GEORGIA NOTES:
#7 Georgia (10-2, 6-2 SEC) vs. *#3 Texas (11-1, 7-1 SEC) *Nov. 26 CFP Ranking; Mercedes-Benz Stadium (75,00) Dec. 7, 2024, 4 PM ET – ABC (Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe, Laura Rutledge) UGA Coach: Kirby Smart (104-18, 9th year); UT: Steve Sarkisian (82-50, 11th overall/4th-UT) Local Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network (Learfield): Scott Howard (PxP), Eric Zeier (Analyst), D.J. Shockley (Sideline); Satellite Radio: SiriusXM (TBA) & on the SiriusXM App National Radio: Westwood One: Nate Gatter, Derek Rackley, Alyssa Lang SEC Radio: Dave Neal, Dave Archer, Stephen Hartzell ESPN College GameDay: Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, Pete Thamel, Jen Lada, Jess Sims SEC Nation: Laura Rutledge, Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper, Jordan Rogers & Tim Tebow; Also, Marty Smith & Ryan McGee will be live with SEC Nation SEC Network Re-Air: TBA; Series History: UT leads 4-2 Bulldogs Take Aim At 15th SEC Title Seventh-ranked Georgia (10-2, 6-2 SEC) enters the SEC Championship Game (SECCG) on a three-game winning streak while the No. 3 Longhorns (11-1, 7-1 SEC) have won five straight since falling to the Bulldogs 30-15 on Oct. 19 in Austin. After playing one of the toughest schedules in school history, the Bulldogs return to the SECCG for the fourth straight year. Georgia will be the visiting team. Once again, ESPN College GameDay and SEC Nation will be in Atlanta for the game. The Bulldogs wrapped up the regular season with three straight victories in Athens to extend its school record and FBS-leading streak of consecutive home wins to 31. Georgia registered a 31-17 victory over No. 7 Tennessee, beat UMass 59-21 and then Georgia Tech 44-42 in eight overtimes. In the Kirby Smart era, the Bulldogs have won the SEC in 2017 and 2022, beating No. 4 Auburn and No. 14 LSU in the SECCG. In rematches during a season under Smart, the Bulldogs are 2-0 (2017 lost at No. 10 AU 40-17 in the regular season, won 28-7 over No. 4 AU in SECCG; 2021 lost to No. 4 Alabama 41-24 in SECCG, won 33-18 over No. 1 Alabama in CFP National Championship).
33-2 In Last 35 SEC Regular Season Games The 2024 Bulldogs finished 6-2 in the SEC including making road trips to #1 Texas, #4 Alabama and #16 Ole Miss plus a home game against #7 Tennessee. Georgia saw its school and SEC record streak of 28 consecutive regular season wins in league play end this year. The Bulldogs started this run by winning their final three games of the 2020 all-SEC schedule and are 33-2 in this span. SMART Football *Georgia’s 2024 Senior Class is an FBS-leading and school record 52-4 (46-2 in the regular season) since 2021. The next best mark in this span is 47-8 by Michigan. Georgia’s 2023 Senior Class held the previous school mark at 50-4 with two national titles, an SEC crown plus went 6-0 in bowl/CFP games. *The Bulldogs are making their fourth straight appearance in the SEC Championship Game (SECCG) and seventh overall trip under Kirby Smart. Florida is the only school to have an SECCG streak longer as it went to five straight from 1992-96. In school history, Georgia has won the SEC title 14 times (2nd most in SEC), the last one coming in 2022 over LSU. The Bulldogs are 4-7 in the SECCG. *Georgia owns the nation’s longest active bowl streak at 27 seasons and has won its last seven matchups. At 10-2, the Bulldogs have guaranteed that postseason streak will be extended. *The Bulldogs are aiming to reach the College Football Playoff (CFP) for the fourth time under Smart. The Bulldogs made the four-team field in his second season (2017) and advanced to the National Championship Game after a thrilling overtime win over Oklahoma in a CFP semifinal at the Rose Bowl. Then, Georgia became the first team in the CFP era to win back-to-back national championships in 2021-22, beating Michigan and Alabama in 2021 and Ohio State and TCU in 2022. *Four Bulldogs have been named a finalist for the national award at their position: junior linebacker Jalon Walker (Butkus Award); junior safety Malaki Starks (Jim Thorpe Award); junior punter Brett Thorson (Ray Guy Award); and graduate snapper Beau Gardner (Patrick Mannelly Award).
