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Georgia football crushes Texas and gives life to Kirby Smart’s title quest

Vaseline October 20, 2024

The Georgia Bulldogs can play possum with the best of them, but when they get alert, they still have a mean streak.
Georgia’s defense takes a bye before Carson Beck delivers the clutch drive.
Texas’ second-half rally prevents a blowout. Teams could meet again in the SEC Championship.

AUSTIN, Texas – The opossum woke up.

Georgia did not go down in the first half of the season. It only played a role as roadkill.

When the Bulldogs defense comes alive, as it did Saturday night, the claws cut like razors and the canines sink deep.

No. 4 Georgia remains fierce enough to compete for the national championship. It proved that in a 30-15 mauling of No. 1 Texas.

The Bulldogs (6-1) are still a threat – when they want to be. It’s still hard to know which version of Kirby Smart’s team will appear. In this Georgia season on Saturday, take a two-faced look at Mr. Hyde’s work as Georgia inflicted torture and wickedness on Texas (6-1).

Darryl K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium turned into a crypt in the second quarter as the Bulldogs pulled away from an opponent that overwhelmed inferior foes through its first six games.

When a cannon fire finally broke the silence at halftime, the Bulldogs were up 23-0, the Longhorns had only 38 yards and the SEC pecking order had been reshuffled.

Kaboom, there goes Texas’ No. 1 ranking, waiting to crown the Longhorns the new king of the SEC.

Don’t bury the Longhorns either. These teams could meet again in the SEC championship game — if Texas rebounds and plays like it did after halftime, when it turned a lopsided affair into a one-score game in the fourth quarter.

Texas can’t handle Georgia, but don’t bury the Longhorns

Texas quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning had shocked expressions on their faces in the final seconds before halftime.

The Longhorns tried every quarterback, but the Bulldogs tortured them both.

Daylen Everette sacked Ewers and later intercepted him.

In Ewers’ first six drives, the Longhorns piled up 15 yards.

So coach Steve Sarkisian turned to Arch Manning in the second quarter, and the sold-out crowd woke up to a roar of joy. Then things went quiet again after Jalon Walker fired Manning.

Georgia continually tore apart Texas’ muscular, veteran offensive line, asserting its dominance as the Longhorns marched to the top of the standings. But Texas hadn’t had an opponent in Georgia’s realm, and the Bulldogs looked out of place as underdogs.

By halftime, the SEC’s last remaining undefeated team had racked up 38 yards and three turnovers.

Sarkisian returned to Ewers after halftime and Texas rallied, but Georgia had already done too much damage to prevail.

Where was this Georgia defense against Alabama, or, let’s say, against Mississippi State? Georgia last played like this in the season-opening loss to Clemson.

Is this the real Georgia? Because this Georgia is a team that no opponent should be happy with.

Georgia’s defense dominates, while the offense does just enough

Let’s get a few things clear, though: Georgia hasn’t got it all figured out.

The defense carried the load, supporting quarterback Carson Beck for three quarters, who threw three interceptions. When Beck found his target, he couldn’t trust his receivers to secure the pass. And offensive coordinator Mike Bobo treated running back Trevor Etienne like a member of the witness protection program, often keeping him hidden despite Etienne being strong once Bobo remembered his existence.

Georgia’s first five scoring drives traveled 13, 13, 34, 25 and 4 yards, a testament to how often the Bulldogs’ defense positioned its offense for success.

To Beck’s credit, he landed the clutch. He fired four straight completions on a crucial 89-yard touchdown drive after Texas pulled to within eight points.

Texas’ defense looked like part of the playoff unit. His offense failed to uphold his side of the bargain.

Georgia’s defenders kept coming, and Longhorn’s linemen were little more than turnstiles. Ewers and Manning were under so much pressure that it’s a wonder they threw for any yards at all.

The Bulldogs collected ten tackles for loss. That’s the kind of defensive effort Georgia used to capture the first of Smart’s two national championships. Fittingly, the game ended with Georgia delivering a fourth down stop.

And if these kinds of defensive efforts continue, don’t count on Smart winning his third league title.

The Bulldogs can play possum with the best of them, but when they get alert, they still have a mean streak.

Blake Toppmeyer is the national college football columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

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