GEORGIA GAME NOTES:
#5 Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC) vs. #10 Texas (7-2, 4-1 SEC) Nov. 15, 2025, 7:30 pm ET; Site: Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium (93,033), Athens, Ga. ABC-TV: (Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe & Laura Rutledge) UGA Coach: Kirby Smart (113-20, 10th year); UT: Steve Sarkisian (91-54 overall, 45-19/5th@UT) Local Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network (Learfield): Scott Howard (PxP), Josh Brock (Analyst), D.J. Shockley (Sideline); Satellite Radio: SiriusXM 84, and on the app; National Radio: Westwood One (Nate Gatter, Derek Rackley, Jon Stashower-Studio) SEC Nation Pre-Game Show: In Athens; SEC Network Re-Air: TBA Fast Facts On The Georgia-Texas Series *Fifth-ranked Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC) finishes the SEC regular season Saturday when it plays host to No. 10 Texas (7-2, 4-1 SEC) for the first time in Athens. Kickoff will be at 7:30 pm on ABC. Last Saturday in Starkville, Georgia cruised to a 41-21 victory over MSU while UT had an open date. *The Bulldogs upset then No. 1 Texas 30-15 in Austin last year and then beat the No. 2 Longhorns again in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta 22-19 in overtime. UT holds a 4-3 edge in the series history. The first meeting came in the 1949 Orange Bowl (UT won 41-28 in Miami). *The Bulldogs are 8-0 against top 10 ranked opponents Between the Hedges under Kirby Smart. *Georgia is 41-17 against ranked opponents in the Smart era including 15-2 in Athens. *Georgia is 39-3 in its last 42 SEC regular season games. “Hard To Kill” *Georgia has trailed early and/or late in six of its seven SEC games this year, and it is 5-1 in those contests. The Bulldogs have rallied to beat No. 15 Tennessee and Auburn on the road for their ninth straight victory in those series, outlasted No. 5 Ole Miss in Athens, won their fifth straight over Florida in Jacksonville, and last Saturday in Starkville, erased an early 7-0 deficit with 38 unanswered points and eventually recorded a 41-21 decision for the program’s 900th all-time win. *Georgia blanked then No. 17 Alabama and Auburn in the second half while Kentucky’s lone second half score came on a 23-yard drive with 1:51 left in the contest and the Bulldogs up 35-7. Trailing 35-26, Georgia outscored No. 5 Ole Miss 17-0 in the 4th quarter in its 43-35 win. Against Florida, Georgia fell behind 20-17 early in the 4th quarter, took the lead for good with 4:36 left and posted a pair of 4th-Down stops including one in the Red Zone as UF came in 22-for-23 there. *The only league contest where Georgia led wire-to-wire was a 35-14 home win over UK while the only comeback that fell short came to No. 17 UA 24-21 in Athens. Playing With FPE (Fire, Passion & Energy) *One of Georgia’s main themes in 2025 is to play with “FPE.” *Fifty-four percent of Georgia’s roster consists of players in their first or second season here. *Redshirt junior QB Gunner Stockton is in his first season as a starter, and he has accounted for 22 TDs (15 passing, 7 rushing). He ranks 14th nationally in Completion Percentage (69.4). He had a streak of 157 consecutive passing attempts without an INT end in the UK game. *Stockton helped Georgia pass its first SEC road start, leading the Bulldogs to a 44-41 win in overtime against No. 15 Tennessee in front of a crowd of 101,915. Georgia trailed five different times including in OT. At Auburn, he rallied the Bulldogs in the second half to a 20-10 victory. He sparked Georgia’s comeback against No. 5 Ole Miss with a perfect second half, going 12-for-12 for 135 yards and 3 TDs in a 43-35 victory. *Junior ILB CJ Allen, the SEC leader in average tackles per game at 8.3, is a semifinalist for the Butkus Award. *Due to injuries, Georgia started six different offensive line units in the first six games. The regular lineup has returned for the past three contests. They helped pave the way for 34 first downs and 515 total yards vesus No. 5 Ole Miss, 361 yards against Florida, and then a season-high 567 yards of total offense including a season-best 303 rushing yards in the road win over MSU. *The Bulldog defense has posted 15 scoreless quarters this season. Opponents have scored 103 points in the first half and just 72 in the second half of regulation. SMART Football *Kirby Smart is in his 10th season at the helm of his alma mater with a 113-20 mark. He is one of only two active coaches (Dabo Swinney, Clemson) with multiple national championships. *Smart has the most FBS wins by a coach in his first 10 seasons in the modern era. The previous best was Bob Stoops who went 109-24 at Oklahoma from 1999-2008. *Georgia is the only team in the CFP-era to win back-to-back national titles, doing it in 2021-2022. *In 2024, the Bulldogs made their fourth straight appearance in the SEC Championship Game (SECCG) and seventh overall trip under Smart. After a 22-19 overtime win over then No. 2 Texas, the Bulldogs claimed their 15th SEC title in school history and the No. 2 seed in the CFP.
