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How the Longhorns failed in their first real test against Georgia

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How the Longhorns failed in their first real test against Georgia

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Royal-Memorial Stadium was vibrant Saturday night, brimming with the ingredients that have propelled the SEC to the top of college football.

Texas football's top-five matchup against Georgia received full preparation, with College GameDay on site. Texas set a home game attendance record of 105,215 fans, with the Longhorns joining the SEC. The referees helped bring some SEC-style chaos to the cauldron by negating a Jahdae Barron interception with a pass interference flag before changing their mind and overturning the decision. At times, UT fans threw trash onto the field to express their displeasure and show that “It Just Means More” actually means more.

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All of these elements came together to create a moment in which Texas (6-1, 2-1) was unprepared to concede. The Longhorns had a poor performance from quarterback Quinn Ewers and managed just seven points on three Georgia turnovers. That created the ideal environment for another SEC game: Georgia's perennially fearsome defensive line. And that group buried the Longhorns in an ugly defeat.

“It’s Georgia,” Texas center Jake Majors said. “The pinnacle of defense. And as a unit, we obviously weren't prepared enough, and I take full responsibility for my guys not being ready, but we just have a lot of respect for them and the way they work. The truth.” You have to say, they made us better today.

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Georgia's defensive front had a double-digit lead early on and it didn't just impact the game. From a Texas perspective, the Bulldogs completely ruined it.

They battered a Longhorns offensive line that had allowed six sacks in six games. By the time Georgia handed Texas the 30-15 loss, it had already sacked Texas quarterbacks three times and forced three turnovers through strip sacks.

“I think the game and the way it went allowed elite pass rushers to pass rush,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “When you play against really good people, you want to have balance because you have to try to neutralize people… that's real pass rushers like that. If you don't do that and just throw it to try to get it. “If you go back in the game and be quick just to save time on the clock, guys are going to get good rushes.

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Texas has seen elite SEC pass rushes before under Sarkisian's influence. Alabama's, which included first-rounder Dallas Turner, went without a sack against Texas last season. In 2022, a Crimson Tide unit that included both Turner and fellow first-round prospect Will Anderson Jr. recorded three sacks against the Longhorns.

Against this Bulldogs' onslaught, however, Texas' offensive line, which features two projected first-round picks, withered.

“They're pretty good. They have a pretty good defensive line,” UT left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. said. “If you want to talk about the execution point of view, we just need to fix the little things like technical issues. … You just have to watch the film and be hard on yourself, be honest with yourself.”

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Texas tight end Gunnar Helm said the Longhorns had difficulty dealing with some of Georgia's movements before the snap. Majors didn't entirely agree, although he believed those looks contributed to the Longhorns' penalties at the top.

“It depends on your composure,” Majors said.

Whatever the diagnosis, Texas lacked the resources to deal with Georgia's pass-rushing duo of Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams, who combined for five sacks. That's what the SEC is accusing you of: elite athletes who can dictate the terms if not managed properly.

Conference games against Mississippi State and Oklahoma didn't test the Longhorns as much. The first real SEC audit returned an ugly grade.

The game on Saturday

No. 6 Texas (6-1, 2-1) at No. 25 Vanderbilt (5-2, 2-1), 3:15 p.m., SEC Network, 1300, 98.1, 105.3 (Spanish)

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