ATHENS, Ga. — The fifth-ranked Georgia played to win again and again against No. 10 Texas on Saturday night at Sanford Stadium. The Bulldogs were aggressive on fourth down, even in their territory, and they even tried and converted a surprise onside kick after scoring early in the fourth quarter. The aggression paid off in a 35-10 win in front of a sellout crowd of 93,033 on hand for the top-10 matchup.

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton set a career-high with four touchdown passes, wide receiver Noah Thomas caught two of them, and the Bulldog offense started and finished strong. There were lulls in the middle when both defenses got a lot of stops, but Georgia (9-1, 7-1 SEC) eventually surged past the Longhorns (7-3, 4-2) with aggression and creativity.

The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on their first two drives to go ahead 14-3, and then finished strong with three more in the fourth quarter. Stockton, who also ran for a touchdown, finished 24 of 29 passing for 229 yards, and Georgia out-gained Texas 357-274. Texas quarterback Arch Manning was held to 251 yards, with a touchdown and an interception, on 27-for-43 passing; he was also sacked three times. Georgia’s defense held Texas to 23 yards rushing on 17 attempts. Linebacker Chris Cole led the defense with seven tackles, including one of the Bulldogs’ seven tackles for loss.

The Bulldogs, who beat the Longhorns twice in 2024, once in Austin and again in the SEC Championship Game, had never hosted Texas in Athens before Saturday. Their only in-state meeting before last season was in Atlanta in 1957. Saturday’s win evened the all-time series at 4-4.

Texas got the ball to start the game, and the Longhorns moved the ball effectively until it got deep into Georgia territory. The Bulldogs got a couple of key stops inside the 20-yard line and held Texas to a 33-yard Mason Shipley field goal and a 3-0 lead with 8:53 to play in the opening quarter.

Georgia answered with its own good drive, but it ended with Stockton throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Noah Thomas for a 7-3 Bulldog lead. Stockton was 6-for-7 for 57 yards passing on the nine-play drive and had a 20-yard rush.

After Georgia’s defense forced a three-and-out, the Bulldogs got the ball back and went on the attack. The ending was the same as the first scoring drive, with Stockton hitting Thomas in the end zone, this time from the 4, making it 14-3 Bulldogs with 12:49 to go in the half. Georgia got inside the 10 when Stockton hit Zachariah Branch across the middle, and the receiver turned it into a 30-yard gain down to the 8.

The Bulldog defense again got a stop. This one came with 6:04 left in the half, when safety KJ Bolden picked off an Arch Manning pass at the UGA 16.  Georgia’s offense couldn’t do anything with the turnover, and even though Brett Thorson’s punt only went 26 yards, allowing Texas to get the ball at the UGA 46, Georgia’s defense again delivered, forcing the Longhorns into another three-and-out.

Georgia got the ball back at its 16 with 2:57 left in the half, and Stockton hit tight end Oscar Delp for 23 yards on first down. The drive stalled after that, and Texas took over at its 16-yard line. Gabe Harris, Jr. sacked Manning for a nine-yard loss on first down, and the Bulldogs went into halftime with a 14-3 lead. Stockton was 14 of 17 for 139 yards and the two touchdowns in the first half, while Manning was 12 of 19 for 125 yards and an interception.

Texas’ defense made its big plan midway through the third quarter, picking off a Stockton pass at the Bulldog 36-yard line. It was just the third interception of the year for Stockton. The Longhorns turned the turnover into a touchdown, with Manning hitting Ryan Wingo for a 7-yard score with 5:27 to go in the third quarter, cutting Georgia’s lead to 14-10.

It was the first score for either team since the Bulldogs’ touchdown with 12:49 to go in the first half, a span of 11 drives. Georgia made it two scoring drives in a row by answering the Longhorns’ score. After converting a fourth-and-1 on its own 36 with a pass from Stockton to running back Chauncey Bowens for 10 yards, Georgia drove down to the UT 30. On first down, Stockton faked a short pass and then threw over the top to wide receiver London Humpreys for a 30-yard score and a 21-10 lead with 14:20 to play in the game.

Georgia’s aggressiveness continued on the kickoff, with the Bulldogs converting an onside kick that running back Cash Jones recovered at the UGA 47. It was Georgia’s first successful onside kick since 2013, and it led to a touchdown. The Bulldogs went 53 yards in nine plays, taking a 28-10 lead with 8:53 to go on Stockton’s fourth touchdown pass of the night. This one, a 6-yarder, went to tight end Lawson Luckie on the right side of the end zone.

After another Bulldog defensive stop, which included a strip sack of Manning inside the Texas 10 by linebacker Zayden Walker that the Longhorns recovered, Georgia pushed its lead to 35-10 with 4:43 to play on Stockton’s four-yard rush for a touchdown. 

The Bulldogs will play their final home game of the regular season next Saturday against Charlotte. Kickoff is at 12:45 p.m.