Bulldogs Scoring With Stockton’s Arm and Legs Redshirt junior Gunner Stockton is a 6-1, 215-pound native of Tiger, Ga. *8-2 Career Record as a starter including 3-2 versus ranked teams. *Directed three 4th quarter comebacks in 2025 including over #5 Ole Miss, #15 Tennessee in Knoxville and versus Florida in Jacksonville *Davey O’Brien QB Class of ’25, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 10 selection *Swept national weekly QB honors after Georgia’s win over No. 5 Ole Miss (26-of-31, 289 yards, 4 TDs, 59 rushing yards including 22-yard TD). *Led Georgia to scoring drives on each of its first 8 drives in win over #5 Ole Miss, the first team to do that against an AP Top-10 team since 2016 *Directed 2nd half comeback against #5 Rebels, going 12-for-12, 135 yards, 3 TDs including erasing a 35-26 deficit in the 4th quarter. *According to ESPN Research, Stockton is the first QB to go 12-for-12 or better in a half against an AP top-five opponent since California’s Aaron Rodgers did it versus then-No. 1 USC in 2004. *Led 2nd half comeback in 20-10 road win over AU, finished as leading rusher (9-for-26, 1 TD) and was 24-for-37 for 217 yards through the air. *Directed 35-14 win over UK and completed 15-for-23 for 196 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT and 48 rushing yards on six attempts with 2 TDs. *Won first SEC road start at No. 15 Tennessee in front of a crowd of 101,915. *Named Davey O’Brien National QB of the Week after 44-41 overtime win over #15 UT. Georgia trailed five times, including 21-7 after the 1st quarter, 38-30 with 6:40 left in regulation, and in OT. *Successful home debut in the 2025 opening win over Marshall as the team’s leading rusher (73 yards on 10 attempts with 2 scores) plus threw for 190 yards and 2 TDs…First Georgia player to have two passing TDs and two rushing scores in a season opener in the past 80 years per ESPN Stats. *2024 Highlights: Started the 2nd half of the 2024 SECCG against Texas who had the No. 1 rated pass defense and No. 3 total defense after Carson Beck was injured…Led the Bulldogs on scoring drives of 75, 61 and 72 yards in three of the first four possessions and then the game-winning TD in OT…Made first career start versus No. 5 Notre Dame in the CFP Quarterfinal Allstate Sugar Bowl (20-for-32 for 234 yards, 1 TD despite being sacked four times).
Frazier & Bowens Headline Ground Attack Georgia is averaging 197.2 rushing yards per game with 22 TDs. *Sophomore Nate Frazier (team-high 575 yards) has started seven games including the first four contests. He had a team-best 72 rushing yards plus a three-yard TD catch in the win over No. 5 OM. Most recently, he went for a career-high 181 yards on just 12 carries (15.1 avg.) in the road win over MSU. His performance at MSU featured a career-best 59-yard TD run. *Redshirt freshman Chauncey Bowens made his first career start in the win over UK and provided 70 yards on a career-high 15 carries. Against No. 17 UA, he posted a career-best 119 yards on 12 carries (9.9 average). He has 474 yards and 6 TDs, the latest a 36-yard scamper for the go-ahead score in the 4th quarter in the win over UF. *Senior Cash Jones, redshirt senior Josh McCray and sophomore Dwight Phillips Jr., provide various looks. *The Bulldogs had 55 rushes for 198 yard in the win at No. 15 UT. Frazier had a team-long 21-yard burst on the first play in overtime to set up the game-winning score by McCray who notched a pair of scores in the triumph. *Jones is known for breaking tackles, being a solid blocker and receiver with a 16-yard TD catch against UK. Branch Setting The Tone For the Wideouts The Bulldogs are averaging 239.1 receiving yards a game with 16 TDs. *Junior Zachariah Branch (53-for-542 yards, 3 TDs) is poised to move into the top 10 in school history for most catches in a single season. Brice Hunter tallied 76 in 1993 followed by Brock Bowers with 63 in 2022 while a trio of former Bulldogs are tied for third place with 59 receptions. *With senior Colbie Young (23-for-336 yards, 1 TD) sidelined now with a leg injury (happened in the win over No. 5 OM), Branch and seniors Noah Thomas (8-for-154 yards, 2 TDs), Dillon Bell (18-for-204 yards, 1 TD) and junior London Humphreys (16-for-221 yards, 2 TDs) are the top pass catchers.
