Georgia football vs Texas scouting report, bold predictions, injury updates
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Georgia football’s two highest-ranked wins last season came against a Texas team that was No. 1 when they played in Austin and No. 2 in their rematch in the SEC championship game.
More than 11 months later, they meet again in a top 10 matchup in Sanford Stadium with plenty of new faces with now prominent roles.
Georgia has just four total starters remaining on offense and defense and Texas has nine from that Dec. 6 game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“It will have no carryover,” Georgia sophomore safety KJ Bolden said. “It’s two different teams, a lot of different players on each team. It’s going to be a great game.”
The No. 5 Bulldogs (8-1, 6-1 SEC) are coming off their most complete game of the season, a 41-21 win at Mississippi State.
The No. 10 Longhorns (7-2, 4-1) will have had two weeks between games since it beat then-No. 11 Vanderbilt 34-31.
“This team didn’t beat Texas, and Texas hasn’t played this team of ours,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “These are two completely different teams, in my opinion. I think it has zero effect on it.”
Beating Georgia would offer a playoff-building resume win for Texas, which still has to play unbeaten Texas A&M.
The Bulldogs can solidify their playoff position with a win even with No. 12 Georgia Tech on tap to close the regular season.
“It’s going to take 60 minutes, and it’s going to take all three phases,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “This can’t be a one-dimensional game for us. We’re going to need all three phases to play well.”
Georgia vs. Texas predictions
The word “dynasty” came up in discussion in Austin of a Georgia program that won national titles in 2021 and 2022 and played in the SEC championship game each of the last four seasons.
“They’re 51-2 in their last 53 games at home,” Sarkisian said. “And this year in particular, you know, I think that the one thing that has stood out is them finding a way to make great adjustments and play in the second half of games and continuing to fight. You know, even in their one loss against Alabama, I thought they played a tremendous second half and gave themselves an opportunity to win that ball game.”
Georgia’s dominant road win last Saturday in Starkville may have given the team newfound confidence.
Tight end Oscar Delp said Georgia “went out there and put some stuff that we’re proud of on tape.” He said Georgia “will build off of it.”
The chatter out of Texas interviews this week was not about avenging last year’s losses to Georgia.
Delp said every opponent tries to take down Georgia.
“Just playing at Georgia, you’re going to get every team’s best shot,” he said. “It don’t matter who we’re playing, we’re the game of the year.”
Georgia vs. Texas scouting report
Why Georgia has an advantage: The Bulldogs have produced their two highest total yard outputs in the last three games against Ole Miss (510 yards) and Mississippi State (567), running for 221 and 303 yards, respectively. The defense has been better since the start of the fourth quarter against Ole Miss. Georgia is now 20th in the nation in total defense at 310.8 yards per game.
Why Texas has an advantage: The Longhorns did get an early start to game plan for Georgia with two weeks between games. Quarterback Arch Manning is playing better the last couple of games and Texas getting back safety Michael Taafe from a thumb injury is a boost. Texas has held every team except Florida and Kentucky to 85 or fewer rushing yards.
Georgia vs. Texas injury updates
Georgia: Tight ends Lawson Luckie (head, probable) and Ethan Barbour (ankle, out), safety Kyron Jones (foot, out), wide receivers Colbie Young (leg, out) and Talyn Taylor (upper-body, out), defensive lineman Jordan Hall (knee, out), defensive lineman Josh Horton (undisclosed, probable).
Texas: None listed.
Georgia vs. Texas score prediction
Georgia 27, Texas 24 Georgia seems to have more offensive firepower than it did last season when the Bulldogs beat the Longhorns twice with 283 and 277 yards of total offense. Texas scored 7, 21 and 16 points on the road before putting up 45 in an overtime win at Mississippi State. Georgia will run the ball better and pull out a tight one at home.
Georgia vs. Texas scouting report: What we’re watching
Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette: The senior cornerback can get animated when he makes a big play on the field, but he hasn’t had quite as many big plays as a year ago.
His two most impactful games came against Texas.
Everette had a forced a fumble on a sack and recovered it and grabbed an interception in the 30-15 win in Austin. Then in the SEC title game in Atlanta, he had two more interceptions in the 22-19 victory.
Everette leads Georgia with 7 pass breakups this season, but does not have an interception or forced fumble.
Smart called him one of Georgia’s best leaders.
“He’s done a great job in the corner room and the DB room of helping the guys out, especially the young guys we’ve had to play with in some spots,” Smart said. “He continues to grow, lead, develop. He went through a little bit of an (ankle) injury early in the year, but very pleased with the year he’s having.”
Georgia has just four interceptions this season.
Texas redshirt freshman wide receiver Parker Livingston, who shares the team lead with 5 touchdown catches, offered a scouting report on Everette.
“He’s good,” Livingston said. “He’s good at press. He’s up there. He gets in the receiver’s face. It’s going to be a good challenge for us and our receivers and our offense.”
Texas QB Arch Manning: Photos of Texas redshirt sophomore quarterback Arch Manning wearing a Georgia cap at a game against South Carolina in 2021 in Athens as a coveted recruited have resurfaced this week.
Manning ranks ninth in the SEC in passing efficiency, three spots below Georgia’s Gunner Stockton.
Manning has completed 62.7% of his passes for 2,123 yards with 18 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
“He’s playing with more confidence,” Smart said. “He’s getting better protection. He’s seeing things well. He’s making good decisions. He’s getting the ball out of his hand quickly. He’s maturing. He’s had an opportunity to play and grow and you don’t really get that until you get out there and play. He played a good bit last year, but the kind of games he’s had to play in this year, just a different stature in terms of the SEC gauntlet.”
Four of Manning’s six interceptions have come in road games.
