A Struggling Georgia Team Stills Presents a Challenge to No. 1 Texas

Since 2021, the only team the Georgia Bulldogs have lost to is Alabama. That might change this Saturday at 7:30 when they travel to take on the No.1 Texas Longhorns.

Unstoppable Force

Prior to Texas’ last game, concerns swirled if quarterback Quinn Ewers would be able to lead the offense returning in his first game since an injury on Sept.14. While the Longhorns handily cruised to a 34-3 thumping over Oklahoma, Ewers threw for less than 200 yards for the first time without being pulled early.

Some fans are still concerned and are pulling for true freshman Arch Manning to start against Georgia. Manning led the Longhorns to two decisive wins in Ewers’ absence. However, both those wins came against unranked teams, and No.5 Georgia is the Longhorns’ toughest matchup yet of the 2024 season.

Nevertheless, the fact that the rest of the Longhorns team continued to excel is a testament to their depth and championship potential. Texas won both SEC Offensive lineman of the week and SEC Defensive Player of the week with Kelvin Banks Jr. and Anthony Hill Jr., respectively.

NO WAY 😱@QuinnEwers ➡️ @MatthewGolden_2 ➡️ @gunnar_helm pic.twitter.com/nvsEsFJjsE

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 12, 2024

Georgia’s Keys to the Game

The Bulldogs are currently 5-1, their only loss to Alabama. With that being said, they are struggling to maintain consistency on offense and play a complete 60 minutes. Head coach Kirby Smart expressed concerns over the team needing to play its best offense against Texas due the Longhorns’ size, physicality and well-roundedness.

Looking beyond the record, the Bulldogs have had to work harder than expected to come up with close-call wins. Earlier this season, Georgia flailed against the unranked Kentucky Wildcats, eventually coming up with 13-12 win. Last weekend, they also had a hard-fought win over Mississippi State, 41-31.

In comparison, Texas beat Mississippi State 35-13. Texas has an arguably stronger defense than Georgia, only allowing 103.7 rushing yards per game. Even desiring more on offense, Georgia still finished with 605 total yards against Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs are fortunate to have a strong schedule this season, so this isn’t a make-or-break game for them in terms of bowl games or making the 12-team playoff, but it is a must win for the morale and pride of the former No.1 team.