Following a 34-3 thrashing of Rival Oklahoma, Texas will return home and welcome Georgia in one of the season’s most anticipated games. The Bulldogs have lost one regular season game since 2021. Kirby Smart’s program has been the standard in college football and represents the stiffest test this season for the #1 ranked Longhorns.
Offense
Texas has not had to play any high-level QBs so far in 2024. That will change on Saturday with Carson Beck coming to town. Beck is in his second season as the full-time starter and is having a good season (completing 68% of his passes with 15 touchdowns compared to 5 interceptions). He has the arm talent to push the ball down the field regularly and isn’t afraid to throw into tight windows.
Florida transfer Trevor Etienne leads Georgia in carries (63), rushing yards (335) and rushing touchdowns (4). Freshman Nate Frazier will also see some carries and is a future star. The Bulldogs have struggled to run the ball at times, averaging only 4.6 yards per carry as an offense.
Off-field problems have caused the Georgia receiver room to look slightly different than many expected 6 months ago. Arian Smith, Dominic Lovett and Dillon Bell are the only receivers on the roster with more than 10 receptions. Smith is the big play receiver, averaging 18 yards per reception. Bell stands at 6’1 and leads the unit in touchdowns (4). Georgia likes to throw the ball a lot.
The only team with a better offensive line than Georgia might be Texas. The Bulldogs are hoping to get starting center Jared Wilson back from injury, which would be a big boost. The unit is an elite pass-blocking group, surrendering only 7 sacks on the season. Texas has registered 10+ sacks over the last 2 games so something will have to give.
Defense
Georgia has tremendous defensive talent, but the unit has been a little leaky at times this year. The Bulldogs rank in the middle of the pack in the SEC in both rushing, passing and scoring defense.
One area the Bulldogs have struggled in is getting to opposing quarterbacks. Georgia has only 11 sacks on the season, which ranks 15th in the SEC out of 16 teams. Defensive end Mykel Williams was projected by many to be a first round pick but has battled the injury bug all season, only registering 3 tackles and 0 sacks. If he is fully healthy on Saturday, the outlook for the Georgia pass rush gets much better.
LB Smael Mondon has already been ruled out for the game after missing the last few weeks with injury. The Georgia defense has taken a noticeable step back in his absence. Middle linebacker CJ Allen certainly looks the part (6’1, 235) and leads the linebacker unit with 29 tackles.
DB Malachi Starks will be a first round pick in the NFL draft and is the best safety Texas will see this season. He leads Georgia in tackles (32) and will be all over the field. Where the Bulldogs have struggled in pass defense has been at cornerback, with Julian Humphrey and Daylen Everrett both taking their lumps.
Final Thoughts
Georgia is still Georgia. On paper, the overall talent is pretty comparable between the two programs, but Texas has looked better on the field this year. All that being said, Kirby Smart has two national titles and is one of the brightest defensive minds in football. The Bulldogs will be ready. The chess match between Sarkisian and Smart will be fascinating to watch.
