Georgia’s surprise onside kick in the fourth quarter will live in Texas football team highlight reels for all the wrong reasons. With the Longhorns still within reach, Kirby Smart rolled the dice after stretching Georgia’s lead, and running back Cash Jones pounced on the kick just past 10 yards.
The recovery flipped momentum, and what had been a tense contest quickly turned into a 35-10 Bulldogs win that left Texas fans and their College Football Playoff hopes reeling.
Arch Manning’s reaction to the loss, as relayed by the New York Post, matched the scoreboard. In his first season as Texas’ starter, the 21-year-old threw for 251 yards on 27-of-43 passing with one touchdown and one interception.
The giveaway stung most: on third-and-short in the second quarter, Manning tried a sidearm throw to DeAndre Moore Jr., but the ball sailed high and straight to Georgia defensive back KJ Bolden. Afterward, Manning admitted that against a team like Georgia, he cannot miss throws and has to play well the entire game.
Asked what frustrated him most, Manning did not dress it up. Losing, he answered. For a moment, it looked like he might flip the script. His third-quarter touchdown to Ryan Wingo cut the deficit to 14-10 and gave Texas a spark, but Georgia answered with 21 unanswered points in the fourth.
Steve Sarkisian later ticked through the collapse: converted fourth downs, the onside kick, a short field after a pinned punt, and the Bulldogs piling on.
The defeat dropped the Texas football team to 7-3 and put a dent in its CFP dreams, even if running back Quintrevion Wisner insisted that two tough games remain and that the team needs to handle its business. Manning echoed that mindset, saying the Longhorns have to focus on beating Arkansas next and controlling what they can control.
Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho added scrutiny after the game, zeroing in on Texas’ wide receivers. In a pointed post, he argued that Manning is not getting enough help, a view that matched what many saw: drops, shaky execution, and an offense that did not rise with its young quarterback.
