The last time Arch Manning was in Athens alongside Georgia coach Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs were walking the recruiting tightrope knowing prominent SEC ties were still in play.
On Saturday Manning strolls back into Georgia (8-1) with a chance to steer Texas (7-2) closer to a return appearance in the College Football Playoff. Georgia is No. 5, five spots ahead of the two-loss Longhorns.
In Texas’ last two wins over Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, Manning has thrown for 346 and 325 yards – the two highest passing totals of his career. After struggling to begin his first season as starter in a road game at No. 1 Ohio State, Manning has come into his own ahead of the massive matchup in Athens.
“Any time you are moving the ball on offense, the game starts to slow down,” Manning said. “We’ve just got to continue moving forward. Georgia has a really good defense.”
Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC) has won five straight games ahead of one of Sanford Stadium’s most anticipated matchups in its 96-year history.
The SEC Championship Game rematch — Georgia beat Texas 22-19 in overtime last December — marks the first time the Longhorns will play at Sanford Stadium.
“We’ve got a big matchup,” Smart said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for (Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian). He’s become a good friend of mine. He does a tremendous job. He’s at one of the premier programs in the country. He’s been successful everywhere he’s been. I enjoy his friendship and look forward to another great matchup on Saturday night.”
When Manning chose to head to Austin, Georgia didn’t drop the ball. And Texas was there for the Bulldogs’ most recent QB handoff.
Their current quarterback needs no introduction to the Longhorns.
Gunner Stockton broke onto the scene for the Bulldogs in the emergency appearance in the conference championship game. Carson Beck was knocked out of the game with a torn UCL. Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards in the second half to help lead Georgia to a conference title.
In his first full season under center, Stockton has thrown for 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions, adding seven scores on the ground.
“He’s brought toughness, he’s brought wisdom, he’s brought consistency,” Smart said of Stockton. “He’s avoided catastrophic things like turnovers. He’s made plays with his legs, and he’s made plays with his arm. It’s going to make us very hard to defend when he plays well.”
After a loss to hapless Florida on October 4, Texas was all but written off in the playoff chase. The Longhorns have since rattled off four consecutive victories and can prove they’re a playoff-worthy team with a road win on Saturday.
“Since we lost to Florida, the first bullet point I talked to the team about was what it takes to get to the SEC Championship game,” Sarkisian said. “If we want to play in an SEC Championship game, you’ve got to win Saturday night. It just is what it is.”
Manning admitted that before choosing Texas in June 2022, the nation’s top player was almost a Bulldog.
“They’re a good team. I was considering them until the end,” Manning said on Monday. “But we’re just focused on today, getting better today.”
Things worked out for the two-time national champion Georgia head coach, but there were reasons Smart recruited Manning so heavily.
“It wasn’t about the celebrity nature or the last name. It was about the tape,” Smart said. “They’ve got a wonderful family, but it had nothing to do with his recruitment. His recruitment was because he’s athletic, he’s fast, he’s tall, he’s intelligent, I mean, he can do it all. He can run the ball, he can throw the ball. In this day and age, you’ve got to have a quarterback that can do both. He can, and I think he’s got great composure.”
Saturday’s winner would receive a boost in the rankings but the season isn’t close to over, and no SEC team has anything wrapped up.
Texas hosts Arkansas and No. 3 Texas A&M (Nov. 28), meaning a top four spot in the playoff isn’t out of the question if the Longhorns win their final three regular-season games.
Georgia has home dates with Texas and Charlotte (Nov. 22) before going to Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) to take on No. 16 Georgia Tech (Nov. 28). Georgia erased a 17-point deficit and went to eight overtimes for a 44-42 win against the Yellow Jackets last season.
