Everyone in the SEC has a loss.
No. 1 Texas, the last undefeated team in the conference, was overwhelmed by No. 5 Georgia in the first half of the Bulldogs’ 30-15 victory on Saturday night. Georgia jumped out to a 23-0 lead at halftime when Texas turned the ball over three times and used two different quarterbacks.
“I’m so proud of these guys because no one believed, no one gave us a chance,” Smart said in his postgame interview on ABC/ESPN. “Your entire network doubted us. Nobody believed us. And then they tried to rob us here with phone calls and these guys are so resilient.
We’ll understand in a moment what Smart is referring to about being “robbed.” Georgia officially closed as a 3.5-point road underdog, barely a spread that left no one thinking the Bulldogs had a chance.
After Texas gained just 15 yards and Quinn Ewers fumbled and threw an interception on the Longhorns’ first five possessions, Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian made a QB change. He brought in Arch Manning to replace Ewers in hopes of bolstering Texas’ offense.
It didn’t matter. Texas punted on Manning’s first drive of the game, then the redshirt freshman fumbled on his second drive. That fumble with 25 seconds left in the second quarter set up a Georgia field goal, extending the lead to 23 points.
Ewers got his job back early in the second half and immediately led a scoring drive. Texas cut Georgia’s lead to 15 points and looked to be in the thick of things again after one of the most bizarre runs you’ll see all season.
Defensive back Jahdae Barron intercepted Georgia QB Carson Beck and returned the ball inside the Georgia 10-yard line with 2:48 left in the third quarter. However, Barron was flagged for pass interference on the play and the interception was wiped out.
The call was questionable at best and Texas fans let the officials know by raining objects on the field. Over the course of the multi-minute delay to clear the field, the officials continued to debate the call even though the ball was spotted and ready to play for the Bulldogs.
Before play resumed, the officials announced that pass interference had not actually occurred and that Texas would have the ball. Two plays later the lead was cut to 23-15.
Texas fans threw debris on the field after an interception was called back due to pass interference.
The referees reversed the call after further discussion. pic.twitter.com/3PAgLcD1hQ
— ESPN (@espn) October 20, 2024
Was this Texas’ chance to come back and take the lead, just like Georgia did against Alabama earlier this season?
No, it wasn’t. The Bulldogs responded with a 21-yard pass to Arian Smith on third down and a play later a 43-yard pass to Oscar Delp. RB Trevor Etienne’s third rushing TD of the night capped the drive and ultimately put the game out of reach for the Longhorns.
Georgia’s defense front dominates
Texas was overwhelmed up front by Georgia’s talent, especially in the first half. Jalon Walker had three of Georgia’s five sacks in the first half and recovered Manning’s fumble that led to the field goal.
The Bulldogs scored four times in the second quarter as the Texas defense did a phenomenal job forcing field goals despite Georgia’s short fields. Georgia made three field goals in the quarter and the longest drive of the period was 34 yards. The Bulldogs’ three field goals came on drives that totaled 42 yards.
While Georgia’s defensive talent shined, any thoughts that Beck or Ewers could win the Heisman with a strong performance were snuffed out. Neither quarterback had a great game, and it’s highly unlikely that either QB will be in New York at the end of the season.
Each QB turned the ball over three times. Beck threw three interceptions, while Ewers had a pick and two fumble recoveries. Georgia hasn’t been shy about letting Beck fly this year, and he hasn’t taken a step forward. Beck has already surpassed his interception total (six) from a season ago and six of his eight interceptions this season have come against Alabama and Texas.
Considering Georgia won the game handily despite playing far from flawless football, it will be fascinating to see where the Bulldogs rank in the AP Top 25 on Sunday. Oregon appears likely to move from No. 2 to No. 1 after its 35-0 win over Purdue on Friday. Both No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State were off Saturday. Will they move up to No. 2 and No. 3 or will the Bulldogs skip one or both despite a loss?
