Texas Longhorns vs. Georgia Bulldogs Week 7 Preview: What the stats say

When the Texas Longhorns joined the SEC, they consistently envisioned this type of game.

On Saturday night, the No. 1 Longhorns host the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs in the first top-five matchup at Darrell K. Royal Stadium since 2006. The Bulldogs have been at the top of the game for several years, boasting a record of 47: 3 since the start of the 2021 season (all three losses to Alabama) and winning back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022.

Meanwhile, the Longhorns have regained prominence with an appearance in the College Football Playoff last year, and they appear poised to return and achieve major success. However, this game is their first real taste of SEC play and it won’t be an easy matchup.

There’s no shortage of predictions, but what do the cold, hard numbers say?

Offensively, the Longhorns have a slight advantage statistically. Texas is averaging 495.7 total yards and 43.2 points per game, ranking seventh nationally in both. Georgia trails slightly with 452 total yards and 33.5 points per game, ranking 27th and 35th, respectively. The Longhorns also focus more on the run (189 yards per game vs. 134), while the Bulldogs bleed more (318 yards per game vs. 306.7).

The defensive stats tell a similar story. The Longhorns allowed just 229.7 yards and 6.3 points per game, ranking first in both statistics. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have allowed 312.5 yards and 17.7 points per game, ranking them 27th and 20th, respectively. Texas has both rushing yards allowed (103.7 per game vs. 120.2) as well Leading the way in passing yards allowed (126 per game vs. 192.3).

Despite all these advantages on paper, an important context is missing. Georgia has already played Alabama, a far better team than any team Texas has ever played. Due to the stronger competition, the Bulldogs’ numbers are not quite as high. This isn’t meant to discredit any of the Longhorns’ opponents, but few would disagree with that assessment.

Then again, statistics can only go so far. As soon as kick-off begins, only the next 60 minutes count.