*Thomas has the longest catch of the season, a 64-yard TD against MSU. He got his first score as a Bulldog on a 22-yarder against UF for a 17-10 lead. *Branch posted a career high 10 receptions for 112 yards in the neutral site victory over UF. He had a team-high eight catches for 71 yards in the win over No. 5 OM. Branch had five catches for 69 yards in the victory at No. 15 UT, including a 36-yard TD and the game-tying two-point conversion with 2:32 left in regulation *Humphreys had THE catch of the season. Down 38-30 with 2:38 remaining in the game at No. 15 UT, it was 4th-and-6. He hauled in a 28-yard touchdown strike from Gunner Stockton. For Whom The Bell Totes Senior Dillon Bell has shown he can catch it, run it and even throw it. *As a wideout this year, he has 18 catches for 204 yards and one TD. In the win over No. 5 OM, he had two receptions for 57 yards. Bell has 10 career TD receptions. He had four catches for 43 yards and a TD in the win over UF. *Bell has flashed in the running game too with a 43-yard dash on a reverse against No. 17 UA. He had two scores in the win against UK. Against No. 5 OM, he had two rushes for 19 yards. For the year, he has 74 yards on nine carries. Bell has five career rushing TDs in 43 attempts. *In 2023, he threw an 18-yard TD in a road win over Tennessee. Ready Or Not, It’s Go Time Due to injuries, Georgia used a different starting OL unit in its first six games but have been able to keep the same unit for the past three contests. *Redshirt senior Micah Morris (LG) and Drew Bobo (C) are the only two linemen to start every game. The Bulldogs have employed three different starting RGs, two different LTs and four different RTs. *Junior LT Monroe Freeling had the longest the starting streak on the line at 10 games, but he left the UK game in the first quarter with a leg injury and did not return. He didn’t start at AU but did earn SEC OL of the Week honors. *Bobo was named Outland Trophy National Player of the Week for his performance in leading the line in the road win over No. 15 UT. *True freshman Juan Gaston Jr. has started at RG and RT while true freshman Dontrell Glover has started the last six games at RG. *RS-junior Earnest Greene III (RT), who has 28 career starts, has been hampered with a back issue during his career. He returned to his starting role in the win over No. 5 OM after missing the previous three games. *RS-freshmen Bo Hughley saw action at RT in the win at No. 15 UT, made his first career start there against No. 17 UA plus started at LT against AU. *The Bulldogs did not allow a sack in their first two games before the Vols collected four. Still, when the UT game was on the line, the offensive line came through. In overtime, it was three rushing plays for 25 yards that rallied the No. 6 Bulldogs to victory. Also of note, when Georgia trailed No. 15 UT 21-17 to start the 3rd quarter, the Bulldogs leaned on their running game, going 75 yards for a TD on 14 plays (13 rushes) to take their first lead. *Did You Know? Gaston joined Andrew Thomas (RT, 2017) as the only true freshman offensive lineman to start a season opener in the Smart era. Thomas went on to be a first round pick (fourth overall selection) in the 2020 NFL draft by the New York Giants. He remains a starter for the Giants.
TEXAS GAME NOTES:
THE OPENING KICKOFF • Fresh off a bye week, Texas travels to Athens, Ga., for the first time to take on the Georgia Bulldogs at 6:49 p.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 15, at Sanford Stadium. The game will broadcast on ABC with Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), Holly Rowe (reporter) and Laura Rutledge (reporter) on the call. • The Longhorns have won four-consecutive games, including three of those coming away from Austin. Texas has won two-straight true road matchups. • UT is coming off a 34-31 victory over No. 9/11 Vanderbilt at home on Nov. 1. • Texas’ 12 ranked wins over the past three seasons are the most of any program in the FBS. • Texas currently boasts 968 all-time wins, the fifth-most all-time victories in FBS history. Georgia’s 900 all-time wins rank ninth in FBS history. • Texas has won 19-straight home games against unranked opponents – the team’s longest such streak since an 18-game stretch that spanned between the 1999 and 2003 seasons. • The Longhorns concluded the 2024 season with a 13-3 overall record, including an SEC-best 7-1 mark during conference play, and their second-consecutive trip to the College Football Playoff Semifinal. Texas’ 13-3 record matched the school record in wins. UT finished the season with its second-straight top-five ranking (No. 3 Coaches/No. 4 Associated Press). • Texas is 32-7 over the last three seasons and is the only program to appear in each of the last two College Football Playoffs. • Steve Sarkisian holds a 45-19 record at Texas and an 92-54 mark in 12 seasons as a head coach.
