AUSTIN, Texas – Trevor Etienne ran for three touchdowns, the first two coming off the plays of cornerback Daylen Everette, and fifth-ranked Georgia beat Quinn Ewers and No. 1 Texas 30-15 on Saturday night.
Etienne's last score was a 1-yard plunge on fourth down with 12:04 left. That came just after an ugly sequence in which Texas fans littered the field with water bottles and other trash after referees called a pass interference penalty that initially negated an interception and a long return, before The flag will be raised and a Longhorns landing will be prepared.
“These players bring out the best in me,” Georgia coach Kirby Sensible said. “They tried to rob us with calls in this place. And these guys are very resilient.”
Georgia (6-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference), which began the season at No. 1, has won three straight since a 41-34 loss at then-No. 1. 4 Alabama, when the Bulldogs They came back from a 28-0 deficit and took the lead late during an exchange of long landing passes.
The Bulldogs never trailed in their first trip to Austin since 1958 to take on the SEC newcomer that had gone through the first half of its schedule virtually unscathed.
“No one gave us a chance. Everybody doubted us,” Sensible said, then referencing ESPN’s “School GameDay” pregame show that aired from the Austin campus that same day. “Did you see the show this morning? “I didn’t do it because I was in meetings, but I got 8,000 text messages about it.”
Texas (6-1, 2-1) beat reigning national champion Michigan in Week 2 and had trailed by less than four minutes all season before facing the back-to-back national champion Wolverines.
The 15-point loss was the most lopsided for a No. 1 team at home since Notre Dame's 31-16 win in Pittsburgh in 1982, according to Sportradar, when Dan Marino was the Panthers' quarterback.
“Unfortunately tonight we didn't play our best football, but we were still competitive. Hopefully we'll get another chance against them,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “They've been the standard in college football for about five, six, seven years and we played really well against them in the second half.”
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck improved to 19-2 as a starter, including a 7-2 mark against ranked teams. He went 23 of 41 for 175 yards and finished with three interceptions, although Texas got nothing out of the two he threw in the first quarter. The Longhorns had just 38 yards in completion when trailing 23-0 at halftime.
Jahdae Barron's interception and 36-yard return to the Georgia 9-yard line late in the third quarter came after contact with Arian Smith that led to a pass interference penalty. Sarkisian was furious with the officials and then went to the far corner of the field, where the students sit, telling them to stop throwing things.
As they picked up the debris, the officials discussed the play and picked up the flag. Two plays later, Ewers threw a 17-yard touchdown to Jaydon Blue to bring the Longhorns within 23-15.
Ewers completed 25 of 43 passes for 211 yards.
Everette's blindside sack late in the first quarter caused Ewers to fumble, and the defender recovered at the Texas 13-yard line after several of his teammates attempted to recover the fumble. That led to Etienne's 2-yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead.
A 15-yard touchdown run by Etienne, with a late lunge into the end zone, made the score 17-0 after Everette stepped in front of a receiver for an interception at the Texas 34-yard line.
“We all always say that takeout comes in groups,” Everett said. “We practice taking the small details seriously.”
Peyton Woodring kicked three field goals before halftime for Georgia, the last a 44-yarder as time expired after freshman Arch Manning, on a second drive, fumbled while being sacked.
takeaway
Georgia: Sensible earned his 100th career victory in 117 games over nine seasons. … The defense set the tone for the Dawgs, including seven sacks and forcing four turnovers that Georgia turned into 17 points.
Texas: This was the Longhorns' biggest test yet in the SEC and became a jarring reminder of how tough things can be in their new league. Texas has lost its last five home games against top-five opponents, dating back to a win over No. 3 Nebraska in 1999, when they were together in the Huge 12.
Survey Implications
Texas will fall from the number one spot, it's just a question of how far. Oregon (6-0) is likely to take over at the top from the No. 2 spot, but Georgia could possibly replace the Geese there. No. 3 Penn State and No. 4 Ohio State, whose only loss came at Oregon, were out this weekend.
Next
Georgia: Faces Florida on November 2 in their annual game in Jacksonville, Florida.
Texas: at Vanderbilt on Saturday.
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