15 Thoughts: (T)wo For Texas: We are SEC Champions!

That was something, wasn’t it?

How ‘Bout Them Dawgs! We now (most likely) have a glorious 3-weeks to heal, rest, sober up, relax, shop, eat, meditate, procrastinate and generally recover from what has been the most bizarre, frustrating, exhilarating and daunting season of Georgia Football than I ever remember. We will probably be the 2nd seed in the Playoffs that includes the precious bye. This is a tired, stressed, wounded bunch of Bulldogs. And that’s just the fanbase.

1. Note to the rest of the CFP field: If you are in position to put away this Georgia team early, you had better do so. We are Jason in Friday The 13th, Part 2024. I don’t think we can be killed. At least by anyone other than ourselves.

Winner winner steak dinner!

2. To me, this game had a few parallels to the 1984 Cotton Bowl when we stunned heavily favored Texas, 10-9. The Horns probably had the best defense in the nation in 1983. Georgia had a mediocre-at-best offense in the 1st season, post-Herschel. The Longhorns were poised to win the mythical National Championship with a victory, coming into the bowl at 11-0 and ranked #1 or #2, depending on the various polls. Texas’ defense shut us down all day to the tune of 149 yards rushing, 66 passing, but our defense kept us in it (Texas had 4 turnovers) and all we needed was a break, which we got on a late muffed punt that set up John Lastinger’s improbable 17-yard touchdown run to break burnt orange hearts.

Of course yesterday’s tilt played out much differently and we actually had an offensive pulse in the 2nd half, but two great defenses going after it all day is throw-back football at its finest. What a game. What a year.

3. Do you think the adversity this team has faced all year long (even in the so-called “cupcake” games) has steeled this team for what they faced over the last few weeks? You bet it has. Once we got to overtime and held Texas to 3-points I had an inexplicable calm settle over me that only an 8-overtime just the week before can do to one’s soul. In overtime, you have to score. If you have a chance to win it early, you must. That was a gutsy extra possession and every Dawg on the field answered the bell.

4. In overtime, Oscar Delp made 2 huge plays on a day when he only caught 3 passes in total. He broke a tackle on 1st and 10 for 9 yards and a few plays later on 3rd down fought for 4 tough yards and a first down. Gunner Stockton on a designed QB draw nearly had his head knocked off but held onto the ball for 8 crucial yards to set up Trevor Etienne’s game winner. Slide next time, Gunner.

I still do not know what targeting is anymore. The officiating crews don’t either.

5. The extent of Carson Beck’s injury is not yet known, but it could be significant. I don’t think he had any feeling in his throwing arm on the hit he took on the last play before the half. But what I do know is this team rallied behind #14 and the injection of energy coming out of the break was something that was missing in the first half. The vibe was just positively different. The team seemed more focused. I think it was a collective, “we’ve got to pick Gunner up here.” How we feeling about the future of the position for the playoffs? Going into next season? It could be Gunner’s team now.

6. Daylen Everette was named the game’s MVP, but I’ve got to agree with Kirby that Trevor Etienne should’ve gotten the nod. He’s as tough a runner as we’ve ever had in the Red ‘n Black.

7. About the fake punt: Do you realize the play that Arian Smith gained 9 yards on to answer Texas’ game-tying touchdown was actually a pass? Drew Bobo’s QB rating is perfect. The play call at that moment was absolutely perfect. I saw some post-game analysis blaming Texas for not identifying Arian Smith as the ball carrier, but #11 in red is always on the punt team as a gunner. Remember: Brett Thorson was out of the game, replaced by Charlie Ham who has not kicked in his career. What a call by Kirby.

It’s a fake!

8. How huge was the poise from Gunner Stockton and his supporting cast coming out of the break on our opening 3rd quarter drive? Sometimes there’s nothing more dangerous than a change of pace QB and we’ve learned this the hard way in that building on more than one occasion. The Dawgs executed a 10-play, 75 yard drive which seemed impossible before the break. The play of the drive was Lawson Luckie’s toe-tap 14-yard gain that set us up inside the Texas 20.

