How Georgia’s ‘embarrassment’ of a loss to Vandy in 2016 was a step in its culture change

A piece of paper is taped to the window panes of Georgia’s weight room.

“2016: ‘Embarrassment in Sanford!,’ ” it reads, along with a photo of former Vanderbilt linebacker Zach Cunningham making a tackle. Cunningham had the game’s key tackle as Georgia was stopped on a fourth-down toss sweep play and lost to the Commodores 17-16 after a noon kickoff.

It was one of five losses in Georgia’s first season under head coach Kirby Smart. The wins were close, but the losses were aplenty, and this loss to a would-be 6-6 Vanderbilt team was one of the most scathing.

Sanford Stadium was lifeless, shocked and dejected as a subdued crowd watched Georgia lose to Vanderbilt — the second-to-last team in the SEC East that season. Social media timelines were the only place to find a pulse, and some proclaimed, “Fire Kirby Smart!”

Smart and some of his players — who would’ve been freshmen and sophomores at the time — have vivid-and-specific memories of the slim defeat, whether it’s the 95-yard opening kickoff return or the aforementioned ending.

But the lingering thought was Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason being doused with blue Powerade after his lone win over the Bulldogs. Vanderbilt had won only two road games all season, and its biggest celebration took place in Athens.

“We have thought about it a lot,” running back Elijah Holyfield said. “I think it sticks with people who were here a lot because that game was one of the games that really, really cut us deep.”

In hindsight, the reaction nearly two calendar years ago wasn’t warranted. Georgia is 23-3 with a National Championship appearance, nine consecutive wins at Sanford Stadium (the second-longest streak in the SEC, second to Alabama’s 22) and has the No. 2 ranking in 2018.

But the Bulldogs’ ascent to a national contender may have started on Oct. 15, 2016. From that point, Smart recalls the quartet of Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, Davin Bellamy and Lorenzo Carter announcing a decision to return for their senior seasons — one of many steps in the culture change.

“The loss to Vandy may have been one of the lower points,” Smart said. “The guys were tired and physically beat-up because it was after the South Carolina Sunday game (after Hurricane Matthew). A lot of those guys didn’t get recovery, and we tried to practice that Monday, which was probably an error on my part, but we don’t look backwards right now.”

Georgia hosts Vanderbilt for homecoming once more, this time in a nighttime setting (7:30 p.m., SEC Network). An opportunity to play under the beaming lights (whether it be the LED lights above the stadium or the cellphone flashlights at the start of the fourth quarter) is something the Bulldogs look forward to.

But before beginning a stretch of four SEC games against ranked opponents, another task is at hand Saturday.

Georgia doesn’t want to find itself victim of another “embarrassment.”

“Now, I think there’s something new going on,” said Georgia sophomore safety Richard LeCounte, who avidly watched the game as a Bulldog commitment. “We have to keep getting better, and I think we’ve gotten better from 2016 to now.”