Texas Falls to Georgia 35-10: Manning Struggles as Longhorns’ Playoff Hopes Take Major Hit
In a game that had significant College Football Playoff implications, the No. 10 Texas Longhorns suffered a crushing 35-10 defeat at the hands of No. 5 Georgia on Saturday night at Sanford Stadium in Athens. The loss marks Texas’s third defeat of the season and seriously jeopardizes their postseason aspirations in a brutally competitive SEC landscape.
The Game That Got Away
What started as a defensive stalemate quickly turned into a nightmare for Steve Sarkisian‘s squad. Texas managed only 10 points against a Georgia defense that dominated throughout, while Gunner Stockton threw four touchdown passes and ran for another score as Georgia overwhelmed Texas for its sixth straight victory.
The Bulldogs’ quarterback performance stood in stark contrast to what Texas fans had hoped to see from their signal-caller. Stockton finished 24-for-29 for 229 yards with four touchdown passes, one interception, plus 29 rushing yards and a rushing score. His efficiency and poise throughout the game highlighted the gap between the two teams on this particular night.
Arch Manning’s Difficult Night
The highly-touted Arch Manning, who entered the game with momentum after strong recent performances, struggled to find any rhythm against Georgia’s suffocating defense. Manning completed just 22 of 36 passes for 251 yards with one touchdown and one interception. More troubling was the Longhorns’ inability to establish any ground game, managing just 37 rushing yards on nine attempts.
Manning’s performance was particularly disappointing given his recent surge. Earlier in the season, he had been finding his footing after a slow start, including completing 25 of 33 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns against Vanderbilt. But against Georgia’s elite defense, Manning looked rushed and uncomfortable, unable to make the plays necessary to keep Texas competitive.
The offensive line struggles were evident throughout. Texas’ offensive line ranks 80th in sacks allowed per game this year as blocking has been a consistent issue for the Longhorns in 2025, and those problems were magnified against a Georgia front seven that consistently pressured Manning.
Meanwhile, at the Texas/Georgia game… pic.twitter.com/1peMf2MLZj
— Evil MoPac (@EvilMopacATX) November 16, 2025
Georgia’s Fourth Quarter Dominance
While the game was competitive through three quarters, Georgia’s championship pedigree showed in the final frame. Georgia scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to turn a close game into a rout. The sequence that broke Texas’s back came when Georgia executed an onside kick and two clock-bleeding drives that created an insurmountable 18-point deficit with fewer than nine minutes remaining.
It was described as “a coaching masterclass from Kirby Smart, who took calculated risks that totally changed the complexion of this game”. The aggressive fourth-quarter strategy exemplified why Georgia has been so dominant at home under Smart’s leadership.
Georgia is now 9-0 against top-10 ranked opponents at Sanford Stadium under Kirby Smart and 55-5 at home overall in the Smart era. The Bulldogs have now won three straight games against Texas, having swept them in 2024 as well.
What This Loss Means for Texas’s Playoff Hopes
The implications of this defeat cannot be understated. Texas entered the game at 7-2, knowing that a third loss would severely damage their College Football Playoff chances in the expanded 12-team format. Texas already has two losses this regular season, and a third loss would likely place their College Football Playoff hopes out of reach.
The loss also continues a troubling trend for the Longhorns. Texas never beat a team that finished in the top 10 of the final CFP rankings in 2024, with their best victories coming against No. 12 Arizona State and No. 16 Clemson. When given opportunities against elite competition, the Longhorns have consistently fallen short.
At 7-3 overall and 4-2 in SEC play, Texas now faces an uphill battle to secure one of the at-large playoff berths. While not mathematically eliminated, they’ll need help from other teams and must win out to have any realistic chance. The SEC’s depth means multiple teams will be competing for limited spots, and Texas’s résumé now lacks the signature wins necessary to stand out.
Looking Ahead
The Longhorns will have some time to regroup, but questions loom large over the program. Can Arch Manning develop consistency against elite defenses? Will the offensive line improve enough to protect him? And perhaps most importantly, can Steve Sarkisian’s playcalling evolve to overcome these persistent struggles against top-tier competition?
For Georgia, this win solidifies their position as one of the playoff favorites. The Bulldogs finish their SEC schedule at 7-1 and appear destined for a favorable playoff seeding if they can navigate their remaining games.
As for Texas, the dream of a magical first full season with Manning under center has hit a significant roadblock. What was supposed to be a statement game instead became another reminder that the gap between good and great in college football remains substantial — and that Texas still has work to do to join the sport’s elite tier.
The Longhorns’ season isn’t over, but Saturday night in Athens revealed uncomfortable truths about where this program stands. Championship aspirations have given way to questions about whether this team can even secure a playoff berth. For a program with Texas’s resources and expectations, that’s a bitter pill to swallow.
MORE ON SATURDAY’S LOSS TO GEORGIA AND MORE IN “SPORTS” FURTHER DOWN THIS POST
In the wake of Proposition Q‘s failure in last week’s Tax Rate Election, Austin’s bond advisory task force, helping craft what may be in the city of Austin’s 2026 bond package, hosted the first of several listening sessions Saturday. The sessions are intended to better understand what Austinites may want to see in such a package.
Austin City Council will be working on amending its FY 2025-2026 budget this week, beginning with a Special Called Meeting tomorrow.
=== Useful info about next week's Austin Budget Meetings ===
— Jen Robichaux (@JenRobichaux) November 16, 2025
Council wants to adopt an amended budget no later than November 24.
