ATHENS, Ga. (Interstat) — Gunner Stockton threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns and added 22 yards rushing as Georgia defeated Vanderbilt 38-14 on Saturday at Sanford Stadium. The Bulldogs remained unbeaten and moved to 5-0, while the Commodores dropped to 3-2. Georgia controlled the game after an early back-and-forth, using a balanced passing attack and timely defense to pull away in the second half. Vanderbilt stayed within a score until the third quarter but could not keep pace after Georgia’s offense found a rhythm. The Bulldogs scored on their opening possession and answered every Vanderbilt challenge until the Commodores ran out of answers after halftime.

Georgia opened the scoring with 6:57 left in the first quarter when Stockton connected with Landon Roldan on a 2-yard touchdown pass. Peyton Woodring added the extra point. Vanderbilt answered with 12 seconds remaining in the opening quarter when Blaze Berlowitz found Junior Sherrill for a 60-yard touchdown. Brock Taylor made the extra point to tie the game. In the second quarter, Georgia regained the lead on Chauncey Bowens’ 1-yard touchdown run with 14:29 remaining. Woodring’s kick made it 14-7. Vanderbilt’s Brock Taylor had a 58-yard field goal attempt blocked by J. Hall with 7:43 left in the half. Georgia extended its lead on Jaden Reddell’s 1-yard touchdown run with 3:58 remaining, and Woodring’s extra point made it 21-7. Vanderbilt responded just before halftime when Sedrick Alexander scored on a 2-yard run with 31 seconds left. After a Vanderbilt false start, Taylor’s extra point cut the margin to 21-14 at the break.

Georgia added to its lead in the third quarter when Stockton threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Elyiss Williams with 8:21 remaining. Woodring’s kick made it 28-14. In the fourth quarter, Woodring converted a 39-yard field goal with 12:27 left, and Stockton capped the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dwight Phillips Jr. with 6:02 remaining. Woodring’s final extra point finished the scoring. Vanderbilt could not generate another scoring drive in the second half, as Georgia’s defense held firm and the Bulldogs ran out the clock. The Commodores moved the ball at times but were undone by the blocked field goal and their inability to finish drives after halftime.

Stockton, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound quarterback from Tiger, Ga., completed 25 of 32 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran seven times for 22 yards. Stockton was Georgia’s top star and repeatedly found open receivers against Vanderbilt’s defense. In Georgia’s previous game against Oklahoma, Stockton completed 14 of 25 passes for 171 yards and one touchdown. The Bulldogs’ passing game spread the ball to several targets. Dwight Phillips Jr. caught five passes for 75 yards and one touchdown. Landon Roldan had two catches for 57 yards and one touchdown. Elyiss Williams caught two passes for 20 yards and one touchdown. Lawson Luckie added a 43-yard reception, Thomas Blackshear had three catches for 33 yards, London Humphreys had three catches for 19 yards, and Chauncey Bowens had three catches for 18 yards. Jaden Reddell contributed a 1-yard rushing touchdown and two catches for 17 yards. Talyn Taylor added three catches for 7 yards. Drew Miller punted twice for 88 yards. Georgia’s offense finished with a balanced effort that kept Vanderbilt’s defense on the field and allowed the Bulldogs to control possession in the second half.

Vanderbilt’s offense had moments but could not match Georgia’s production. Blaze Berlowitz, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback, completed 12 of 23 passes for 190 yards and one touchdown. He also ran eight times for 37 yards. Junior Sherrill was his top target, catching seven passes for 107 yards and one touchdown while also recording one tackle. Ja’Cory Thomas caught two passes for 43 yards. Makhilyn Young had two catches for 18 yards and four rushes for 10 yards. Sedrick Alexander rushed eight times for 35 yards and one touchdown. Cole Spence caught one pass for 15 yards, Tristen Brown had one catch for 17 yards, and Whit Muschamp completed both of his passes for 18 yards while also catching one pass for 8 yards. Evan Hampton ran twice for 1 yard, Jack Elliott ran once for 1 yard, and Jamezell Lassiter ran once for 4 yards. Tyler Ebel punted four times for 157 yards. Brock Taylor handled kicking duties and had a 58-yard field goal attempt blocked. The Commodores moved into Georgia territory on multiple occasions but managed only two touchdowns, both in the first half.

Vanderbilt’s defense was led by CJ Heard, who had nine tackles and one sack. Bryan Longwell and Bryce Cowan each recorded six tackles. Mason Lewis, Talan Carter, Cayden Daniels and Nick Rinaldi each had four tackles. Ricardo Jones, Bradley Mann, Davin Chandler and Martel Hight each finished with three tackles. Jordan Matthews, Glenn Seabrooks III and Mason Carter were among the Commodores who contributed tackles. Jaylon Stone, Austin Howard, Jalen Gilbert, Edwin Kolenge, Issa Ouattara and Junior Sherrill each had one tackle. Georgia’s J. Hall blocked a Vanderbilt field goal attempt in the second quarter, a play that helped the Bulldogs maintain their advantage. The Bulldogs also forced Vanderbilt into a one-dimensional approach after taking a two-score lead in the third quarter.

Georgia improved to 5-0 after previous wins against Oklahoma, Arkansas, Western Kentucky and Tennessee State. Vanderbilt fell to 3-2 after earlier results that included wins over North Carolina State, Delaware and Austin Peay and a loss at Auburn. The Commodores next host Ole Miss before hosting Arkansas. Georgia next travels to Alabama. Both teams remain in the middle of their conference schedules, and the Bulldogs will look to carry their unbeaten start into a difficult road environment.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Georgia 42, Vanderbilt 25. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Georgia with a 97.1 percent probability to win. Vanderbilt had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +25.5. The total score of 52 went under the over/under line of 50.5.