ATHENS, Ga. — Gunner Stockton completed 24 of 29 passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns and added a rushing score on Saturday as No. 5 Georgia posted a commanding 35-10 victory over No. 10 Texas in a pivotal Southeastern Conference showdown.
Noah Thomas caught two touchdowns, London Humphreys hauled in a touchdown and Nate Frazier ran for 72 yards for Georgia (9-1, 7-1 SEC), which won its sixth straight game while wrapping up its conference slate. The Bulldogs outgained Texas 357-274, outscoring the visitors 21-0 in the fourth quarter.
Arch Manning threw for 251 yards, a touchdown and an interception for Texas (7-3, 4-2), which saw its College Football Playoff hopes take a massive hit. Ryan Wingo had nine catches for 62 yards for the Longhorns, who committed nine penalties to Georgia’s one.
Leading 14-3, Georgia committed its only turnover as Stockton was intercepted by Anthony Hill Jr. at the Bulldogs’ 36-yard line with 8:11 left in the third quarter.
After a Georgia pass interference penalty, Manning found Wingo for a 7-yard score, trimming Texas’ deficit to four with 5:27 remaining in the third.
Georgia responded with a 10-play, 73-yard scoring drive, stamped with Stockton’s 30-yard touchdown strike to Humphreys.
Head coach Kirby Smart then made the bold decision for an onside kick, which was recovered by Georgia’s Cash Jones with 14:20 left in the fourth. The Bulldogs pushed their advantage to 28-10 on Stockton’s 6-yard scoring pass to Lawson Luckie.
After Jack Bouwmeester’s fifth punt, Stockton’s 4-yard rushing score cemented a dominant Georgia win.
Mason Shipley’s 33-yard field goal put Texas ahead 3-0 six minutes into the game, then Stockton’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Thomas gave Georgia a 7-3 edge with 4:12 left in the opening quarter.
Following Texas’ three-and-out, Stockton’s 30-yard pass to Zachariah Branch pushed the Georgia drive to the Longhorns’ 8-yard line. Thomas then hauled in his second touchdown of the first half — a 4-yard score to give the Bulldogs a 14-3 lead with 12:49 remaining in the second quarter.
The Longhorns squandered an opportunity to cut into the deficit two drives later, as Manning’s overthrow was picked off by K.J. Bolden at Georgia’s 16-yard line.
Texas committed seven first-half penalties to Georgia’s zero, while the visitors went 0-for-6 on third-down conversions in the first 30 minutes.
–Jack Batten, Field Level Media
