ATHENS, Ga. — As Georgia prepared for its showdown with Texas on Saturday night, head coach Kirby Smart offered his team a vivid message: SEC football is a test of will, and only those who refuse to “ring the bell” survive. By the final whistle at Sanford Stadium, the Bulldogs had once again proven they thrive in the deep water.
Georgia dominated the fourth quarter to pull away from the Longhorns 35–10, keeping both their SEC championship hopes and College Football Playoff dreams intact. It marked Georgia’s third straight win over Texas in just two seasons.
“We pride ourselves on being the team that doesn’t tap out,” Smart said. “When the hype phase wears off and you get into the grind, that’s when we separate.”
Texas (7–3, 4–2 SEC) stayed within striking distance through three quarters, but the Longhorns’ playoff hopes effectively evaporated with the loss. No three-loss team has ever made the CFP.
“Really disappointing because it was tight for a long time,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “But the fourth quarter wasn’t competitive for us. Now we’ve got a two-week season. We need to get up, regroup, and finish the right way.”
Georgia Regains Control Late
After a smooth opening half, Georgia’s offense stalled, stringing together four punts and then a rare mistake from quarterback Gunner Stockton — an interception that led to Texas’ only touchdown. Arch Manning found Ryan Wingo from seven yards out to trim Georgia’s lead to 14–10 with just over five minutes left in the third quarter.
That’s when the Bulldogs shifted back into championship gear.
Facing fourth-and-1 from his own 36, Smart kept the offense on the field. Stockton rolled right and hit Chauncey Bowens for 10 yards. Later in the drive, Stockton drew an offsides call on fourth-and-5. Three plays later, he faked a toss and found London Humphreys down the sideline for a 30-yard touchdown, pushing the lead to 21–10 early in the fourth.
Smart immediately doubled down on the aggression.
On the ensuing kickoff, Georgia executed a perfectly timed onside kick — the program’s first recovery in 11 years. Peyton Woodring dribbled it ahead, and Cash Jones pounced.
“We knew it was coming,” safety KJ Bolden said. “Coach had been telling us all week. Still didn’t think he’d actually call it — but he sure did.”
Smart explained that Texas returner Ryan Niblett forced his hand.
“If we kick it deep, he might take it to the house,” Smart said. “Based on our practice rate, we thought we had an 80% chance to recover it. It was the right moment.”
Bulldogs Deliver the Knockout
After the onside kick, Georgia marched downfield again, finishing a nine-play drive with Stockton’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Lawson Luckie. The Bulldogs outscored Texas 21–0 in the final quarter.
“It’s crushing,” Smart said. “Your defense thinks they’re resting after a touchdown, then suddenly they’re back out there. Meanwhile our offense is like a python — once we get wrapped around you, we squeeze.”
Stockton finished with one of the most efficient games of his young career: 24-of-29 passing for 229 yards and five total touchdowns.
Arch Manning threw for 251 yards for Texas but struggled under pressure, completing 27 of 43 attempts with a touchdown and an interception. The Longhorns were undone by nine penalties and a 2-for-12 performance on third down.
“We had chances,” Sarkisian said. “But self-inflicted mistakes killed us — drops, penalties, missed assignments. We couldn’t string together complete drives.”
With the win, Georgia (9–1, 7–1 SEC) heads into the stretch run firmly in the playoff picture, showing once again that when the game turns into a test of toughness, few teams can stay afloat with the Bulldogs.
