NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Bulldogs got what they needed going into the bye week.

Georgia (4-3, 3-2 SEC) went to Nashville and came out with a sound win in a complete game Saturday, topping Vanderbilt 34-10.

After two straight losses and several weeks of criticism, the Bulldogs now have something positive to build on with a week off next week before their Halloween matchup with top-ranked Florida.

“I thought the team played extremely well,” said head coach Mark Richt. “I thought offense, defense and special teams kind of put it together, at least the best that we have to this point.”

With offensive coordinator Mike Bobo calling the game from the sidelines, the Georgia offense seemingly clicked for the first time in weeks. Quarterback Joe Cox threw for a solid 226 yards and a pair of touchdowns, highlighted by a short pass that receiver A.J. Green turned into a 65-yard score in the first quarter, career-highs for both.

The Bulldogs broke 100 yards rushing for just the third time this season, and the first time in four games. Washaun Ealey’s 33-yard, fourth-quarter run was the longest run for a Georgia tailback since Richard Samuel’s 80-yard scamper against Arkansas.

Caleb King charted the first two touchdowns of his Georgia career, the first a two-yard, second-quarter run and the second a 21-yard connection with Joe Cox in the early fourth.

“We finished drives when we needed to, put points on the board when we needed to, and special teams came up big,” said quarterback Joe Cox. “I think we really needed a game where we all played well on the same day and I think we got it today.”

The defense held the Commodores to 10 points (Georgia’s best performance of the season) and 296 yards of total offense. Redshirt junior Reshad Jones got his first interception of the season, and the first for a Georgia upperclassman this season.

Prince Miller ignited the punt return team for the first time all season, returning two punts for a total of 95 yards.

Punter Drew Butler continued his mastery, with five attempts for 235 yards, a 47-yard average.

Kicker Blair Walsh added two field goals, both from over 40 yards.

A solid all-around performance, even if it came against a now 2-5 Vanderbilt team, is just what the Bulldogs needed.

“It was everything, because you realize we could have easily thrown in the towel and gotten down on each other, down on the coaches and start believing what the people were saying, what the critics were saying,” said linebacker Rennie Curran, who lead the team with nine tackles.

“We just continue to encourage each other and remember how hard we’ve worked throughout the whole entire season, and how much we love each other.”