Meetings scheduled at City Hall: https://t.co/IMIFIO9xHj
Special Called Meeting
Monday, Nov 17
+ begins at 11am
• certify TRE results
> register… https://t.co/GNQWzzaC6k
Meeting Details:
- Date and time: Monday, November 17, 2025 at 11:00 AM
- Location: Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second Street (with some members potentially participating via videoconference)
Main Agenda Item:
- Election Results Canvassing – Approve a resolution canvassing the results of the November 4, 2025 special election
Additional Points:
Public comment will be allowed both in-person and remotely by telephone
The Council may go into closed session if permitted under the Texas Open Meetings Act
The Austin Police Department (APD) has launched an investigation after a deceased man was discovered Saturday morning in North Austin. Police responded to a check welfare call just before 9:00 a.m. at the 10600 block of N. Lamar Blvd., where they located the man’s body which reportedly showed signs of trauma.
He was pronounced dead at the scene by Austin-Travis County EMS personnel. (KVUE-TV)
A rollover accident overnight injured its driver.
No other information was available.
Meanwhile, one person is dead after a major accident in Dripping Springs Saturday evening. A motorcycle and a vehicle collided, killing the cyclist.
Four months after severe floods hit Central Texas, the Big Sandy Creek neighborhood is still recovering. Cleanup continues for many residents. Saturday, residents and volunteers worked together.
The Hill Country Conservancy (HCC), in collaboration with the Austin Parks & Recreation Department, presented its ribbon-cutting of Violet Crown Trail’s new steel “zero” trailhead archway.
According to local housing market data, Central Austin homes spent more days on the market in September 2025 compared to September 2024. The average amount of time homes spent on the market year over year increased by 5%. (Community Impact)
WEATHER
SATURDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
School district leaders said the state’s increasing reliance on takeovers to improve academic performance threatens local control. The emergence of private school vouchers could pose another challenge.
Parents in Fort Worth expressed their concern about the state’s takeover of Fort Worth ISD.
Texas National Guard troops are expected to leave Chicago and return to their home state very soon, a source familiar with the planning told CNN, after weeks in limbo as a court battle played out over the legality of their deployment.
Specific timing is unclear but preparations are now underway for their departure, the source said. (CNN)
Search and rescue crews are still looking for Dallas attorney and SMU professor Charles Hosch, who went missing in the mountains in northern Georgia on Tuesday.
The bill to reopen the federal government that was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump will likely put 9,000 Texas businesses that are registered with the Texas Department of State Health Services to sell consumable hemp products, out of business. (Texas Public Radio)
Less than three months after Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 10 into law, thousands of posters showing the Ten Commandments are hanging in Texas classrooms. This week on Inside the Investigation, Investigative Reporter Kelly Wiley and Senior Investigative Producer David Barer explain whose behind the surge in donations.
It’s very difficult to keep a secret in Texas politics, so a great many of the hundreds of folks who crowded into San Antonio’s Backyard On Broadway yesterday probably already knew what former mayor Ron Nirenberg was gonna say. But that didn’t stop a pretty awesome announcement party from happening! We’ll save the secret for the podcast, even though you’ve probably already had it spoiled.
(Episode from November 15, 2025)\
Principal of Hunt Research, a Republican polling and data firm based in Dallas, Ross Hunt discusses the GOP primary for U.S. Senate between Cornyn, Hunt and AG Ken Paxton.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker addressed 650 people at the Dallas County Democratic Party’s Johnson Jordan Dinner. California Governor Gavin Newsom traveled to Houston, where he spoke before hundreds of Democrats. He told them they need to have their sights set on the U.S. House next year.
SPORTS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: 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. (Yahoo! Sports)
Texas Exposed AGAIN: Georgia Destroys the Longhorns 35-10 | Rapid Reactions
ON THE SCHEDULE
Texas A&M, meanwhile, stunned college football fans everywhere yesterday.
Texas A&M is, improbably, 10-0.
The No. 3 Aggies came back from a 30-3 halftime deficit to beat South Carolina 31-30 on Saturday. And it took A&M less than 20 minutes to erase that lead, too. (Yahoo! Sports)
Texas A&M said a state trooper who made contact with South Carolina players during Saturday’s game has been relieved of his game-day duties.
After receiver Nyck Harbor caught an 80-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter, he grabbed his right leg, then walked it off up the tunnel, with Oscar Adaway III following.
As they turned to walk back to the field, a Texas state trooper bumped into Adaway and wedged between him and Harbor, and then turned and pointed at the players, seemingly scolding them. Harbor was quickly pushed away by his teammate and they continued to the field.
Texas Tech won big Saturday.
Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez struck the Heisman Trophy pose again after the first offensive touchdown of his career, Reggie Virgil scored three times and No. 8 Texas Tech routed UCF 48-9 on Saturday. (Yahoo! Sports)
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Dailyn Swain scored 13 points and Matas Vokietaitis scored 12 points and Texas beat Kansas City 71-55 on Saturday.
The Longhorns are now 3-1. (Yahoo! Sports)
ON THE SCHEDULE
Top ranked Houston is at No. 22 Auburn today.
NBA: The Spurs, Rockets and Mavericks are back on the courts today.
NFL: The Houston Texans look to keep winning today in Nashville against a hapless Tennessee Titans team, although they’ll be without QB C.J. Stroud once again.
The Dallas Cowboys play in Vegas tomorrow night.
NHL: Five in a row for the Dallas Stars.
Jason Robertson’s natural hat trick gave him consecutive multigoal games, and the Dallas Stars beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 on Saturday night for their fifth victory in a row. (Yahoo! Sports)
ON THE SCHEDULE
STANDINGS
Austin native Glen Powell hosted NBC’s Saturday Night Live last night.
His opening monologue:
