No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs knocked down No. 10 Texas Longhorns 35-10 to all but make sure Georgia a trip to the College Football Playoff. Georgia (9-1, 7-1 SEC) must beat the Charlotte 49ers next week in order to finish the year with a record of 10-2 or better.
The Bulldogs beat Texas (7-3, 4-2 SEC) thanks to timely coaching decisions from Kirby Smart and a big day from quarterback Gunner Stockton. Smart and Georgia recovered an onside kick in the second half and used it to derail any Texas momentum after cutting Georgia’s lead to just 14-10. The next time Texas got the ball, the Longhorns were led 28-10.
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“It’s heartbreaking when that happens, because you just gave up a touchdown, and the defense is out there drinking water, and they all of a sudden have to go again,” Smart said of Texas allowing Georgia to recover an onside kick. “So, I don’t know how much continuous time they (Texas’ defense) were on the field. Our offense, it’s like a big strong anaconda squeezing you.”
Smart and Georgia went 3-0 against Texas over the past two seasons. The Longhorns are 20-3 against all other opponents during that span (two of those losses came against Ohio State).
Once again, Georgia’s run defense stopped Texas, who mustered just 23 rushing yards. Georgia’s defense allowed Texas to convert on just two of 12 third down attempts. Georgia sacked Texas quarterback Arch Manning three times. The home win came at a cost for Georgia, which lost star linebacker CJ Allen to a knee injury.
Georgia’s offense worked effectively against a talented Texas defense that entered the game as the SEC’s best defense and led the nation in sacks. Gunner Stockton scored five total touchdowns against Texas.
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“I like when we play aggressive all the time,” Georgia receiver Noah Thomas said. Thomas had two touchdowns in the first half. “That’s what we are. We are the aggressor.”
Aggressive decisions paid off for Georgia against Texas. Smart’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 and later take an onside kick helped fuel Georgia’s dominant performance. The Dawgs looked like a national championship contender in their SEC regular season finale. Now Georgia will sit back and see if it returns to the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.
“They continue to get better,” Smart said after the win over Texas. “They continue to grow, work hard, believe in each other. They’re a good football team, guys, but you’re a week away from humility.”
This article was originally published on UGA Wire: Aggressive Georgia overtakes Texas in decisive 35-10 victory
