Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Author
AUSTIN, Texas — Georgia coach Kirby Sensible had been ready for his crew to place collectively a whole efficiency.
It lastly arrived within the No. 5 Bulldogs’ 30-15 upset of No. 1 Texas at Darrell Ok Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday night time.
“No one gave us an opportunity,” Sensible informed ESPN. “Your personal community doubted us. After which they tried to rob us with calls on this place. These guys are so resilient.”
Three weeks after Georgia fell behind by 4 touchdowns within the first half of a 41-34 loss at Alabama, the Bulldogs flipped the script and grabbed a 23-0 lead at halftime in opposition to Texas.
Georgia’s protection sacked Texas’ quarterbacks seven occasions and had 10 tackles for loss. The Longhorns completed with solely 259 yards of offense, together with 29 dashing. Texas went 2-for-14 on third down and 1-for-5 on fourth.
Georgia, taking part in at Texas for the primary time since 1958, handed the Longhorns their first lack of the season. Texas was the final remaining unbeaten crew within the SEC. In line with ESPN Analysis, it is the primary time since 2007 that each SEC crew misplaced earlier than the tip of October.
Georgia’s 15-point victory tied for the third-most lopsided street win in opposition to an AP No. 1 crew all time and was the largest since Notre Dame defeated Pittsburgh 31-16 in 1982.
In a metropolis that prides itself on preserving issues bizarre, a loopy sequence of occasions almost helped the Longhorns get again within the recreation.
With Texas trailing 23-8 with three minutes left within the third quarter, Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck threw down the left sideline for broad receiver Arian Smith on third-and-10 from the Georgia 31-yard line. Longhorns security Jahdae Barron stepped in entrance of Smith and intercepted the cross. He returned it 36 yards to the Georgia 9.
That is when issues obtained unusual.
Initially, officers penalized Barron for cross interference, giving the ball again to the Bulldogs. Referee Matt Loeffler introduced the decision to the gang and walked off the 15-yard penalty to the Georgia 44.
Texas followers booed the decision whereas watching replays on the stadium’s jumbotron. Some threw particles into the north finish zone, stopping play for a couple of minutes. Whereas workers members and safety cleaned up the bottles, officers conferred once more and reversed the decision.
When Loeffler informed Sensible concerning the reversal on the sideline, the Georgia coach informed him, “You’ll be able to’t try this! You’ll be able to’t try this! … That is bulls—!”
“Now, we have set a precedent that for those who throw a bunch of stuff on the sector and endanger athletes that you have an opportunity to get your name reversed,” Sensible mentioned. “And that is unlucky as a result of, to me, that is harmful. That is not what we would like, and that is not criticizing officers. That is what occurred.”
Sensible mentioned Loeffler instructed to him that the penalty was known as on the incorrect participant — that it ought to have been offensive cross interference in opposition to Smith.
“It took him a very long time to appreciate that,” Sensible mentioned.
In an announcement launched early Sunday morning, the SEC mentioned officers “gathered to debate the play, which is permitted to make sure the correct penalty is enforced.”
At the moment, in line with the league, “the calling official reported that he erred, and a foul shouldn’t have been known as for defensive cross interference. Consequently, Texas was awarded the ball on the [Georgia] 9-yard line.”
“Whereas the unique analysis and evaluation of the penalty was not correctly executed, it’s unacceptable to have particles thrown on the sector at any time,” the SEC assertion mentioned.
The league mentioned it could evaluate fan conduct associated to its sportsmanship insurance policies and procedures.
“I perceive the frustration,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian mentioned. “We have been all pissed off within the second, however all of us, the Longhorn Nation, I do know we will be higher than that.”
Sarkisian mentioned officers did not clarify to him why the decision was reversed.
Barron informed reporters that the delay in cleansing up the bottles on the sector “probably” helped in officers altering the decision.
“It was loopy,” Barron mentioned. “I believed it was a foul name, so it was good that it modified.”
Regardless of Sensible’s protest, Texas took over on the Bulldogs’ 9. Following a first-down sack, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers threw a 17-yard landing to Jaydon Blue over the center. The purpose-after kick made it 23-15. Abruptly, the Longhorns had life after doing little or no within the first half.
However Georgia’s offense answered with an extended landing drive of its personal. A 43-yard cross on a flea-flicker to tight finish Oscar Delp moved the Bulldogs to Texas’ 25-yard line. On first-and-goal, Beck ran for five yards to the 1. After two straight stops by the Longhorns, Georgia tailback Trevor Etienne bumped into the tip zone on fourth-and-goal, pushing its result in 30-15 with 12:04 to play.
Etienne completed with 87 yards on 19 rushes with three touchdowns.
After trailing 23-0, Texas lastly obtained on the scoreboard after it recovered Georgia’s onside kick try to begin the second half. Ewers, who was benched to finish the half, began the third quarter. Following a cross interference penalty in opposition to Bulldogs security KJ Bolden ultimately zone, Ewers threw a 2-yard landing and the following 2-point cross to Isaiah Bond to chop Georgia’s result in 23-8.
Beck threw two interceptions early, the second approaching a tipped cross to Barron at Texas’ 5-yard line with 3:34 left within the first quarter.
Georgia’s protection did not permit the Longhorns to get a lot of something going, nonetheless, after surrendering two first downs on Texas’ opening possession.
Following Beck’s second interception, Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette blitzed from Ewers’ blind aspect on third-and-6 from Texas’ 27-yard line. Everette’s jarring sort out brought on Ewers to fumble, and Everette recovered the ball on the 13-yard line.
4 performs later, Etienne scored a 1-yard landing on a toss sweep to the left for a 7-0 lead with six seconds left within the first quarter.
Texas’ offense went three-and-out on every of its subsequent three possessions.
On third-and-7 from the Longhorns’ 11-yard line, Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker dropped Ewers for a 9-yard sack. After returning the following punt, Georgia took over at Texas’ 28-yard line and Peyton Woodring kicked a 33-yard area aim for a 10-0 benefit with 10:46 remaining within the first half.
It could solely worsen for the Longhorns. On the following sequence, Everette intercepted Ewers’ cross to wideout Matthew Golden at Texas’ 34-yard line. That arrange Etienne’s 15-yard landing run up the center, giving the Bulldogs a 17-0 lead with 8:30 to go within the half.
Georgia made it 20-0 on a 48-yard area aim with 4:43 remaining.
Sarkisian benched Ewers and changed him with redshirt freshman Arch Manning on the following possession.
Ewers was solely 6-for-12 passing for 17 yards with one interception within the half. He was sacked thrice and misplaced a fumble. The Longhorns had simply 15 yards on 23 performs when Manning got here into the sport.
Manning, the nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning, did not do a lot better. Texas punted on his first drive then Manning was sacked by linebacker Damon Wilson II and fumbled on the second drive. Walker recovered the ball at Texas’ 30-yard line.
Woodring booted a 44-yard area aim on the ultimate play of the half to place Georgia forward 23-0.
Walker, a junior from Salisbury, North Carolina, had seven tackles and three sacks within the first half. He’s the primary participant to take action in a recreation in opposition to an AP No. 1-ranked crew previously 20 years, in line with ESPN Analysis.
Sensible collected his a centesimal victory in 117 video games as his alma mater’s coach, which ranks fifth quickest to 100 wins with Notre Dame’s Knute Rockne and Chris Petersen, who did it at Boise State and Washington.
