Gunner Stockton passed for four touchdowns, including two to Noah Thomas, and ran for a score to outplay Arch Manning.
ATHENS, Ga. — Gunner Stockton threw four touchdown passes – two to Noah Thomas – and ran for a score to outplay Arch Manning as No. 5 Georgia strengthened its postseason standing by overwhelming No. 10 Texas 35-10 on Saturday night for its sixth straight victory.
After Texas trimmed Georgia’s lead to 14-10 in the third quarter, Stockton’s 30-yard touchdown pass to London Humphreys, followed by a successful onside kick, allowed the Bulldogs to put the game away. Stockton’s 6-yard scoring pass to Lawson Luckie following the recovery of the kick iced the win. Stockton added a 4-yard scoring run late in the game.
With No. 4 Alabama’s 23-21 loss to No. 11 Oklahoma earlier Saturday, Georgia (9-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) could move into position for a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. The Bulldogs also boosted their hopes of defending their SEC championship.
The Bulldogs claimed a 22-19 overtime win over the Longhorns in last year’s SEC championship game in Atlanta following a win at Texas earlier in the season. Georgia’s win in the Longhorns’ first visit to Athens gave the Bulldogs three wins in two years in the series.
Texas (7-3, 4-2) saw its four-game winning streak end, putting its playoff hopes in jeopardy.
Georgia has rolled since its 22-19 overtime home loss to Alabama on Sept. 27. That loss ended Georgia’s 33-game home winning streak, which was the longest active streak in FBS.
Texas linebacker Anthony Hill’s interception of Stockton’s pass midway through the third quarter gave the Longhorns the ball at the Georgia 36. The Bulldogs’ first penalty, a pass interference call against Zion Branch on a third-down play, set up Manning’s 7-yard scoring pass to Ryan Wingo. The Longhorns’ first touchdown trimmed Georgia’s lead to 14-10.
Georgia answered with a 10-play touchdown drive capped by Stockton’s 30-yard scoring pass to London Humphreys. The Bulldogs covered a fourth-and-1 play on Stockton’s 10-yard pass to Chauncey Bowens and survived another fourth down when Longhorns outside linebacker Colin Simmons was called for an offsides penalty.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart kept gambling by calling the onside kick recovered by Cash Jones.
Stockton completed 24 of 29 passes for 229 yards. His interception was only his third of the season.
Manning, who said this week he considered signing with Georgia until the end of his recruitment, completed 27 of 43 passes for 251 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Texas: Dropped passes and penalties hurt the Longhorns. Texas drew seven penalties for 43 yards in the first half and nine for 58 yards in the game. Wingo stumbled after his catch on the Longhorns’ first snap, and that 1-yard gain set the pace for the half. Wingo had a third-down drop at the end of the 13-play drive to set up a 33-yard field goal by Mason Shipley. The Longhorns ran for only 19 yards.
Georgia: After giving up the field goal on the opening drive by Texas, the Bulldogs’ defense gave up no more points in the first half. KJ Bolden had a second-quarter interception, Gabe Harris and Quintavius Johnson sacked Manning and CJ Allen had a big third-down stop of Jack Endries for a loss of 2 yards for the defensive highlights. Allen left the game with a leg injury in the first half.
Texas: Hosts Arkansas on Saturday.
Georgia: Hosts Charlotte on Saturday.
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