Beck At The Controls Fifth-year senior Carson Beck, a 6-4, 220-pound native of Jacksonville, Fla., owns a 23-3 record as a starter. Led Georgia to 13-1 mark in ’23. * 8-3 versus top-20 opponents with a 66.8 Completion Percentage (243-364) for 3,118 yards, 20 TDs, 9 INTs in those contests. *Superb in rallying Bulldogs back from 14-point 4th quarter deficit in 44-42 win over Ga. Tech in eight overtimes; In 4th quarter, went 12-for-17 for 124 yards and 2 TDs and then was 3-for-3 for 45 yards and 2 TDs in OT * Tied school record with 36 comp. in win over MSU, career-high 459 yards ranks 3rd in school history, most since Eric Zeier had 485 vs. USC in ’94 * Set then Career Highs in 41-34 road loss at #4 Alabama, 50 att., 439 yards, 3 INTs; Was 8-of-17 for 100 yards, 2 INTs in 1st Half and trailed 30-7; then went 19-33 for 339 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT in the 2nd Half and led briefly 34-33 * 439 passing yards @ #4 UA ranked 4th most in school history *Davey O’Brien Great 8 For Week 14 win over Ga. Tech (Nov. 29), Week 12 win over #7 UT (Nov. 18), two-time Manning Star of the Week (Sept. 2, Nov. 18) plus SEC Offensive Player of the Week after 34-3 win over #14 Clemson *Among the 10 candidates for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award * Georgia’s top backup is Gunner Stockton. The redshirt-sophomore saw action in four games in 2023 and was 12-for-19 (63%) for 148 yards and two TDs. This year, Stockton is 13-for-16 (81%) for 135 yards in three games.
Georgia-Texas Tidbits Before 2024 Clash *First Meeting: Georgia entered the 1949 Orange Bowl on an eight-game winning streak and No. 8 AP ranking. Texas was 6-3-1 and playing in its first Orange Bowl and posted a 41-28 win. UT ran 58 times for 324 yards and five TDs, including 107 yards and a score by Tom Landry (eventual Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame coach) in his final game. *Second Meeting: The 1957 contest came at Grant Field in Atlanta in front of a crowd of 33,000 and was the first game of 33-year-old Darrell Royal’s tenure at UT as the Longhorns won 26-7. *Third Meeting: In 1958 in Austin, Georgia was trailing 6-0 early in the 4th quarter when future Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton put himself in (coaches had planned to redshirt him as the 3rd-string QB) when he saw starting QB Charlie Britt still sitting on the bench as the team took the field. He ran in and told his teammates, “I’ve come to win this game.” He directed a 21-play, 95-yard TD drive along with a two-point conversion for an 8-6 edge. UT answered with a 17-play, 72-yard TD drive capped by a 1-yard run by Bobby Gurwitz to lift 11th-ranked Texas to a 13-8 win. *Fourth Meeting: Ask a Georgia fan what time it is in Texas and you’ll likely hear it’s Ten to Nine! In the 1984 Cotton Bowl, UT entered 11-0 and ranked No. 2 with a shot at its fifth national championship if it beat No. 7 Georgia (9-1-1). Down 9-3 with less than five minutes left, the Bulldogs took advantage of a muffed punt return by Craig Curry at the UT 24. Gary Moss recovered it and Georgia later scored on a 17-yard scamper by QB John Lastinger with 3:22 remaining for a 10-9 lead as Vince Dooley’s Dogs claimed the upset and finished with a No. 4 ranking. *Fifth Meeting: Sam Ehlinger finished with three rushing TDs and 169 passing yards to lead Tom Herman’s UT squad to a 28-21 upset of No. 6 Georgia in the 2019 Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs finished 11-3 and ranked No. 7 while UT ended the season 10-4 and No. 9.
Resilient Bulldogs Respond With their home win over No. 7 Tennessee on Nov. 16, the Bulldogs improved to 15-3 after a loss in the Kirby Smart era, and they haven’t lost back-to-back games in the regular season since 2016, his first year at the helm. In fact, the last nine times Georgia has lost a game, it has won its next contest. This year, then No. 2 Georgia lost at No. 4 Alabama and then beat Auburn the next week in Athens. The No. 3 Bulldogs lost at No. 16 Ole Miss on Nov. 9 and then bounced back against No. 7 Tennessee with a 31-17 victory. UT came in averaging 37.6 ppg while allowing just 12.6 ppg. Georgia erased an early 10-0 deficit, and it was 17-all at halftime. Georgia put together a pair of 12-play scoring drives that covered 87 and 92 yards for the victory. Georgia improved to 48-4 at home in the Kirby Smart era including 7-0 against top 10 ranked opponents. In fact, the Bulldogs have a streak of 10 straight home wins over AP top-10 teams, which is the second longest streak in the AP Poll era that began in 1936. Miami holds the mark with 13 home wins in a row over top 10 teams from 1986-94. Facing a 17-0 halftime deficit and then a 14-point deficit with less than six minutes left in the 4th quarter against Ga. Tech, the Bulldogs stormed back for a 44-42 win in eight overtimes against their in-state rival.