SERIES HISTORY VS. GEORGIA • The Horns and Bulldogs will meet for the eighth time in history on Saturday. Texas leads the all-time series, 4-3. • Texas will be facing Georgia for the first time in Athens. The two teams have played a pair of games in the Peach State with both happening in Atlanta. Texas is 1-1 against the Bulldogs in the state of Georgia. • Georgia will be the fourth AP Top 10 opponent Texas has faced this season. The Longhorns are 2-1 against Top 10 foes in 2025. • UT and UGA will be meeting for the third time over the last two seasons.
A TEXAS WIN WOULD … • Move Texas’ 2025 overall record to 8-2 and its conference record to 5-1. • Move Texas to 3-1 vs. AP Top 10 opponents this season. • Be Texas’ 969th all-time victory. • Secure Steve Sarkisian his 93rd victory as a head coach and 46th at Texas in his 147th career game as a head coach. • Move Texas’ series edge to 5-3. • Secure Texas’ first victory vs. Georgia in Athens. YEAR FIVE OF THE SARKISIAN ERA • Texas Football Head Coach Steve Sarkisian is in his fifth season at the helm of the Longhorns and his 12th season as a head coach overall. • Texas made its third-consecutive postseason appearance under Sarkisian in 2024, including its second straight CFP semifinal appearance.
• Sarkisian was named to the preseason watch list for the Dodd Trophy on July 7. • Sarkisian was tabbed a finalist for the George Munger Award on Dec. 24, 2024. • In UT’s inaugural season in the SEC in 2024, Sarkisian led Texas to the best regular season record in the conference (7-1) and an SEC Championship Game berth, and the Longhorns became the only program to earn a spot in the CFP semifinals in each of the last two seasons. Texas’ 13-3 record in 2024 matched the school-record for wins and included a second-straight final top-five ranking (No. 3 Coaches Poll/No. 4 AP), marking the first consecutive top-five finishes for the Longhorns since 2008-09. • Sarkisian and the Horns turned in a historic season in 2023 with a 12-2 record, a Big 12 Championship, No. 3 final ranking and College Football Playoff semifinal appearance. He has also compiled top-five recruiting classes over the past four years. • The 2024 Longhorns were just the third team in program history to amass 13 or more victories in a single season. • RB Quintrevion Wisner rushed for 1,064 yards on the ground in 2024, the 13th consecutive year a Sarkisian offense has had a 1,000-yard rusher.
TAKING THE LONG WAY HOME • The Longhorns are back on the road as they take on the Georgia Bulldogs on Nov. 15. Including this upcoming game against Georgia, Texas will have played one home game in Austin over the span of 63 days by the time the Horns face Arkansas on Nov. 22. • The Longhorns’ stretch of 42 days without a true home game this season (Sept. 20 – Nov. 1) is the longest such stretch for an FBS team since Texas A&M went 42 days without a home game in the 2022 season (Sept 17 – Oct 29). • On Nov. 1, Texas returned home after an extraordinarily long stretch between games at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The extended road swing started after the Sam Houston game on Sept. 20, and including a bye week (Sep. 27), and covered 42 days before the Longhorns returned home to face Vanderbilt (Nov. 1). Following the road tussle at Florida on Oct. 4, Texas was the home team for this year’s Allstate Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma (Oct. 11), traveled to Lexington to face Kentucky (Oct. 18) and concluded the road swing at Mississippi State (Oct. 25). That lengthy home game draught matched the Longhorns’ longest stretch away from home since 2013 when Texas went 42 days between home games against Kansas State (Sep. 21) to its next game at DKR-TMS vs. Kansas (Nov. 2). ALL EYES ON TEXAS • According to Nielsen, Texas is the fourth-most watched college football team in the nation. The Longhorns average 6.48 million viewers per game this season.
