Eric Boggs 
Georgia was dominate on defense as they handed Texas their first loss on the season.
In a highly anticipated clash between two top-five teams, No. 4 Georgia overpowered No. 1 Texas 30-15 on Saturday night, marking the Longhorns’ first loss of the season. The Bulldogs’ defense was relentless, their offense efficient, and a controversial officiating decision added to the drama in front of a record-setting crowd at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.
Georgia set the tone early with a smothering defensive performance, limiting Texas to just 38 total yards and no points in the first half. Led by Trevor Etienne’s three rushing touchdowns, the Bulldogs stormed to a 23-0 halftime lead. Texas, known for its high-powered offense, struggled to find any rhythm against Georgia’s aggressive front, which sacked quarterback Quinn Ewers seven times. The pressure was so intense that head coach Steve Sarkisian benched Ewers late in the second quarter in favor of Arch Manning, though the move was brief and yielded minimal improvement.
The third quarter saw a potential turning point for Texas when the Longhorns clawed their way back into the game, scoring two touchdowns to cut the deficit to 23-15. However, it was a controversial pass interference reversal that drew the most attention. After defensive back Jahdae Barron intercepted a Carson Beck pass and returned it to Georgia’s 9-yard line, the officials flagged Barron for defensive pass interference, much to the dismay of Texas fans.
Frustration boiled over, with fans throwing bottles and trash onto the field after seeing the replay on the jumbotron. The officials convened, and after a lengthy delay, the penalty was overturned, and the interception stood. Two plays later, Texas scored, narrowing the lead to eight points. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart voiced his displeasure with the officiating after the game, saying, “They tried to rob us with calls in this place. These guys are so resilient; they didn’t let it faze them.”
The momentum from the reversed call was short-lived as Georgia responded with an 89-yard drive, capped by Etienne’s third touchdown, to stretch the lead back to 30-15. Despite Texas’s efforts to rally, Georgia’s defense stood tall, ending four Texas drives on fourth-down stops, all inside Bulldog territory.
Ewers, who was reinserted into the game for the second half, finished with 211 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, but struggled against Georgia’s swarming defense. Texas converted just 2-of-14 third-down attempts and failed on four of five fourth-down tries. Sarkisian acknowledged the poor performance but defended his quarterback, saying, “Quinn wasn’t at his best, but he competed his tail off in the second half.”
For Georgia, Beck threw for 175 yards with three interceptions, but it was Etienne and the defense that carried the Bulldogs. Georgia’s defense had seven sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and limited Texas to just 1.1 yards per play in the first half.
The officiating controversy didn’t end with the game, as the SEC released a statement afterward clarifying that the officials erred in initially calling pass interference and corrected the call after discussion. The statement also condemned the debris thrown onto the field, which disrupted the game and is subject to further review under SEC sportsmanship policies.
With the victory, Georgia improved to 6-1 and bolstered its SEC championship hopes as they head into a bye week before facing Florida in the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” Texas, now 6-1, will look to bounce back against Vanderbilt but faces a tougher road to the College Football Playoff following the loss.
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