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Texas Football: Longhorns make emphatic Sugar Bowl statement

By John Mitchell

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 01: Sam Ehlinger #11 of the Texas Longhorns celebrates a touchdown during the first half of the Allstate Sugar Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 01, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 01: Sam Ehlinger #11 of the Texas Longhorns celebrates a touchdown during the first half of the Allstate Sugar Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 01, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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Despite being heavy underdogs, Texas football came into the Sugar Bowl and made an emphatic statement by rolling over No. 5 Georgia 28-21 in New Orleans.

Led by the physical Sam Ehlinger at quarterback, Texas punched Georgia in the mouth on its opening possession, going 10-plays and 75-yards for a touchdown to make an early statement and take an early lead.

That opening drive was anything but a fluke, as the Longhorns proved to be the more physical team all night long, leaving the Bulldogs dazed and confused, shaky on their feet from the outset of the game.

Texas’ defense was the star of the show, holding a talented Georgia offense to just 240 yards of offense and 14 points. They forced a pair of Georgia turnovers, consistently harassing Jake Fromm and shutting down a potent Bulldogs rushing attack.

Bulldogs miscues helped as Texas built a 17-0 lead just seven seconds into the 2nd quarter. Georgia dug themselves a hole that was too big to climb out of early in the game. They showed some signs of life in the second quarter, with Fromm hitting Brian Herrien for a touchdown to get them on the board.

Texas hit a field goal near the end of the half to extend their lead to 20-7 at the half. Sam Ehlinger effectively put the game away early in the fourth quarter with a touchdown run on fourth down, powering his way through the teeth of the Georgia defense one more time to extend the lead to 28-7.

Fromm hit Mecole Hardman for a three-yard touchdown to cut the lead two scores with 10-minutes to go, but Texas was able to squeeze the clock for much of the rest of the way, with the Bulldogs adding an inconsequential touchdown with little left on the clock to make the score more respectable than it was.

Georgia, disappointed from their SEC Championship loss and subsequent exclusion from the College Football Playoff, laid an egg with the ability to make a statement on the national stage.

For Texas, the win brought the Longhorns to 10-wins, proving as vindication that Tom Herman has the team moving in the right direction.

Here’s three takeaways from Texas’ statement win in the Sugar Bowl:

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