GAME NOTES: UGA Football Battles Texas Longhorns For 2024 SEC Crown
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ATHENS - Dawg Post shares the latest news and notes from Georgia’s big 2024 SEC Title game matchup against Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns.
Bulldogs Take Aim At 15th SEC Title
Seventh-ranked Georgia (10-2, 6-2 SEC) enters the SEC Championship Game (SECCG) on a three-game winning streak while the No. 3 Longhorns (11-1, 7-1 SEC) have won five straight since falling to the Bulldogs 30-15 on Oct. 19 in Austin. After playing one of the toughest schedules in school history, the Bulldogs return to the SECCG for the fourth straight year. Georgia will be the visiting team. Once again, ESPN College GameDay and SEC Nation will be in Atlanta for the game.
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The Bulldogs wrapped up the regular season with three straight victories in Athens to extend its school record and FBS-leading streak of consecutive home wins to 31. Georgia registered a 31-17 victory over No. 7 Tennessee, beat UMass 59-21 and then Georgia Tech 44-42 in eight overtimes.
In the Kirby Smart era, the Bulldogs have won the SEC in 2017 and 2022, beating No. 4 Auburn and No. 14 LSU in the SECCG. In rematches during a season under Smart, the Bulldogs are 2-0 (2017 lost at No. 10 AU 40-17 in regular season, won 28-7 over No. 4 AU in SECCG; 2021 lost to No. 4 Alabama 41-24 in SECCG, won 33-18 over No. 1 Alabama in CFP National Championship).
Georgia History In SEC Championshp Game
2002 (W): #4 Georgia d. #22 Arkansas 30-3
2003 (L): #3 LSU d. #5 Georgia 34-13
2005 (W): #13 Georgia def. #3 LSU 34-14
2011 (L): #1 LSU d. #12 Georgia 42-10
2012 (L): #2 Alabama d. #3 Georgia 32-28
2017 (W): #6 Georgia d. #4 Auburn 28-7
2018 (L): #1 Alabama d. #4 Georgia 35-28
2019 (L): #2 LSU d. #4 Georgia 37-10
2021 (L): #3 Alabama d. #1 Georgia 41-24
2022 (W): #1 Georgia d. #14 LSU 50-30
2023 (L): #8 Alabama d. #1 Georgia 27-24
MVPs: David Greene, QB, ’02; D.J. Shockley, QB, ’05; Roquan Smith, LB, ’17, Stetson Bennett, QB, ’22
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33-2 In Last 35 SEC Regular Season Games
The 2024 Bulldogs finished 6-2 in the SEC including making road trips to #1 Texas, #4 Alabama and #16 Ole Miss plus a home game against #7 Tennessee. Georgia saw its school and SEC record streak of 28 consecutive regular season wins in league play end this year. The Bulldogs started this run by winning their final three games of the 2020 all-SEC schedule and are 33-2 in this span.
Georgia Versus Texas History
1949 Lost 28 41 in Miami (Orange Bowl)
1957 Lost 7 26 in Atlanta
1958 Lost 8 13 in Austin
1984 Won 10 9 in Dallas (Coton Bowl)
2019 Lost 21 28 in New Orleans (Sugar Bowl)
2024 Won 30 15 in Austin
Georgia-Texas Series
*First Meeting: Georgia entered the 1949 Orange Bowl on an eight-game winning streak and No. 8 AP ranking. Texas was 6-3-1 and playing in its first Or- ange Bowl and posted a 41-28 win. UT ran 58 times for 324 yards and five TDs, including 107 yards and a score by Tom Landry (eventual Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame coach) in his final game.
*Second Meeting: The 1957 contest came at Grant Field in Atlanta in front of a crowd of 33,000 and was the first game of 33-year-old Darrell Royal’s tenure at UT as the Longhorns won 26-7.
*Third Meeting: In 1958 in Austin, Georgia was trailing 6-0 early in the 4th quarter when future Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton put himself in (coaches had planned to redshirt him as the 3rd-string QB) when he saw starting QB Charlie Britt still sitting on the bench as the team took the field. He ran in and told his teammates, “I’ve come to win this game.” He directed a 21-play, 95-yard TD drive along with a two-point conversion for an 8-6 edge. UT answered with a 17-play, 72-yard TD drive capped by a 1-yard run by Bobby Gurwitz to lift 11th-ranked Texas to a 13-8 win.
*Fourth Meeting: Ask a Georgia fan what time it is in Texas and you’ll likely hear it’s Ten to Nine! In the 1984 Cotton Bowl, UT entered 11-0 and ranked No. 2 with a shot at its fifth national championship if it beat No. 7 Georgia (9-1-1). Down 9-3 with less than five minutes left, the Bulldogs took advantage of a muffed punt return by Craig Curry at the UT 24. Gary Moss recovered it and Georgia later scored on a 17-yard scamper by QB John Lastinger with 3:22 remaining for a 10-9 lead as Vince Dooley’s Dogs claimed the upset and finished with a No. 4 ranking.
*Fifth Meeting: Sam Ehlinger finished with three rushing TDs and 169 passing yards to lead Tom Herman’s UT squad to a 28-21 upset of No. 6 Georgia in the 2019 Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs finished 11-3 and ranked No. 7 while UT ended the season 10-4 and No. 9.