AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas received two big blows on its way to the College Football Playoff last season, both at the hands of Georgia.
But if those two losses provide incentive for the 10th-ranked Longhorns (7-2, 4-1 SEC) as they prepare to meet No. 5 Georgia (8-1, 6-1) for the third time in two seasons, the players aren't conceding that publicly.
Texas, No. 11 in the CFP rankings last week, has more tangible motivation than retribution when it plays at Georgia on Saturday. The Longhorns can't afford a loss if they hope to reach the SEC championship game for the second time in two seasons as a league member. And losing a third game overall would marginalize them as a contender for their third straight trip to the College Football Playoff.
No team with three losses reached the 12-team playoff last season.
“The SEC championship, that's all the motivation we need for this game,” edge rusher Colin Simmons said.
Under coach Steve Sarkisian, Texas is 0-2 against Georgia and Kirby Smart, who has lost only two home games the last nine seasons, one of them to Alabama on Sept. 27. The first Texas loss last season was 30-15 in Austin, the second a 22-19 overtime defeat in the Southeastern Conference championship game in Atlanta. Both schools reached the 12-team college football playoff.
The first matchup featured controversy, the second drama.
The game in Austin included an alarming sequence when fans of No. 1 ranked Texas littered the field with water bottles in the third quarter after officials called a pass interference penalty that initially negated a Texas interception and long return. The flag was picked up after officials conferred, and the Longhorns used the possession to score a touchdown.
“Now we have a precedent that if you throw a bunch of stuff on the field and endanger athletes, that you’ve got a chance to get your call reversed,” Smart said after the game.
The SEC office later released a statement saying officials made the proper call but Texas was fined $250,000 and issued an apology to Georgia.
In the SEC championship game, little-used backup quarterback Gunner Stockton came off the bench in the second half after an injury to Carson Beck and led No. 5 Georgia to the 22-19 overtime victory over the No. 2 Longhorns. Stockton guided the Bulldogs to a touchdown and two field goals.
This season, Texas won four straight games before having a much needed and appreciated bye last week. Three starters who missed all or part of the Longhorns' 34-31 win against Vanderbilt on Nov. 1 practiced with the team on Monday.
All-America safety Michael Taaffe missed the last two games with a broken thumb. Receiver Ryan Wingo sustained a thumb injury in the first quarter against Vanderbilt, but not before scoring on a 75-yard pass and run hookup with Arch Manning. Safety Jelani McDonald left in the first half of that game with a concussion. The secondary suffered in their absence as Vanderbilt outscored Texas 21-0 in the fourth quarter.
“All those guys practiced and looked great,” Sarkisian said. “I don’t foresee any setbacks there.”
Texas is road-tested, having opened the season with a loss at Ohio State and later playing four straight games away from Austin. They lost at Florida, beat Oklahoma in Dallas and defeated Kentucky and Mississippi State before returning home against Vanderbilt. The Kentucky and Mississippi games went to overtime, the Mississippi State win requiring that Texas outscore the Bulldogs 24-7 in the fourth quarter.
“A lot of adversity we had to overcome,” Simmons said. “I’m just glad we went through it.”
Simmons, after a slow start, has 6.5 sacks in the last four games.
Manning has improved after a difficult start to the season. He has six touchdown passes against one interception in the last two games, showing more command behind a restructured offensive line that is protecting him better.
Manning is emblematic of a team that was AP preseason No. 1, stumbled to a 3-2 start while often looking unsightly, and regained some traction.
“We're going to fight to the end,” Manning said. “Just got to continue to get better.”
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