The No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs defeated the No. 18 Texas Longhorns with a final score of 35-10.Quarterback Gunner Stockton continued his strong performance, throwing for four touchdowns and running for another.Despite a 7-1 conference record, Georgia does not control its own destiny for a spot in the SEC championship game.
The No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs (9-1, 7-1 in SEC) finished their SEC slate with a dominating 35-10 win over the No. 18 Texas Longhorns. It was a wire-to-wire win, with the Longhorns never gaining a lead at any point.
It looked like the Longhorns were building some momentum in the third quarter. Texas was down 14-10 at the end of the third quarter, but Georgia quashed any momentum in the fourth quarter, going on a 10-play, 73-yard touchdown drive, recovering an onside kick, then scoring another touchdown to make it 28-10. Overall, Georgia answered every Texas score with a double digit run of their own.
Gunner Stockton had another tremendous performance, completing 24 of 29 attempts with 229 yards, four touchdowns, and just one interception. Noah Thomas caught two touchdowns, distancing himself from his rough start to the season.
The Bulldogs pass rush delivered again, something that was a weak spot for most of the season. Quintavius Johnson, Zayden Walker, and Gabe Harris Jr. each earned their first sacks of the season, and overall, it appears Georgia’s pass rush has figured things out.
Georgia moves up to 9-1, guaranteed to make the College Football Playoff if they take care of business against Charlotte and Georgia Tech. Texas falls to 7-3 and would need to win out, along with a lot of help, to make the playoff.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!Four major takeaways from Georgia’s 35-10 win over TexasGunner Stockton is a Heisman candidate
The Bulldogs are an offensive juggernaut, and it’s on the back of quarterback Gunner Stockton. He has transcended into one of the best quarterbacks in the nation over the last month.
In his past four games along, Stockton has 1,005 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He also has two rushing touchdowns during that span. His QBR of 90.1 is ranked third in the nation, and his decision making is helping Georgia win shootouts, something that was uncommon last season with Carson Beck.
Stockton carved up the Texas defense, scoring four times through the air and once via the ground. If he keeps this recent pace up, then Stockton will get some Heisman buzz.
Noah Thomas is putting rough start behind him
Noah Thomas is one of the reasons for Stockton emerging as one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. Thomas was transferred in from Texas A&M, with a unique skillset that included incredible jump-ball ability and fluidity after the catch. Thomas notched 545 receiving yards and six touchdowns with the Aggies last year, but Thomas started off slow with Georgia, never catching a touchdown until Florida.
After that first touchdown, Thomas made up for lost time. He found pay dirt on a 64-yard reception against Mississippi State and double-dipped against Texas, scoring twice to bring his season total to four.
He’s currently tied with tight end Lawson Luckie for most touchdown receptions of any Georgia Bulldog, and his average of 15.5 yards per catch is second on the team to tight end Elyiss Williams. Safe to say, he’s putting the lack of involvement earlier in the season behind him.
Georgia’s pass rush is finally producing
In probably the best development for Georgia’s playoff outlook, the pass rush produced against Texas. Georgia’s pass rush, up to this point, stunk. This year, the Bulldogs have the SEC’s worst pass rush in sack percentage, with just a 3.58 sack percentage.
However, they’ve improved that number to 6.12% in the last three games, which is still 11th in the SEC, but showing signs of progress. Against Texas, Georgia had three sacks and seven tackles for loss. Gabe Harris had a sack and 1.5 TFLs, Zayden Walker earned his first sack, and he and Quintavius Johnson had sacks and tackles for loss.
Georgia’s pass rush will make or break their season, and if this variant can show up more often, then Georgia could go on a deep run in the College Football Playoff.
Georgia needs help in the SEC
Georgia finished their SEC schedule with a 7-1 record. That would usually be enough to clinch an SEC championship spot outright, but Georgia does not control their own destiny in making the SEC championship.
Texas A&M and Alabama are ahead of them. Texas A&M has to win against Texas, who Georgia beat 35-10. They’d have a perfect record in the SEC if they beat Texas, and even if they lost the SEC championship, they’d still reach the playoff.
Alabama, meanwhile, is in more dire need for an SEC championship berth. Their loss to Oklahoma means they have to win against Auburn in the Iron Bowl to have a chance to make the SEC championship. They’re still ahead of Georgia because of head-to-head, so they’d beat out Georgia for a spot if they won.
Ole Miss is still alive for the SEC championship spot, but they’re below Georgia. They can jump the Bulldogs for the final spot if both Texas A&M and Alabama lose on rivalry weekend. A three-way tie between Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama would come down to tiebreakers.
Overall, Georgia needs one of these to happen: Texas A&M to lose to Texas, Alabama to lose to Auburn, or Ole Miss to beat Mississippi State. With the last scenario, Georgia could beat out Ole Miss and Alabama in SEC opponent win-percentage, but the Bulldogs cannot do anything more to make the SEC championship.