Last Updated 3:23 PM, October 17, 2024
Jordan Howard

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 5 Georgia: Time, TV channel, preview for top-5 game

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👀 How to watch the top-5 matchup

Quinn Ewers and Carson Beck Two potential top 10 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, Quinn Ewers and Carson Beck, go head-to-head in this top-ranked SEC matchup.
  • 🗓️ Date: Saturday, Oct. 19
  • ⏰ Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • 📺 TV: ABC
  • 💻 Stream: ESPN+
  • 📍Location: Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas
6:56 pm, October 17, 2024

⛳️ Scottie Scheffler joining CollegeGameday

Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1-ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Rankings and a Texas alumn, will join the College GameDay crew as the celebrity guest picker on Saturday. Enjoy some of his highlights from the 2017 NCAA golf championships with the Longhorns. 

6:03 pm, October 17, 2024

📝 Game preview

🤘 Texas

  • Team Stats
    • Averaging 43.2 points per game, allowing 6.3 points per game
    • Rushing for 189 yards per game, allowing 103.7 rushing yards
    • Passing for 306.5 yards per game, allowing 126 passing yards
  • Individual leaders 
    • QB Quinn Ewers (3 games played)
      • 890 passing yards, 9-2 TD-INT ratio
      • 70.5 completion percentage
    • RB Quintrevion Wisner
      • 278 rushing yards, 6.2 yards per rush
    • WR Isaiah Bond
      • 369 receiving yards, 17.6 yards per reception
    • Defense — Anthony Hill (LB)
      • 42 total tackles, 1 interception, 4.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble

🐶 Georgia

  • Team Stats
    • Averaging 33.5 points per game, allowing 17.7 points per game
    • Rushing for 134 yards per game, allowing 120.2 rushing yards
    • Passing for 318 yards per game, allowing 192.3 passing yards
  • Individual leaders 
    • QB Carson Beck 
      • 1,818 passing yards, 15-5 TD-INT ratio
      • 67.9 completion percentage
    • RB Trevor Etienne
      • 335 rushing yards, 5.3 yards per rush
    • WR Arian Smith
      • 412 receiving yards, 17.9 yards per reception
    • Defense — Malaki Starks (Safety)
      • 32 total tackles, 1 interception

⚡️ Fast Facts 

  • The last time Georgia lost to a team not named Alabama was in 2020 against Florida
  • The last time Texas beat a top-5 team at home was in 1999 against No. 3 Nebraska
  • The last time Texas started the season 6-0 was in 2009
5:10 pm, October 17, 2024

🔥 What this game means for each team

Saturday marks the biggest matchup of the season for both top-5 teams. 

For Texas, this is a chance to prove it belongs in the No. 1 spot. The Longhorns have played a relatively easy schedule to this point, with their only ranked games against now No. 24 Michigan and now unranked Oklahoma. While the competition hasn't been the toughest, Steve Sarkisian's squad has yet to play in a close game. Texas is winning on average by over 36 points this season, leading the nation in scoring margin. The Longhorn defense has allowed double-digit points just twice this season, and they have held opposing offenses to a field goal or less in three of their six games — including in their 34-3 win over rival Oklahoma last weekend. 

If Texas gets past Georgia, it should have a clear path to the SEC championship with only one more ranked game on the schedule against No. 14 Texas A&M in the last week of the regular season. 

Now for Georgia, the stakes are a little higher. The Longhorns can afford a loss as the only undefeated team in the SEC, but the Bulldogs need a win. Kirby Smart's squad has not quite lived up to the expectations of its preseason No. 1 ranking. The Bulldogs opened the season with a dominating win over now-No. 10 Clemson, but it has not been smooth sailing since then. Georgia squeezed out a one-point win over Kentucky before losing to No. 7 Alabama, which has also struggled the past two weeks. Georgia bounced back well against Auburn, but the defense was gashed once again last week by SEC caboose Mississippi State, allowing 21 second-half points in a 41-31 win. 

If Georgia drops this game, it will fall to 3-2 in SEC play, and it still travels to Oxford to take on No. 18 Ole Miss before hosting No. 11 Tennessee at home. A win catapults the Bulldogs back into SEC/national championship contention, but a loss puts serious pressure on Smart's squad, who will likely have to win out to be in consideration for the 12-team playoff. 

2:54 pm, October 17, 2024

⚔️ Series history between Longhorns and Dawgs

Despite the prestigious history of these storied programs, Texas and Georgia have faced off only once this century. Texas holds a 4-1 record against Georgia, and this will be the first regular season matchup between these teams since the 1958 season opener.

Their most recent matchup came in the 2019 Sugar Bowl. No. 15 Texas took down No. 5 Georgia, 28-21, in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on New Year's Day. Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger was named Sugar Bowl MVP, passing for 169 yards and tallying three touchdowns on the ground. 

One of the most memorable moments of this matchup, however, came before the opening kickoff. As many know, Texas and Georgia hold two of the most famous live animal mascots in the country — Bevo (longhorn) and Uga (bulldog). During the pregame festivities, Uga (the mascot) was walking around the field, nearing Bevo's pen. Bevo famously bowed through the fences, charging Uga.

Bevo XV is still around for Texas, but Georgia introduced Uga XI in 2023, so the two have not met. Uga XI is scheduled to be in Austin for the game on Saturday, and it will be interesting to see if the two are put face-to-face again ahead of the top-5 matchup.

2:45 pm, October 17, 2024

🏈 Week 8 AP Top 25 Poll

Texas held on to its No. 1 ranking after a chaotic Week 7. Georgia stayed at No. 5 as the top three Big Ten teams shuffled around after Oregon took down Ohio State. LSU was the biggest mover, catapulting five spots after the Tigers' big win over Ole Miss. On the flip side, the Rebels fell the furthest, dropping nine spots after the OT loss. 

RANK SCHOOL RECORD PTS PREV
1 Texas (56) 6-0 1544 1
2 Oregon (6) 6-0 1493 3
3 Penn State 6-0 1380 4
4 Ohio State 5-1 1357 2
5 Georgia 5-1 1300 5
6 Miami (FL) 6-0 1232 6
7 Alabama 5-1 1127 7
8 LSU 5-1 994 13
9 Iowa State 6-0 982 11
10 Clemson 5-1 980 10
11 Tennessee 5-1 959 8
12 Notre Dame 5-1 914 11
13 BYU 6-0 889 14
14 Texas A&M 5-1 744 15
15 Boise State 5-1 597 17
16 Indiana 6-0 580 18
17 Kansas State 5-1 567 18
18 Ole Miss 5-2 511 9
19 Missouri 5-1 409 21
20 Pittsburgh 6-0 397 22
21 SMU 5-1 260 25
22 Illinois 5-1 249 23
23 Army 6-0 137 NR
24 Michigan 4-2 133 24
25 Navy 5-0 84 NR

Click here for a full breakdown of the latest AP Top 25 Poll