Georgia survives bizarre failed bid to beat No. 1 Texas

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Georgia coach Kirby Smart had been waiting for his team to have a complete performance this season.

On Saturday evening the No. 1 team finally won 30:15. 5 Bulldogs vs. No. 1 Texas at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Three weeks after Georgia fell behind by four touchdowns in the first half of a 41-34 loss at Alabama, the Bulldogs flipped the script and took a 23-0 halftime lead against Texas behind their dominant defense.

The Bulldogs sacked Texas quarterbacks seven times and had 10 tackles for loss. The Longhorns had just 259 yards on offense, including 29 rushing yards. Texas went 2-14 on third down and 1-5 on fourth down.

Georgia, playing in Texas for the first time since 1958, handed the Longhorns their first loss of the season. Texas was the last remaining undefeated team in the SEC. According to ESPN Research, it’s the first time since 2007 that every SEC team has lost before the end of October.

In a city that prides itself on keeping things weird, a crazy series of events almost helped the Longhorns get back in the game.

With Texas trailing 23-8 with three minutes left in the third quarter, Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck threw down the left sideline for receiver Arian Smith on third-and-10 from the Georgia 31. Longhorns safety Jahdae Barron stepped in front of Smith and intercepted the passport. He returned the ball to the Georgia 9 from 36 yards.

That’s when things got strange. First, the officials penalized Barron for pass interference and gave the ball back to the Bulldogs. Referee Matt Loeffler announced the call to the crowd and called the 15-yard penalty to the Georgia 44.

Texas fans booed the call while watching replays on the jumbotron at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Some fans threw debris into the north end zone, stopping play for several minutes. While staff and security cleaned up the bottles, officers conferred again and returned the call.

When Loeffler told Kirby Smart about the turnaround on the sideline, the Georgia coach told him, “You can’t do that! You can’t do that! …This is nonsense—-!”

Despite Smart’s protests, Texas took over at the Bulldogs’ 9. After a first-down sack, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers threw a 17-yard touchdown to Jaydon Blue over the middle. The point-after kick made it 23:15. Suddenly the Longhorns had life after doing very little in the first half.

But Georgia’s offense responded with a long touchdown drive of its own. A 43-yard pass on a Flea Flicker play to tight end Oscar Delp brought the Bulldogs to the UT 25. On first-and-goal from the 6, Beck ran 5 yards to the 1. After two straight stops, Georgia stagnated Trevor Etienne stormed into the end zone on fourth-and-goal, extending the lead to 30-15 with 12:04 to play.

After trailing 23-0, Texas finally got on the scoreboard after recovering from an attempted onside kick by Georgia early in the second half. Ewers, who was on the bench at the end of the half, started the third quarter. After a pass interference penalty on Bulldogs safety KJ Bolden in the end zone, Ewers threw a 2-yard touchdown and the ensuing two-point pass to Isaiah Bond to cut Georgia’s lead to 23-8.

Beck threw two interceptions early – the second coming on a pass to Barron at the UT 5 with 3:34 left.

However, Georgia’s defense didn’t allow the Longhorns to get anything going after suffering two first downs on Texas’ first possession.

After Beck’s second interception, Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette shot from Ewers’ blind side on third-and-six at the Texas 27. Everette’s tough tackle caused Ewers to fumble and Everette recovered the ball at the UT 13.

Four plays later, Etienne scored a 1-yard touchdown on a throw to left for a 7-0 lead with six seconds left. The Texas offense finished with a three-pointer on each of its next three possessions. On third-and-7 from the UT 11, Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker dropped Ewers for a 9-yard sack.

Georgia took over at the Texas 28 and kicked a 33-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 10:46 left in the first half.

Things would only get worse for the Longhorns. On the next series, Everette intercepted Ewers’ pass to Golden at the Texas 34. That set up Etienne’s 15-yard touchdown run up the middle, giving the Bulldogs a 17-0 lead with 8:30 left in the half.

Georgia made it 20-0 on Peyton Woodring’s 48-yard field goal with 4:43 left.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian benched Ewers and replaced him with redshirt freshman Arch Manning on the next possession.

Ewers was just 6 of 12 for 17 yards and an interception in the half. He was sacked three times and lost a fumble. The Longhorns had just 15 yards on 23 plays when Manning entered the game.

Manning, the nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning, didn’t fare much better. Texas fumbled on its first drive, then was sacked by linebacker Damon Wilson and fumbled on its second drive. Walker recovered the ball at the Texas 30.

Woodring hit a 44-yard field goal on the final play of the half to give Georgia a 23-0 lead.

Walker, a junior from Salisbury, North Carolina, had seven tackles and three sacks in the first half. According to ESPN Research, he is the first player in 20 years to do so in a game against a team ranked No. 1 in the AP rankings.