Bulldogs Named Cheez-It National Team Of The Week

DALLAS --- The Georgia Bulldogs, the nation's top-ranked team earlier in the season, went into Austin Saturday night and put on a defensive show to knock off top-ranked Texas.  For its 30-15 road win in front of a stadium-record crowd of 105,215 that featured seven sacks and four forced turnovers, Georgia (6-1) earned the Cheez-It National Team of the Week award for games played the weekend of Oct. 19, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

This is the third time for the Bulldogs to be so honored and the first time since 2013 when they won at then-No. 6 LSU, 44-41, on the weekend of Sept. 28.

The win earned a benchmark for Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, who joined a select group of head coaches who have been among the fastest to reach the century victory mark in their career as he reached 100 wins tonight in just 117 games.  That's tied for fifth-fastest with Knute Rockne (100-12-5 at Notre Dame) and Chris Petersen (100-17) with Boise State and Washington.

Georgia stymied Texas in the first half to build a 23-0 lead, with 17 of those points coming after three forced turnovers.  The Bulldogs held Texas to just 38 yards of total offense (2 rushing, 36 passing) in the first half.  It was the third time this season the Bulldogs have posted a first-half shutout. Texas didn't convert a third down in the first half (0-for-7) and was only 2-of-15 in the game.

On the night, the Bulldogs held Texas to a mere 259 yards of total offense.  Coming into the game, Texas was seventh nationally in scoring with 43.2 points per game.

"I think the biggest thing was not knowing what we were in every play and affecting the timing of the routes. We've got good pass rushers when we can go," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. "The bigger factor in the game was the inability to run the ball because we felt like if they could run the ball it was going to be tough. They really never established the run, and that's what this league is. That's what you've got to do in this league because if you can't do that it makes you more one-dimensional."

Georgia has now won 45 of its past 46 games, including 31 of its past 32 SEC regular-season games, and the Bulldogs are 52-3 in their last 55 games.

Georgia is idle this week in preparation for its annual clash with Florida in Jacksonville on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sat., Nov. 2.

Since 2002, the FWAA has named a National Team of the Week.  Coming into the 2023 season, 284 teams have been honored, including 101 different Division I programs. Each honored team will receive a custom Cheez-It "care package" along with a hand-crafted game ball made in America by Dallas-based Big Game USA, the nation's leading manufacturer of custom footballs.

Following an off week this Saturday, No. 2 Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC) travels to Jacksonville, Fla., to play Florida (4-3, 2-2) on Nov. 2.  Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and the ABC will televise the matchup.

University of Georgia Athletics

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