No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Georgia meet in SEC clash with Bulldogs aiming to regain ground in title chase
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) throws the ball during an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Athens, Ga. Credit: AP/Jason Allen
No. 5 Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC) at No. 1 Texas (6-0, 2-0), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Texas by 3 1/2
Series record: Texas leads 4-1
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
The first matchup of top-five teams in Austin since then-No. 2 Texas hosted No. 1 Ohio State in 2006. Georgia needs a win to keep pace with the Longhorns atop the SEC. A second loss would leave the Bulldogs in the danger zone of slipping out of the conference championship, and would mount new pressure on making the expanded College Football Playoff.
KEY MATCHUP
Texas secondary vs. Georgia QB Carson Beck. The Bulldogs' senior is by far the best quarterback the Longhorns have faced the season. Texas smothered freshman starters at Mississippi State and Oklahoma the previous two games. Beck is a preseason All-American, is 18-2 as a starter and 6-2 against top 20 opponents.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) throws a pass under pressure from Oklahoma defensive lineman R Mason Thomas (32) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. Credit: AP/Tony Gutierrez
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Georgia: RB Trevor Etienne, already the starter, may have a larger share of the carries. Branson Robinson will be held out after spraining his right knee in last week’s win over Mississippi State. Etienne, a Florida transfer, leads Georgia with 335 yards rushing and four touchdowns but he had only 11 carries for 35 yards last week.
Texas: Quarterback Quinn Ewers returned from an oblique injury last week and beat Oklahoma, but even he said he has to play better than he did. Texas will likely need him in top form in a potential shootout with Beck.
FACTS & FIGURES
Texas is No. 1 in total defense and scoring defense. The Longhorns have allowed just three touchdowns all season and give up an average of 6.33 points per game ... Texas opponents have forced four turnovers inside Texas territory. The Longhorns have allowed no points after those turnovers.... The Bulldogs have the longest active streak of being ranked in the AP top 10 at 57 consecutive polls ... It is the first regular-season meeting between the Longhorns and Bulldogs since 1958. Texas won 13-8 that day despite a big fourth quarter from scrambling Georgia backup quarterback Fran Tarkenton, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer ... Georgia’s senior class is 47-3 with their only losses against Alabama.
