Written by Sam Cahn Jr., Chris Vanini, and Seth Emerson
After spending several weeks in the unfamiliar position of being left out of the top of the SEC standings, Georgia State made a big statement Saturday night to put the conference back on the map, defeating No. 1 Texas State on the road, 30-15. They won convincingly and further upset the SEC. and College Football Playoff photos.
The No. 5 Bulldogs, playing the underdog for the first time in 50 games since the opening game of the 2021 season, opened up a 23-0 lead at halftime and prevented a comeback in the second half. The top-five showdown included a temporary first-half quarterback change from Quinn Ewers to Arch Manning after Texas’ early struggles, and a Longhorn fan throwing debris onto the field late in the third inning. It was full of drama, with officials overturning calls for defensive pass interference. quarter.
Let’s take a look at what happened and how it affects both teams.
Georgia’s seasons rejuvenate
If you had told Georgia before this season started that they would split road games between Alabama and Texas, most Bulldogs would have accepted it. However, with a heartbreaking loss at Alabama and wins over Kentucky, Auburn, and Mississippi State not being dominant, the question remains as to whether this team is good enough and what will happen this season. I had doubts.
In the words of their opponents, Georgia is now back.
There’s still work to be done, especially with a trip to Ole Miss and a visit from Tennessee scheduled. (Georgia’s next opponent, Florida State, has also looked better of late.) But Georgia now holds the tiebreaker against Texas, with Alabama losing by two to Tennessee on Saturday. The injury helped him get back into the SEC championship range. The Bulldogs are in even better position heading into the College Football Playoff. Again, there’s still work to be done, but this win and Clemson’s season-opening blowout loss will go a long way.
There’s also a psychological lift for the team and the program. Georgia remains, at least for now, at the top of the college football hill, delivering a message to both the rest of the nation’s fans and those who have grown restless and frustrated. The last few weeks. — Seth Emerson
Bulldogs overcome PI scandal
A big swing in the second half caused by a controversial officiating decision threatened to derail this game before Georgia’s defense regained control.
With 2:48 left in the third quarter and the Bulldogs holding a 23-8 lead, Texas defensive back Jahday Barron picked off Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, setting up Texas in the red zone. . However, Barron was called for defensive pass interference, nullifying the play and infuriating the Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium crowd. Bottles and other trash rained down on the field, especially from areas near the Texas student section, leading to lengthy suspensions.
As the trash fell, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and other members of the Texas team walked to the corner of the end zone, waved, and asked students to stop. Cheerleaders and staff members picked up trash as the boos continued.
But after the game was stopped, officials ruled there was no pass interference and the ball actually belonged to Texas, sparking outrage on the Georgia sideline. The Longhorns found the end zone with solid possession and cut the deficit to eight points, but were unable to score again.
“I’m so proud of them, because no one believed in them,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart told ABC’s Katie George after the game. “No one gave us a chance. Your entire network doubted us. No one believed us. And they tried to rob us on the phone in this place. And these guys are so resilient. We talked about intentions. What were our intentions when we walked on the field?
“Our purpose wasn’t to take pictures, it wasn’t to do anything like a superstar. Our purpose was to eat. Our purpose was to eat and go hungry. I’m not interested in bells and whistles. What I want is a team that plays against them, and they did that tonight.”
even deeper
UGA’s Smart, Tumbled Pass Interference Call: ‘They Tried to Rob Us’
What’s up with the Longhorns now?
This was an absolute wake-up call for a program that had many singing its praises as it climbed to the No. 1 ranking with six dominant wins. Skeptics questioned the strength of the Longhorns’ schedule, but it was proven in the first half as Georgia played the Longhorns with a level of speed and physicality not seen all season. The Longhorns managed just 38 yards and appeared to be trailing the Bulldogs in the first two quarters. They couldn’t go from sideline to sideline or downhill as Georgia came strong against Texas every step of the way.
It was encouraging to see the Longhorns recover enough to stay in the game in the second half, but they couldn’t finish. The idea of Texas playing in the SEC Championship Game is on hold for now.
