Texas Longhorns Lead Georgia Bulldogs at Halftime of SEC Championship

The Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs were stuck in a defensive battle in the first half of the SEC Championship.

Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) drops back to pass against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first half in the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

ATLANTA -- The Texas Longhorns took a slim 6-3 lead into halftime over the Georgia Bulldogs in Saturday's SEC Championship in Atlanta.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers was impressive through the first two quarters, as he went 16 of 25 passing for 228 yards and an interception. Longhorns receiver Matthew Golden was the star of the first half though, as he had four catches for 107 yards after the first quarter. He finished the first half with five catches for 112 yards.

As for Georgia, quarterback Carson Beck went 7 of 13 passing for 56 yards. The Texas defense held Georgia to just 61 yards of total offense.

However, the Longhorns committed a whopping eight penalties for 80 yards in the first half, which proved to be the difference despite strong play by both the offense and defense.

The Longhorns got the ball first and things seemed to be clicking early through the air. Ewers found DeAndre Moore Jr. for a 22-yard gain on 3rd and 4 before connecting with Golden for a 19-yard gain. However, a pass intended for Isaiah Bond on 3rd and 9 got tipped high into the air, allowing Georgia defensive back Daylen Everette to come up with his third takeaway against Texas this season.

The Bulldogs were unable to make anything out of the turnover and quickly went three-and-out.

On Texas' second drive, Golden continued to shine. Ewers found him open for a 50-yard gain on 3rd and 14 before connecting with Bond for a 22-yard pickup two plays later. However, an offensive pass interference call on Bond the next snap set Texas back and forced the Longhorns to settle for a 41-yard field goal from Bert Auburn.

Texas took a 3-0 lead.

The Texas defense continued to shine early and forced another Georgia punt on the Bulldogs' second drive. The Longhorns took over on offense, which led to more magic from Golden. He came up with a diving 32-yard grab on 3rd and 14 to keep the possession going.

Faced with a 4th and 1 outside the red zone, Arch Manning entered the game, but acted as a decoy on a direct snap to Jaydon Blue. Despite getting the first down, a holding penalty against Bond a few plays later forced Texas to settle for a field goal again, as Auburn extended the lead to 6-0.

Georgia finally picked up its first first down of the game not from penalty as Beck found Ben Yurosek for a 19-yard gain down the middle. The Texas defense came up big again though, keeping the Bulldogs out of the red zone and forcing a 44-yard field goal from Peyton Woodring.

Georgia cut the lead to 6-3.

The Longhorns got down to the red zone again after two first-down grabs by Silas Bolden. Auburn came out to attempt another field goal and made it, but a Texas false start negated the play. He missed on the second attempt.

The two teams traded punts in the closing minutes of the half. Georgia got the ball back with 39 seconds left in the quarter and moved down the field thanks to another Texas penalty, this time on a pass interference against Gavin Holmes.

Georgia will receive the second-half kickoff.

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