SEC NATION IN THE HOUSE • For the eighth time in two seasons and third time this season (including back-to-back games), SEC Nation will be airing live for a Texas Longhorn game day. SEC Nation will air live on SEC Network from Myers Quad at the University of Georgia on Saturday, Nov. 15. • SEC Nation last aired live for a Texas game vs. Vanderbilt on Nov. 1. Previously, the show also aired live in Texas’ road matchup at Florida on Oct. 4, the CFP Semifinal/Cotton Bowl vs. Ohio State on Jan. 10. The first Round vs. Clemson at the University of Texas Campus on Dec. 21 and 2024 SEC Championship in Atlanta on Dec. 7 were also fixtures for the show. The show also visited the Texas campus in 2024 for UT’s home contest vs. Kentucky on Nov. 24. The show aired live from the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Oct. 12 for the annual Allstate Red River Rivalry vs. Oklahoma. • Laura Rutledge hosts SEC Nation, her ninth season in the host’s chair and her 10th on the show overall, joined by Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper, Jordan Rodgers and Tim Tebow for a weekly breakdown of the SEC football action to come. • Additionally, Marty & McGee Presented by Old Trapper will be live on Saturday morning from 8-9 a.m. CT, as Marty Smith and Ryan McGee meet at the intersection of southern lifestyle and college football to bring viewers the latest headlines, Hillbilly and otherwise, across the SEC landscape. Marty & McGee is live on the road with SEC Nation every Saturday this fall. • Myers Quad will also be home to The Paul Finebaum Show Presented by Johnsonville, with #FinebaumFriday live from 2-6 p.m. CT. SARK’S STAMPEDE • Under head coach Steve Sarkisian, the Longhorns are 33-8 in their last 41 games. Seven of their eight losses are against AP top-15 programs. • In Sarkisian’s first 22 games as head coach at Texas, UT went 11-11. • Sarkisian is one of two coaches in program history with a 13-win season (Mack Brown) after Texas finished the 2024 season 13-3 overall. • Since the start of the 2023 season, UT is 31-7 with six of seven losses against AP top-15 ranked foes. • Texas is 21-3 at home over the last three seasons with its only three losses to top-five ranked foes (No. 5/4 Georgia on Oct. 19, No. 1/1 Alabama in 2022 and No. 4/4 TCU in 2022). • Texas has won 16 of its last 18 conference matchups. AFTER BYE WEEKS • Head coach Steve Sarkisian is 13-4 in games played after a bye week during his career. He holds a 4-2 record at Texas while amassing a 2-1 record at USC and a 7-1 record at Washington.
HORNS STREAKS • With the win over No. 9/11 Vanderbilt on Nov. 1, Texas improved to 18-1 in its last 19 games at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. • The Horns have secured multiple victories over AP Top 10 opponents during the regular season for the first time since 2016. • Texas is 17-1 at home since the start of the 2023 season with 15 wins coming by 14 or more points. That is the second-most such wins in the FBS over that span (Ohio State – 16). • The Longhorns have not allowed 100 yards rushing in five-straight home games, tied for the longest active streak in the FBS. It’s the longest run by the Longhorns since a six-game stretch between 2009-10. • Texas has won 19-consecutive games at home against unranked opponents – the team’s longest stretch since an 18-game stretch between the 1999 and 2003 seasons. • Texas is 23-1 when it scores first since the beginning of the 2023 season. • Over the last 25 seasons, Texas is 62-0 at home when leading by 14+ points at halftime. • UT has registered an interception in 11 of the last 14 games. • Texas has not allowed a score on their opponent’s opening drive in their last 15 regular season home games dating back to September 2023. • The Longhorns have opened 4–0 at home for the third straight season — their first time doing so since the stretch from 2000 to 2002. • Texas has forced a turnover in 21-straight home games, the longest active streak in the FBS (Memphis is second with 16-consecutive home games). During this stretch, the Longhorns have converted those takeaways (39 total) into 158 points. It’s also the longest streak by Texas since recording 24-consecutive from 1999-2003. • UT has held five of its eight opponents to under 300 yards of total offense this season: OSU 203, San Jose 273, UTEP 259, Sam Houston 113 and Oklahoma 258. • Texas won 12-plus games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2008-09. The Horns had nine consecutive 10-win seasons from 2001-09. • 2024 marked the second-straight season in which UT played in a conference championship game. • The Texas defense gave up just four passing touchdowns through 12 games during the regular season in 2024 – the fewest in program history since giving up four in 1972 (10 games). It also tied for the fewest by an FBS team during the regular season (tied with Ohio State). • Texas held its opponent to under 350 yards in its first 13 games of the season, becoming the first FBS team to do so in 13-consecutive games in a single season since Alabama in 2011. The last team to do so in 14-straight games in a single season was another Alabama squad (2009). • Texas led Texas A&M 17-0 at halftime on Nov. 30, 2024, and posted first-half shutouts in three of its last four conference matchups to close out the regular season.