What does that mean for the Longhorns’ College Football Playoff hopes?Despite this result, they remain considered a top-10 team, so they remain in place. But it reduces their margin for error. Texas needs to finish strong like last season, which suffered a blowout loss to Oklahoma in the middle of the season (the Longhorns won seven straight games to qualify for the 2023 playoffs).
If they can avoid further problems, the Longhorns still have everything in front of them. But we have to start sooner. Saturday night was the second straight game in which they were scoreless in the first quarter, so they need to take better care of the ball. They committed four turnovers on Saturday night and have committed 11 turnovers in their last five games. — Sam Carn Jr.
Georgia’s defense continues today.
In the first half, the 2021 Georgia defense looked like it was again. There were five sacks (three of them by Jaylon Walker) and three forced turnovers, two of which were by cornerback Daylen Everett. The Bulldogs scrambled the Texans into a brief quarterback change and shut down the edge run that had plagued them for much of the season.
Texas had just 15 net yards on its first six drives of the game.
The second half was dicey, with Georgia allowing two touchdowns on a relatively short field. One was after a controversial interception/overturn pass interference, and the other was after Georgia squib-kicked for some reason on the second-half kickoff. But the defense defended a key fourth-quarter drive.
As for Georgia’s offense, Beck struggled for much of the night, throwing three interceptions but struggling to find success downfield. But when it mattered most, Beck took a big chance. Late in the third quarter, with a one-possession lead and a third-and-long from their own 10, Beck hit Arian Smith for a 21-yard gain. On the next play, Georgia pulled off a trick play. A double reverse free flicker left tight end Oscar Delp wide open for a 43-yard gain to the Texas 30.
Georgia State ultimately ended its drive with its final touchdown of the night, giving it some breathing room. — Emerson
Texas’ fascinating QB situation
Two days before Saturday’s game, Sarkisian briefly dodged a question about what it would take for him to consider changing quarterback from Quinn Ewers to Arch Manning midway through the game. But we found it necessary. An anemic offensive start against a top-five team.
Manning’s athleticism added another element to Georgia’s defense, but he did not have any more success. Texas failed to score and covered only 33 yards on two drives led by Manning. His final play of the night was emblematic of Texas’ struggles. Manning was sacked and fumbled, and Georgia recovered.
Ewers returned in the second half and led a touchdown drive to open the third quarter. He was much more confident and comfortable, resembling the jug the Longhorns knew from their days at Forty Acres.
“I wanted to give him a chance to take a step back and regroup,” Sarkisian said after the game. “We just told Quinn, ‘We’re going to go with Arch here. Let’s give him a chance to get into the locker room, rebuild the team and come back in the second half.'” That’s what we did. That’s it. I felt like it was effective. I thought Quinn came out and played even better in the second half and played well in the third quarter as well. ”
Ewers got the Longhorns within one possession late in the third quarter with the help of a crucial interception return from Barron. However, Texas was unable to finish as Georgia continued to close in on Ewers. Mikel Williams forced Ewers’ second fumble with 10 minutes, 23 seconds left in the game, stopping a Texas drive inside Georgia territory.
Some may wonder if this performance will spark a quarterback controversy at the University of Texas. The way Sarkisian handled it, and the way Ewers improved after being benched, suggests it’s not much. Manning is talented, but it was clear that he struggled against the speed of Georgia’s defense. Still, it cannot be ruled out. Ewers’ reaction was that of a veteran. However, if Texas does not perform well again in the upcoming games, it will be in the spotlight.
“Quinn is our starting quarterback,” Sarkisian said after the game. “I appreciate the fact that we’re fortunate to have backup players like Arch who come out and inspire us in a way, but at the end of the day, our starter is Quinn. Like I said, we’ve got to do a better job around him. He’ll say he can play better, but we’ve got to coach our guys better. For an offensive football team to perform better, everyone has to get better.”
To be fair to the quarterback, who was behind center may not have made much of a difference, as Texas’ protection issues made it nearly impossible for anyone to play. Georgia’s strategy and energy are admirable. Texas also made a series of mistakes and couldn’t do anything about it. — Khan
(Photo: Tim Warner/Getty Images)