Georgia owned the fourth quarter — and the moment — once again. Behind a brilliant performance from quarterback Gunner Stockton, No. 5 Georgia strengthened its postseason position and continued its November surge, pulling away from No. 10 Texas for a 35–10 victory Saturday night at Sanford Stadium. The Bulldogs outscored the Longhorns 21–0 in the fourth quarter, turning a tense battle into a decisive win that extended their winning streak to six.
Stockton was the difference. The junior quarterback threw four touchdown passes — two to Noah Thomas — and added a late rushing score, outdueling Texas quarterback Arch Manning in a matchup of two of the SEC’s rising stars. Stockton completed 24 of 29 passes for 229 yards, with his lone interception only his third of the season.
Texas (7–3, 4–2 SEC) had clawed back, trimming Georgia’s lead to 14–10 midway through the third quarter after linebacker Anthony Hill intercepted Stockton and Manning capitalized with a 7-yard scoring pass to Ryan Wingo. A pass interference call on Georgia’s Zion Branch sustained the drive.
But that was the last spark the Longhorns would generate.
Georgia (9–1, 7–1) immediately answered with a 10-play touchdown march, highlighted by a clutch fourth-and-1 conversion on Stockton’s 10-yard pass to Chauncey Bowens. On another fourth down, Texas outside linebacker Colin Simmons jumped offsides, giving the Bulldogs new life.
Stockton made Texas pay, hitting London Humphreys for a 30-yard touchdown, pushing the lead back to 21–10.
Then Smart stunned the Longhorns with a bold, well-timed gamble — a surprise onside kick, executed perfectly by Cash Jones, a Brock, Texas native.
Georgia fully seized the momentum. Four plays after the recovery, Stockton found Lawson Luckie for a 6-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 28–10. Stockton later added a 4-yard scoring run to seal the win.
The victory came hours after No. 4 Alabama fell 23–21 to Oklahoma, a result that could position Georgia for a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff should the Bulldogs win out.
It also bolstered their chances to defend their SEC championship. Georgia remains on track for another title-game appearance, and Saturday’s win gave the Bulldogs three victories over Texas in the past two seasons — including last year’s 22–19 overtime SEC championship thriller and a road victory in Austin earlier in 2024.
Since losing 22–19 to Alabama on Sept. 27 — a defeat that snapped their 33-game home winning streak — the Bulldogs have been dominant. They remain unbeaten at Sanford Stadium against top-10 opponents under Smart (9–0) and are now 55–5 at home in his 10-season tenure.
Manning, who admitted this week that Georgia remained in serious contention during his recruitment until the final stretch, led Texas to an early 3–0 lead, its only advantage of the night. The Longhorns have now trailed Georgia in all three meetings over the last two seasons.
And in SEC play, the Bulldogs continue to show their resilience: they have trailed in seven of eight league games this season and are 6–1 in those contests.
The Longhorns entered on a four-game winning streak but left Athens needing help to stay alive in the playoff conversation. Saturday’s loss drops Texas to 7–3 and leaves the Longhorns searching for a rebound with two games remaining.
Texas: Hosts Arkansas on Saturday. Georgia: Hosts Charlotte on Saturday.
QB Comparison: Stockton vs. Manning
Gunner Stockton (Georgia)
- 24 of 29 passing, 229 yards
- 4 passing TDs, 1 INT
- 1 rushing TD
- 27 total touchdowns this season (19 passing, 8 rushing)
Arch Manning (Texas)
- 27 of 43 passing, 251 yards
- 1 TD, 1 INT
