No. 1 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs: Week 8 Game Preview

The Texas Longhorns will face arguably their toughest test of the season as the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs march into Austin.

Oct 12, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Trevor Etienne (1) celebrates after a touchdown with offensive lineman Drew Bobo (74) against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the fourth quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Five years ago, the beloved Texas mascot, Bevo, perfectly captured the emotions of the 2019 Sugar Bowl by nearly trampling Georgia's live representative, Uga the Bulldog. The Longhorns would end up somewhat fulfilling that foreshadowing moment as they hurdled over their opponent 28-21 in the last meeting between the two programs.

This season, Texas looks to bring back the same fight that Bevo had.

In the first top-five matchup to be held at Darrell K. Royal Stadium since 2006, the No. 1 Longhorns will face the No. 5 Bulldogs in Week 8 of the college football season, hoping to knock Kirby Smart and his team off their pedestal.

The Bulldogs got shaken up early this season, taking a 41-34 loss to familiar foe Alabama just a week after barely scraping by an unranked Kentucky team. Georgia has not seen the No. 1 AP Poll title since, and will come into this weekend's game lingering a bit behind at No. 5 following a close win over Mississippi State.

On the other hand, Texas will be riding its high horse, or more appropriately the Sooner Schooner, after finding an easy 34-3 victory over then-No. 18 Oklahoma in the annual Red River Rivalry, holding tight to the top ranking. However, head coach Steve Sarkisian said there's still work to be done before going head-to-head with the former SEC and national champions.

Since the beginning of the 2021 season, the Bulldogs have gone 31-3 in regular conference play and have taken home two NCAA National Championship titles under head coach Kirby Smart. All three losses came from the Alabama Crimson Tide, two of them in SEC Championship games, an opponent that Texas surpassed last season in a game that marked head coach Nick Saban's second loss in the past 53 home games.

Georgia's successful history has made its unexpected decline in performance this year all that much sweeter for teams looking to secure a spot in the 12-slot College Football Playoff bracket. It's also given Texas a little extra boost within the game's odds, as sports betting company FanDuel put the Longhorns at a 3.5-point favorite to beat the Bulldogs.

Fans will be in for a showdown on Oct. 19 against two teams that could very well see each other in the post-season, whether it be an SEC championship or a national championship. Nonetheless, Texas will be faced with one of its biggest challenges of the regular season going against Georgia, and a win over the Bulldogs could signal the peak of the Steve Sarkisian era.

Georgia Bulldogs

2024 Record: 5-1, 3-1 in SEC

Head Coach: Kirby Smart

Offensive Leaders

Passing: QB Carson Beck

2024 stats: 142 of 209 passing for 1,818 yards and 15 touchdowns with five interceptions

Rushing: RB Trevor Etienne

2024 stats: 63 carries for 345 yards and four touchdowns

Receiving: WR Arian Smith

2024 stats: 23 receptions for 412 yards and three touchdowns

Defensive Leaders:

Tackles: DB Malaki Starks

2024 stats: 32 tackles (21 solo)

Interceptions: DB Malaki Starks, DB Dan Jackson, DB KJ Bolden

2024 stats: Each have one interception

Sacks: DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins

2024 stats: three sacks for a loss of 18 yards