He has 12 rushes for 10 or more yards, according to cfbstat.com
“He can throw the ball,” Bolden said. “His legs are a big part of this game as well. He can extend plays down the field. It’s something we’re going to have to work on this week, plastering. We gave up one against Florida, a little scramble pass. We’ve got to work on plastering, staying in coverage. He’s definitely going to try to extend some plays with his legs. We’ve got to keep him in the pocket and close the pocket on him.”
Georgia’s offensive line: After shuffling lineups week after week due to injury, the Bulldogs’ offensive line has remained consistent the last three games.
It paid off against Mississippi State when Georgia rushed for 303 yards and did not give up a sack.
“I mean 300 yards on the ground isn’t too bad I’d say,” left tackle Monroe Freeling said. “I think we played probably our best game yet and we’ve got to carry that forward coming in against a tough opponent like Texas.”
Texas is tied with Texas A&M for the SEC lead with 34 sacks.
Edge rusher Colin Simmons has 8 sacks and linebacker Anthony Hill has 3.
Freeling on going up against Simmons, who had 1 sack in two games against Georgia in 2024: “I think he’s a great speed. He’s a very freaky athlete. Got a lot of twist to him. I’m excited. I’m a competitor. I love going out and competing. Whenever you get a good opponent like that, you just got to hone in your technique and get ready to play some ball.”
This game could turn on who wins the trenches.
“You’ve got to stack the games,” Freeling said. “One game isn’t going to define our offensive line. You’d love for it too. You’ve got to go (against) Texas and play your game because they’re a really good team.”
Ball security for Gunner Stockton and the offense: Texas is behind only Alabama in the SEC in turnovers forced with 15.
The Crimson Tide forced a fumble in their win at Georgia in September, one of five lost fumbles for Georgia this season.
Gunner Stockton has just two interceptions this season, but he’ll go up against a Longhorn defense with 9 interceptions, fourth most in the SEC.
Hill leads Texas with 3 forced fumbles and Simmons has 2.
“They’re very disruptive,” Smart said. “They create turnovers. They are aggressive, they’ve got good players.”
On the flip side, Texas has minimized its own turnovers of late.
“I think we have one turnover in the last four games on offense,” Sarkisian said. “and so our ability to continue to protect the ball, I think, is paramount.”
Bold predictions for Georgia football vs Texas
Georgia’s rejuvenated pass rush will keep it going
Georgia had a season-high 3 sacks at Mississippi State after entering the game with just 8 all season.
Texas and Arch Manning have been besieged by opposing defenses this season.
How does Georgia keep the pressure on this week?
“I’d say rushing as a unit,” outside linebacker Quintavius Johnson said. “Everybody communicating up front. Keeping the quarterback in a trap and knowing our rush lane.”
The Longhorns rank 122nd nationally in pressure rate, according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly.
They have given up 18 sacks, which ranks 75th.
Georgia’s inside linebackers account for 8.5 of the Bulldogs’ sacks, with CJ Allen with 3.5, Chris Cole with 3 and Raylen Wilson with 2.5
“Those guys have length,” Sarkisian said. “They’re elite rushers. They’re very gifted at when they called, even their run pressures of getting to the quarterback, and then in some of the obvious passing downs, we know they have a great package on third down. So, I think one of the keys is always, you know, everybody wants to look at sacks, you know. The other key is, are you affecting the quarterback as much as it is sacking the quarterback? And so, hey, we’ve got to do a great job of identifying those guys and minimizing their ability to affect the game.”
Ryan Wingo and Texas will make some big plays
Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo has been dangerous in the screen game.
He took a pass on the first play against Vanderbilt and went 75 yards for a touchdown and went 60 yards on Texas’ first offensive play against Mississippi State.
“We’ve just got to go out and challenge those guys,” Bolden said. “We can’t be scared. We’ve got to be physical, play fast. They’ve got a lot of great talent.”
Texas is tied for 17th nationally in pass plays of 30 or more yards with 17.
“Explosive, attacking, window dressing,” Smart said of the Longhorns offense. “They’ve got a lot of shifts motions. They employ tempo, and they’ll go fast on you. They do a really good job of mixing things up and creating a lot to work defensively.”
Georgia will be stubborn with the ground game
Georgia’s No. 4 SEC rushing offense goes up against a Texas defense that leads the SEC and is No. 2 nationally against the run behind only Texas Tech.
The Longhorns are allowing just 78.2 yards per game. Georgia is rushing for 197.2.
Only Missouri has more rushing attempts per game in the SEC than Georgia’s 42.1.
“They’ve got a very balanced offensive attack,” Sarkisian said. “I think Gunner Stockton has done a fantastic job of running that offense and creating explosive plays with his arms, with his legs. They’re running the football effectively.”
Georgia ran the ball 30 times for 108 yards in the win at Texas last year and 37 times for 141 in the SEC championship win.
Nate Frazier is coming off a career-high 181 rushing yards on 12 carries, but Chauncey Bowens has led the team in rushing in three of the last six games.
Georgia will control the ball
Georgia can be methodical in moving the ball down the field behind its physical offensive line.
It got explosive plays last week with a Nate Frazier’s 59-yard touchdown run and a 64-yard Noah Thomas touchdown catch from Gunner Stockton, but the Bulldogs can keep the ball from opposing teams with time-consuming drives.
Georgia is 10th nationally in time of possession at 33:03. Texas ranks 81st at 29:29.
“Defensively, we’ve got to find a way to get the ball off them, whether it’s off the quarterback, the runners, you know, affecting the quarterback in the pocket, forcing some errant throws,” Sarkisian said. “That’s when we’re at our best.”
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia vs. Texas scouting report, score prediction
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