The Georgia Bulldogs are gearing up for their biggest test of the season. After narrowly falling to Alabama three weeks ago, the Dawgs aim to rectify their mistakes when they face the top-ranked Texas Longhorns. As head coach Kirby Smart develops his game plan for this marquee matchup, he has sent a clear message about the preparation for either Texas quarterback: Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning.
The Bulldogs are back in the mix in the SEC and they look to reshape the NCAA playoff picture with a win over the Longhorns at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Since their defeat to the Crimson Tide, the Dawgs have rebounded with wins over Auburn and Mississippi State. Their upcoming challenge in Austin will serve as a trial by fire for Smart’s program, shining a spotlight on how they measure up against the nation’s elite teams this season.
On the other side, the Longhorns have welcomed Ewers back to the lineup following his recovery from an abdominal injury sustained on September 14th. However, upon his absence, five-star recruit Arch Manning stepped up and showed he is already well ahead of schedule on his development. In fact, during Ewers’ comeback against Oklahoma, many fans clamored for Manning to see some playing time, as Ewers appeared somewhat rusty at times.
Despite the noise, Sarkisian has consistently reiterated that Ewers is the Horns’ starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2024 college football season. As the October 19 showdown between Texas and Georgia approaches, Smart addressed the Longhorns’ quarterback situation, emphasizing how the Bulldogs are preparing for either signal caller.
“It doesn’t change how we prepare,” Smart said, per On3. “They’re not really different style quarterbacks. They’re both really good. I’ll say this. You watch the games that Arch played — he played really well. He did some really good things. But, Quinn’s a great player. They got a great situation because they’ve got two guys that really both came in and are playing well.”
Longhorns riding in high spirits after Red River Shootout
The Bulldogs will face a tall order when visiting the Longhorns‘ home ground. Texas comes off their biggest win of the season after taking down the Sooners at the 2024 Red River Showdown. Oklahoma was shellacked by Texas, and the ‘burnt-orange’ nation is eager to welcome the team home after such a dominant victory.
Quinn Ewers had an ideal return to the gridiron with the Horns, though his stats were far from his best self, and he expressed his feelings on the classic matchup against longtime rival, Oklahoma.
“The overall experience and atmosphere is unbeatable. So it’s not hard to get up for this game and we really enjoy the moment. And it’s been fun the past three years and I’m super glad to be 2-1, over five hundred, in the game for sure.”
Clear your schedule
No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1 SEC) will clash with No. 1 Texas Longhorns (6-0, 2-0 SEC) on Saturday October 19th at 7:30p.m.ET. The long-awaited matchup could have critical implications on the Southeastern Conference, as well as on the NCAA’s postseason, landscape. Both teams last met on January 1, 2018, during the Allstate Sugar Bowl, where the Horns emerged victorious with a score of 28-21.