care of business against senior quarterback Kyle Shurmur – son of New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur – and the rest of the Commodores. Smart reiterated the season is a marathon, not a sprint.
“I get that question a lot. Each week I answer it the same. It’s extremely hypothetical because I don’t think you can say where I thought they would be. We’re a work in progress. We’re a child trying to learn to walk and then run, then sprint. And we’re not sprinting. I don’t know if we’re jogging yet. I don’t know where we are on the continuum. But we have to improve.”
The Bulldogs defense remains talented, but it is the offense that has carried the team this season. The Bulldogs have averaged 470 yards per game, despite being a team not necessarily known for putting up points. As good as sophomore quarterback Jake Fromm is, junior running back Elijah Holyfield – 368 rushing yards (4.9 yards per attempt) and two touchdowns – is just as good.
After two tough losses against Notre Dame and South Carolina, Vanderbilt got caught looking ahead last week, narrowly defeating Tennessee State, an FCS program. Shurmur – who was the quarterback when Vanderbilt upset Georgia 17-16 in Athens two years ago – will need to play more like he did against Middle Tennessee and Nevada (2-0, four touchdowns, no interceptions) as opposed to the last three weeks (1-2, five touchdowns, four interceptions, including two last week).