All eyes will be on the SEC Saturday night for Georgia vs. Texas. The No. 5 Bulldogs travel to No. 1 Texas to take on the Longhorns in a game that matches up two preeminent college football programs. It will be the first time in 49 games that Georgia will go into a matchup as the underdog, dating back to the 2021 season opener against Clemson in Charlotte. Texas may be new to the SEC, but there are plenty of similarities between the two flagship schools. Steve Sarkisian is using the Nick Saban “blueprint” to build and structure the Longhorns, much like Kirby Smart has done during his tenure in Athens. This matchup is an important benchmark for both programs. We have five of the biggest questions heading into the matchup to prepare you for the game. So grab your popcorn as we preview Georgia vs. Texas.
Between the Hedges: Georgia vs. Texas
What are the game details?
Opponent: Texas
History: Texas leads the series 4-1
Last meeting: Texas defeated Georgia 28-21 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
Date and Time: Saturday, October 19 | 7:30 p.m. EST
Location: Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium
Television: ABC
Spread: Texas -5
Over/Under: 56.5
What Should You Know About Texas?
The Longhorns come into the game ranked #1 in the country and are playing with the swagger of a top team. Texas comes into the matchup with the country’s No. 1 scoring offense and defense. They have played two big-time opponents so far this season and have easily handled both. They dispatched the defending national champion Wolverines 31-12 in Ann Arbor in Week 2. Last week, they knocked off a slow start to take the gold hat back to Austin with their 34-3 victory over Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. Georgia will undoubtedly pose a challenge to the Longhorns, but they seem ready.
For Georgia to be successful, they will need to limit Texas’s top receiver, Isiah Bond. The Alabama transfer leads the Longhorns in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. He also has the ability to make big plays and comes into the game averaging 17.6 yards a game, something Smart highlighted in his press conference this week. “He’s electric. He’s a great release guy. They’ve got other good wideouts. They did a great job of upgrading their talent pool in the portal.” Smart said. “He can take a handoff or he can run through the middle of your defense and blow the top off. And Sark’s used to having really good guys like that to set plays up with, to stretch the field vertically and horizontally with.”
What Should You Watch for on Georgia’s Offense?
Can the Bulldogs start fast? Georgia has had difficulty getting their offense going in 2024. They scored just one touchdown against FBS opponents all season. The Bulldogs ran into trouble a few weeks ago in Tuscaloosa when they spotted the Tide a 30-7 halftime lead. If the offense falters out of the gate Saturday night, Sarkisian may not take his foot off the gas like Alabama seemingly did in the second half. It’s not all Mike Bobo or Carson Beck‘s fault for the slow starts. The Bulldogs have faced some significant injuries to their offense and have had to work with some players with relatively little experience. While injuries are not an excuse, they do help provide context. Here is a quick look at the injury report heading into Saturday night’s matchup.
- Roderick Robinson II (RB) Out
- Branson Robinson (RB) Out
- Tate Ratledge (OL) Questionable
- Jared Wilson (OL) Probably
With the Robinsons out at running back, Georgia must rely on Texas native Cash Jones to support the running game. While he did give the “horns down” after some prodding, Jones shared his thoughts on heading back to Texas to play. “I’m excited to be in Texas, but it’s just another game for us. We will focus on what we’ve been focusing on so far and do our best to win the game.”
What Should You Watch for on Georgia’s Defense?
Injuries have also impacted Georgia’s defense in 2024. Smart acknowledged the impact injuries have had on the team’s performance this season. “We’re not complete. We’re not injury free, Warren (Brinson’s) battling injury, Jordan (Hall)’s battling injury, Mykel (Williams) has been battling injury, and Christen (Miller) has been battling injury.” Smart said. “So there’s not really a guy that hasn’t missed time in that position. We’ve been really fortunate to have the numbers we have, even though it’s not necessarily the experience we need. It is a lot of big frames and big body types who are doing better.”
Despite the injuries and being an underdog in the game, defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse said the Bulldogs are ready for the Longhorns. “We really don’t really focus too much on underdogs,” Stackhouse said. “I think I speak for all of us. We don’t really pay attention to the underdog mindset. We’re playing any team, it doesn’t matter if it’s UAB, doesn’t matter if we’re playing UMass. We’re all going to the game with the same goal and that’s to go in and dominate.”
Who Will Win Georgia vs. Texas?
As we wrote about last week, something seems amiss for Georiga in 2024. On the other hand, everything seems to be coming up aces for the Longhorns. Texas makes a statement Saturday night and firmly plants its flag atop the SEC and college football.
Texas 31
Georgia 17