Luckie’s only catch of the day was super clutch.

9. Texas couldn’t run the ball on us, just like they couldn’t back in October. Was this the same defense that struggled with the run against everyone not named...Texas? Warren Brinson played his best game ever in my opinion and was a menace, recording a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.

10. Quinn Ewers hit on some long passes early, both on 3rd down and very long plays. Malaki Starks was out of position on one long ball to Matthew Golden; Daniel Harris couldn’t do more than he did on another long pass right in front of the Georgia bench (Kirby was steps away) on a perfectly placed ball. We adjusted to these passes later, but their quick slants were dicing us up on several occasions.

Good defense. A better throw.

11. All in all, our defense outperformed Texas when it mattered. We got to Ewers 6 times and had 15(!) tackles for loss. Texas has skated through a very soft schedule all year long, but when faced with a defense that is a tough matchup for them, they ultimately folded.

12. Were there a few head scratching calls in this game? Of course. After Daylen Everette’s 2nd interception, we are set up on the Longhorn’s 26 yard line. We are actually running the ball more effectively, but chose to do some risky stuff. The holding call on Jared Wilson was a “make-good” call in my opinion after Steve Sarkisian bitched enough to sway the officials. Wilson essentially pancaked ex-Dawg Bill Norton, but was flagged to put us in perilous field goal range. The interception by Stockton was a play that should’ve never been called, but #14 has to throw that ball away. Opportunity wasted. It didn’t kill us, but it could have.

Get this man some cheese with that whine.

13. Lady Luck was smiling yesterday, wasn’t she? On the drive where we took the 16-13 lead, Anthony Evans recovered his own fumble after a 5 yard gain, Arian Smith was a human torpedo on Nate Frazier’s fumble inside the 5 somehow wedging his thin body between a couple of Texas defenders.

“We’re beat up, we’re tired, we’re mentally fatigued. But I don’t know if I’ve ever had a more mentally tough team. They just keep coming, keep coming. They never say die.” - Kirby Smart.

14. It’s hard to believe, especially after our offensive ineptitude in the first half, that we actually won time of possession: 31:59 to 28:01. We won the turnover battle and won the scoreboard. I don’t know how the brackets will shake out as of this writing, but there’s probably another potential meeting with Texas down the road. I don’t care. Bring it on.

15. This team can’t get out of its own way in the first half. Often, it can’t catch the football on the most catchable of passes but can make spectacular plays on imperfect passes. We often get beat on defense when we have our opponents backed up - often on 3rd down. We forget to block, make some poor decisions in terms of discipline that extends opponent’s drives. We fumble near their goal line; we kick “3’s” instead of scoring “6’s.”

Yet this team, for all of its warts, is anything if not entertaining. Nothing has been easy. But we’ve teed it up 13 times this season and prevailed 11 despite the most challenging schedule that Greg Sanky could’ve possibly dialed up. We’ve gotten everyone’s best shot. Texas served us two shots and we drank ‘em like fine bourbon. We are banged up all over the roster - and unfortunately that now extends into special teams. For the first time all year, the officials actually called holding penalties on the opposition. Imagine that?

But through it all, this team has endured and just wins. It’ll be interesting to see who we could draw after the bye week, but one thing is for certain: These Dawgs fear no one.

How ‘Bout Them 2024 Southeastern Conference Football Champions!

BONUS THOUGHTS:

• SMU belongs in the playoffs. Please do not penalize this team for having lost in their Conference Championship game, especially after a valiant comeback. Somehow, you know they will...

• Arizona State. Who knew?
• I understand that James Franklin lost another big game. Shocking. I didn’t watch much of this, but understand the officiating was SEC-esque.
• Enjoy the next 3 weeks of stress-free living, everyone. Except for all those Christmas presents you still haven’t bought. See you after our next game, TBA!

As Always,

GO DAWGS!