Bulldogs have great first half, score three rushing touchdowns and dominate Longhorns’ attack in SEC conference duel in Week 8
(Foto: Brett Patzke/Imagn Images)
Another undefeated player in college football fell, but not just anyone. This Saturday (19), #5 Georgia (6-1) went to the DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium to face #1 Texas (6-1) and left the field with an excellent victory by the score of 30 to 15 against a rival from SEC that until then led the unofficial Associated Press rankings for the college football postseason.
And to dethrone the hitherto leaders among all programs, the Bulldogs counted on a great performance on both sides of the ball so that head coach Kirby Smart’s men could triumph in Texas. The big name was running back Trevor Etienne, with 19 carries for 87 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to participating in the aerial game.
Other good names were linebacker Jalon Walker, with eight total tackles, all solo, three for loss of tackles and three sacks, and kicker Peyton Woodring, with 12 total points. Quarterback Carson Beck did not have a good performance, completing 23 of 41 passes for 175 yards and three interceptions.
On the home team’s side, the Longhorns had their two QBs on the field. Both Quinn Ewers (25/43 for 211 yards, two touchdowns, a pick and two fumbles) and Arch Manning (3/6 for 19 yards and a fumble) were unable to make the team play well against Georgia’s good defense. No playmaker or defender had a standout number, with wide receivers Jaydon Blue and Isaiah Bond having a TD each.
Now, Georgia hopes that the defeat to Alabama is behind it to return to the top of the rankings and goes to its bye week, returning to the field only on November 2nd, in week 9 of college football, against Florida (4-3). Texas will go to Tennessee to face Vanderbilt (5-2) at FirstBank Stadium, on October 26, in week 8.
The game: Georgia 30 @ 15 Texas
The match started very complex, with the defenses excelling over the attacks. There were exchanges of punts, two interceptions by Carson Beck and a fumble by Quinn Ewers recovered by the visitors in the red zone. It was after this turnover that the Bulldogs opened the scoring with a two-yard run by Trevor Etienne at the end of the first quarter.
Right at the beginning of the second period, after forcing a 3&OutGeorgia scored three points on Woodring’s 33-yard shot. And this advantage increased even further in the sequence, with Ewers being intercepted and seeing Etienne score his second touchdown of the night on a 15-yard run to leave the duel at 17-0.
Before halftime ended, on the next drive, Peyton Woodring went for a 48-yard field goal and converted. With so many mistakes, head coach Steve Sarkisian placed Arch Manning as an under center in the Longhorns’ attack. The decision had no effect and they saw three more points on the scoreboard, this time from 44 yards: 20-0.
Upon returning from the locker room, Quinn Ewers returned to the position of starting QB and guided the home team’s TD drive to the promised land on a short pass to Isaiah Bondwith the conversion of two points also in the connection with Bond. Three campaigns later, the Longhorns’ defense intercepted Beck at the 31-yard line of the offensive field, leaving the offensive unit in a beautiful position, taking just two plays to score a new TD, this time with Jaydon Blue receiving a 17-yard pass from the shirt 3: 23 to 15 after the extra point.
The last quarter started with Georgia showing once again how good she was in the game and scoring another touchdown. Trevor Etienne went to his hat trick at the one-yard line, leaving the lead at two possessions. From then on, the Texas attack was no longer able to move the chains as needed. It was a fumble and two turnovers on downs to seal the program’s first loss of the year and the Bulldogs’ important 30-15 victory.
