Texas vs. Georgia Week 7 Preview: What The Stats Say

The Texas Longhorns face their toughest test of the regular season.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian arrives at the stadium ahead of the game against Mississippi State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When the Texas Longhorns joined the SEC, this is the type of game they imagined themselves in on a consistent basis.

On Saturday night, the No. 1 Longhorns play host to the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs in the first top-five matchup at Darrell K. Royal Stadium since 2006. The Bulldogs have been on top of the sport for the past few years, boasting a 47-3 record since the start of the 2021 season (all three losses to Alabama) and winning back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022.

Meanwhile, the Longhorns have recently returned to prominence with a College Football Playoff appearance last year, and they look poised to return and make a deep run. This game marks their first true taste of SEC play, though, and it won't be an easy matchup.

There's no shortage of predictions out there, but what do the cold, hard numbers say?

Offensively, the Longhorns have a slight advantage statistically. Texas averages 495.7 total yards and 43.2 points per game, ranking seventh in the country in both. Georgia lags slightly behind with 452 total yards and 33.5 points per game, ranking 27th and 35th, respectively. The Longhorns also lean more on the run (189 yards per game vs. 134) while the Bulldogs air it out more (318 yards per game vs. 306.7).

Defensive stats tell a similar story. The Longhorns have allowed just 229.7 yards and 6.3 points per game, ranking first in both stats. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have allowed 312.5 yards and 17.7 points per game, ranking 27th and 20th, respectively. Texas has the edge in both rushing yards allowed (103.7 per game vs. 120.2) and passing yards allowed (126 per game vs. 192.3).

Despite all these advantages on paper, there's an important piece of context missing. Georgia has already played Alabama, a far better team than anyone Texas has played. As a result, the Bulldogs' numbers aren't quite as high due to stiffer competition. That's not to discredit any of the Longhorns' opponents, but few would argue with that assessment.

Then again, stats can only go so far. Once kickoff rolls around, the only thing that matters is the next 60 minutes.