No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Georgia meet in the SEC matchup, with the Bulldogs looking to make up ground in the title game

AUSTIN, Tx. (AP) – No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Georgia meet in a Southeastern Conference matchup, with the Bulldogs aiming to regain ground in the battle for the championship title.

Another loss would hurt Georgia’s title hopes and increase pressure to make the College Football Playoff.

Saturday night will mark the first top-five matchup in Austin since No. 2 Texas hosted No. 1 Ohio State in 2006.

The Texas defense ranks No. 1 in total defense and has the fewest points allowed. Bulldogs senior Carson Beck is the best quarterback the Longhorns have faced so far this season.

No. 5 Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC) at No. 1 Texas (6-0, 2-0), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC) at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.

WHAT IS AT STAKE?

The first meeting of the top five teams in Austin since – No. 2 Texas hosted No. 1 Ohio State in 2006. Georgia needs a win to keep pace with the Longhorns at the top of the SEC. A second loss would put the Bulldogs in danger of falling out of the conference championship and would add new pressure to compete in the expanded College Football Playoff.

KEY MATCHUP

Texas Secondary vs. Georgia QB Carson Beck. The Bulldogs senior is easily the best quarterback the Longhorns have faced this season. Texas has put pressure on freshmen Mississippi State and Oklahoma in the last two games. A preseason All-American, Beck is 18-2 as a starter and 6-2 against top-20 opponents.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Georgia: RB Trevor Etienne, already in the starting lineup, could have a larger share of the carries. Branson Robinson will be sidelined after spraining his right knee in last week’s win over Mississippi State. Etienne, a transfer from Florida, leads Georgia with 335 yards rushing and four touchdowns but had just 11 carries for 35 yards last week.

Texas: Quarterback Quinn Ewers returned from an oblique injury last week to beat Oklahoma, but even he said he had to play better than he did. Texas will likely need him at his best in a potential shootout with Beck.

FACTS & FIGURES

Texas is No. 1 in total defense and scoring defense. The Longhorns have allowed just three touchdowns all season and have given up an average of 6.33 points per game…Texas opponents have forced four turnovers inside Texas territory. The Longhorns did not allow any points after those turnovers…The Bulldogs have the longest active streak in the AP Top 10 with 57 consecutive polls…It will be the first regular season meeting between the Longhorns and Bulldogs since 1958. Texas won 13-8 on the day, despite a strong fourth quarter from pushed Georgia backup quarterback Fran Tarkenton, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer… Georgia’s senior class is 47-3 with their only losses to Alabama.

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