Texas vs. Georgia score: Dawgs ride defense as Longhorns suffer worst loss at home by No. 1 team since 1982

No. 5 Georgia outlasted No. 1 Texas 30-15 to fight back into the SEC title race and pick up a marquee victory on the road. The Bulldogs used a sensational defensive performance, holding the Longhorns scoreless and to fewer than 50 total yards in the first half. The loss is the largest by a No. 1 team at home since Dan Marino’s Pittsburgh in 1982. 

Georgia’s defense controlled this game from the opening snap and gave its offense opportunities to create points. The Bulldogs forced an interception and a strip sack on Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, both of which were caused by cornerback Daylan Everette. Georgia’s five first-half scoring drives averaged only 17.8 yards as the defense created short fields.

The Texas offense was so poor in the early going that coach Steve Sarkisian benched starting quarterback Quinn Ewers for backup Arch Manning. While Manning had a 21-yard run, he surrendered a strip sack of his own to this dominant Georgia defensive effort. 

Texas had a strong counterpunch when Ewers came back in the second half. The Longhorns went on a 15-0 run behind a pair of touchdown passes in the third quarter. However, Georgia traveled 89 yards on a 5-minute drive to push the lead back out to 15 points in the fourth quarter, which was enough to take it home. 

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck threw three interceptions, two of which came in the first quarter, but responded with 175 yards in the win. Running back Trevor Etienne had a hat trick with three rushing scores and 110 yards from scrimmage. Ewers threw two touchdowns and finished with 211 yards. 

• Texas is the first AP No. 1 team to lose at home since Oregon lost to No. 14 Stanford in 2012. The loss was the largest by a home No. 1 team since 1982. 
• The 23-0 halftime deficit for Texas was the biggest by a No. 1 team since Notre Dame in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game, which ended in a 42-14 shellacking. It was also the first 20-point deficit since 2021 Kansas. 
• Georgia’s victory means it has now won seven of its last eight games against AP top five opponents. Kirby Smart also became the fifth-fastest coach to win 100 games.