3 biggest reasons why Texas Longhorns lost to Georgia Bulldogs at home in Week 8

The then-No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns suffered their first loss of the 2024 college football season in Week 8 as they fell 30-15 to the then-No. 5-ranked Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday. The Longhorns fell to 6-1 and 2-1 in their first season of SEC play, while the Bulldogs improved to 6-1 and 4-1 in conference play.

Texas never led in the game and trailed by 23 points at the half. Following the loss, they slipped to fifth in the latest rendition of the AP Top 25 Poll while Georgia moved up to second.

Take a look at three reasons why the Longhorns were unable to emerge victorious against their conference opponent below.

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Three biggest reasons why Texas Longhorns lost to Georgia Bulldogs at home in Week 8

#1 They could not take care of the football

The Texas Longhorns entered their Week 8 matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs with just eight turnovers in their first six games. They turned the ball over four times, with starting quarterback Quinn Ewers throwing one interception and losing two fumbles, while backup Arch Manning also lost a fumble.

The three fumbles were a part of a seven-sack day for the Bulldogs defense. Eventually, the Longhorns inability to protect the ball, leading to 14 first-half points for Georgia.

#2 Their running game could not get going

The Texas Longhorns averaged 189.0 rushing yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry over their first six game of the season. They finished their Week 8 matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs with just 29 rushing yards on 27 carries, averaging a season-low 1.1 yards per carry.

The Longhorns had been a balanced attack throughout the season. Their inability to get the running game going hindered their offense, as they finished with just 259 total yards. Texas had averaged 495.7 yards per game over the first six games of the season but eventually underperformed.

#3 Trevor Etienne had a big game

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck had a poor performance, throwing for 175 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.

Trevor Etienne picked up the slack, though, as he had a big night, finishing with 87 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. He also added 23 receiving yards on three receptions.