It’s a top-five matchup for the ages as the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs head to Austin to take on the No. 1 Texas Longhorns. In a pivotal matchup with SEC Championship ramifications, this matchup between the Dawgs and Longhorns quite literally has it all.
Georgia vs. Texas Latest
The latest and greatest from Austin is brimming with excitement for this top-five matchup in the SEC. Find our Georgia vs. Texas Prediction.
UGA XI Not Attending Georgia vs. Texas
For those concerned of a repeat occurrence of the last time these two teams met would happen can rest assured. And no, we don’t mean what happened on the field when these two programs last did battle.
We mean when Texas’ mascot — Bevo — nearly trampled and gored Georgia’s famed mascot, Uga. According to Uga’s trainer, Charles Seiler, the famous bulldog will not be making the trip to Austin.
“That’s a lot of wear and tear on the dog,” Seiler told the Austin American-Statesmen. “Those games way out in the middle of the country are hard for us to get to. This dog that we have, well, he’s not new, but he’s only two-and-a-half, and we haven’t flown him yet, and he hasn’t been on a team bus yet.”
Of course, this comes as a bit of a relief for those fans worried about this happening again:
Bevo is not here for this mascot meeting. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/KXgaQzGm0W
— Danny Davis (@_dannydavis) January 2, 2019
Texas Ends Georgia’s Betting Streak
It should be stated that the betting public is as sold on the Longhorns as even the most diehard fans of the program are. In fact, according to BetMGM, more money and more bets were placed on Texas minus the points than any other team across the Week 8 slate.
Sure, it’s the biggest game of the weekend, so that should be understood that a lot of bettors will get in on the action. However, it’s important because of one massive factor: This is the first time that Georgia will be an underdog in any game since the season-opening contest against Clemson in 2021.
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That means for the first time in 49 games, Georgia will not be the favorite. And apparently, within the betting community, it’s not just good enough to make them the underdog, they’re getting less love with the amount of money being spent.
Fanatics Sportsbook reported that they had attracted more money on the Texas-Georgia game than all of Ohio State vs. Oregon did a week ago, and they did this by Thursday. Importantly, Fanatics also said that 90% of the total money bet was on the Longhorns minus the points.
Needless to say, if Georgia does win, it will not only shock oddsmakers, it will shock those who have put in millions of dollars all the same.
Georgia vs. Texas Stats, Live Updates
We’ll be back during the game to update all the latest and greatest happenings live from Austin, but before then, it’s imperative to take a quick snapshot of which players you’ll need to keep specific eyes on in this matchup.
Georgia Stat Leaders
The Bulldogs are paced by their balanced attack on offense.
- Carson Beck: 142-209, 1,818 yards, 15 TD, 5 INT
- Trevor Etienne: 63 carries, 335 yards, 4 TD
- Arian Smith: 23 receptions, 412 yards, 3 TD
- Dominic Lovett: 27 receptions, 302 yards, 2 TD
- Dillon Bell: 23 receptions, 298 yards, 4 TD
- Colbie Young: 11 receptions, 149 yards, 2 TD
- Lawson Luckie: 10 receptions, 144 yards, 3 TD
Beck has thrown for at least two touchdowns in all but one game this year, throwing at least three scores in three separate outings.
Texas Stat Leaders
For Texas, their numbers at the top start with QB Quinn Ewers, who missed a handful of contests earlier this season. In his place, Arch Manning started and still leads the team with his 901 passing yards.
- Quinn Ewers: 78-108, 890 yards, 9 TD, 3 INT
- Quintrevion Wisner: 45 carries, 278 yards, 2 TD
- Jaydon Blue: 61 carries, 268 yards, 4 TD
- Jerrick Gibson: 48 carries, 227 yards, 3 TD
- Isaiah Bond: 21 receptions, 369 yards, 3 TD
- Gunnar Helm: 21 receptions, 311 yards, 2 TD
- Ryan Wingo: 13 receptions, 269 yards, 2 TD
- Matthew Golden: 19 receptions, 246 yards, 3 TD
Ewers threw for 199 yards and a touchdown against Oklahoma in his return. Admittedly, he looked a bit rusty in his return to action for the first time in nearly a month.
Georgia vs. Texas Injury Updates
As of Thursday night, the latest injury updates for the Georgia-Texas game have been released. For Georgia:
- Roderick Robinson, RB — Out
- Smael Mondon Jr., LB — Out
- Branson Robinson, RB — Out
- Joseph Jonah-Ajonye, DL — Out
- Tate Ratledge, OL — Questionable
- Jordan Hall, DL — Probable
- Jared Wilson, OL — Probable
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart stated that Ratledge is ‘closer’ to playing against Texas.
“He’s running,” Smart had said last week. “He’s got a custom-made brace, he’s on dry land running, pushing it.”
Smart was more optimistic about Hall and Wilson, however.
“Jared’s been good, Jared’s been practicing,” Smart said. “Jordan’s done more than he has the last two weeks. He’s been out there repping, taking reps with us, and getting better.”
For Texas:
- Derek Williams Jr., DB — Out
- CJ Baxter, RB — Out
- Christian Clark, RB — Out
- Velton Gardner, RB — Out
- Trevor Goosby, OL — Out
- Isaiah Bond, WR — Probable
The big one for Texas is certainly Bond. The talented receiver exited last week’s game against Oklahoma but still leads or is tied for the lead on the Longhorns in each major receiving category with 21 catches, 369 yards, and three touchdowns.
His status as probable was an upgrade from his ‘questionable’ status earlier in the week, meaning he’s trending upward to playing following his ankle injury. Bond’s status will certainly move the line in eyes of bettors and those backing the Longhorns if he’s fully healthy.
Georgia vs. Texas All-Time Results
The Georgia Bulldogs and Texas Longhorns have met five times previously, most of which occurred before the 1960s. Texas leads the all-time series, 4-1.
Here’s a look at their all-time results by year:
- 1949: 41-28, Texas
- 1957: 26-7, Texas
- 1958: 13-8, Texas
- 1984: 10-9, Georgia
- 2019: 28-21, Texas
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