TEXAS NOTES:
THE 2024 SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME • The No. 2/2/3 Texas Longhorns will face the No. 5/5/7 Georgia Bulldogs at 3 p.m. CT Saturday, Dec. 7, in the Southeastern Conference Championship game at Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. • The Longhorns finished the 2024 regular season with an 11-1 overall record for the second-consecutive season. • Texas finishes the 2024 regular season as the only SEC team with one loss. • There’s not only an SEC crown on the line Saturday as the winner will also earn a top-five seed in the 2024 College Football Playoff. The top-four seeds will also receive a first-round bye at the CFP. The Horns are vying back-to-back CFP appearances after being tabbed the No. 3 overall seed in 2023 and appearing in the CFP semifinals at the Allstate Sugar Bowl. • Last time out, Texas defeated No. 20/19/20 Texas A&M, 17-7, in the Lone Star Showdown on Nov. 30 at Kyle Field in Bryan-College Station. With the victory, UT clinched its SEC Championship game berth. • Of the six non-original members of the SEC (Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Texas A&M), Texas is the only program to clinch an SEC Championship game berth in its first season as a league member. • Texas is one of two teams in the nation with eight wins vs. bowl eligible opponents. Syracuse is the other. • In its first season as an SEC member, Texas has clinched conference championship game berths in backto-back seasons after winning the Big 12 Championship in 2023. • UT has 29 conference championships (25 SWC, four Big 12: 1920, 1928, 1930, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1983, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2005, 2009, 2023). • Saturday will be Texas’ eighth conference championship game appearance and first as an SEC member – the Longhorns appeared in seven Big 12 Conference title games and won four of those (1996, 2005, 2009 and 2023). • Texas’ 11-consecutive true road wins (not including neutral site contests) is the longest streak for the Horns since winning 15-straight road games from 2003-06. It also doubles as the longest active streak in the FBS. • Texas and Georgia will rematch after the Bulldogs defeated Texas, 30-15, inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Oct. 19. Since the loss, Texas currently sports a five-game winning streak heading into Saturday’s rematch. • The Longhorns have held 10 of 12 opponents to 17 points or less this season. • UT boasts the fourth-most wins (959) in NCAA history. Texas holds an all-time record of 959-393-33. The Longhorns’ 959 wins are the second most by an SEC program following Alabama’s 974 victories. • Texas has back-to-back 11-win seasons for the first time since 2008-09 (2008: 12-1 overall, 2009: 13-1 overall). • Following Texas’ 56-7 win over UTSA on Sept. 14, Texas moved to No. 1 in the AP Poll for the first time since Oct. 26, 2008. The Longhorns spent four weeks this season at No. 1 and have had 49 overall appearances at No. 1 in the AP Poll.
SERIES HISTORY • Texas and Georgia will duel for the second time this season and seventh time in series history on Saturday. • The Longhorns hold a 4-2 series advantage over the Bulldogs, including a 2-1 series lead in neutral site contests. Texas won the first three games in series history. • In their previous meeting, the Bulldogs took down the Horns, 30-15, inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium earlier this season on Oct. 19. • The Longhorns defeated the Bulldogs, 28-21, at the Allstate Sugar Bowl following the 2018 season. • Prior to 2018, Texas and Georgia last faced one another at the 1984 Cotton Bowl with the Bulldogs prevailing, 10-9, handing the Horns their lone loss of the 1983 campaign. • Texas defeated Georgia, 26-7, in 1957 and 13-8 in 1958, in a home-and-home series played in Athens and Austin. • The Longhorns won the first-ever meeting, 41-38, in the 1949 Orange Bowl to conclude the 1948 season.
A TEXAS WIN WOULD … • Claim Texas’ 30th overall conference championship and first SEC Championship in its first season as a league member. • Clinch back-to-back conference titles for Texas for the first time since 1995-1996. • Earn a top-five seed at the 2024 College Football Playoff and have the opportunity, if earning a top-four seed, to receive a first-round bye. The Horns would appear in the CFP for the second-consecutive year and the second time in school history. • With a win, Texas will extend its series lead vs. Georgia to 5-2 and 3-1 in neutral site games. • Be Texas’ 960th all-time victory, the fourth-winningest program in college football history. • Give Steve Sarkisian his 84th victory as a head coach and 37th at Texas in his 133rd career game as a head coach. • Texas would move to 12-1 overall during the 2024 campaign. TEXAS AT NO. 3 IN CFP RANKINGS • Texas football is at No. 3 in this week’s College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings released on Nov. 26. It ties for the highest CFP ranking in program history. The Longhorns have nine-consecutive top-10 CFP rankings, dating back to Oct. 31, 2023. Texas debuted at No. 5 in the first CFP rankings on Nov. 5 -It was the program’s highest-ever spot in the first week of CFP rankings. Texas has been in the top-25 in each of the last 13 CFP rankings and has 25 overall appearances with its highest appearance at No. 3 in both 2023 and 2024. The Longhorns are currently ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press and US LBM Coaches Poll. UT made its first CFP appearance in 2023 after facing the No. 2/2/2 Washington Huskies in CFP semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Longhorns climbed from No. 7 in the penultimate 2023 CFP ranking to No. 3 on Selection Day.