SEC Championship Game: What the Stats Say

The Texas Longhorns face the Georgia Bulldogs with a conference title on the line.

Jon Alfano | Dec 6, 2024

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) throws a pass in the fourth quarter of the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sara Diggins/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images / Sara Diggins / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Texas Longhorns

Winning the SEC in their first year in the conference would be a huge accomplishment for the Texas Longhorns, and they only have one more hill, or more accurately, mountain, to climb to do so.

In Saturday's SEC Championship Game, the Longhorns will face off against the Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta for a de facto road game. Back in October, Georgia went into Darrell K Royal Stadium and handled Texas 30-15, the latter's only loss of the regular season. Now a few weeks later, the Longhorns have a chance to avenge that loss and clinch a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.

Ahead of the highly-anticipated rematch: let's take a look at the raw numbers.

Offensively, the Bulldogs average 425.3 total yards (seventh in SEC), 297 passing yards (third), 128.3 rushing yards (15th) and 34.3 points (fifth) per game. Carson Beck, who threw three interceptions in the first meeting, can do some damage if he avoids the mistakes, as can the running back duo of Nate Frazier and Trevor Etienne despite the Bulldogs' subpar rushing stats.

Defensively, the Bulldogs allow an average of 332.2 total yards (ninth in SEC), 196.3 passing yards (fifth), 135.9 rushing yards (ninth) and 20.5 points (seventh) per game. Players to watch include defensive backs Malaki Starks (tied for a team-high 65 total tackles) and Dan Jackson (team-high two interceptions).

It's important to note that the Bulldogs have played one of the toughest schedules in all of college football. While they have the talent to dominate nearly any other team, doing so on a weekly basis is incredibly difficult and the stats reflect that.

The Longhorns' strength is in their defense, as they lead the conference in total yards allowed, passing yards allowed and points allowed. Add in a relatively well-balanced offense, and they're a tough team to take down.

The last meeting between these two was a gritty, defensive slugfest. Both teams combined for seven turnovers, and neither surpassed 300 yards of total offense. Ultimately, the Bulldogs' ability to punch the Longhorns in the mouth early on gave them the edge.

Kickoff from Mercedes-Benz Stadium is set for 3 p.m. CT.