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    • Texas football report card: Grades vs. Georgia
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    Texas football report card: Grades vs. Georgia

    Kathleen William Posted on

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    Texas football got off to another slow start, and this time the No. 1 Longhorns couldn't get going as No. 4 Georgia eked out a 30-15 win on Saturday at Royal-Memorial Stadium.

    Texas (6-1, 2-1 SEC) played well defensively, holding a strong Georgia offense led by quarterback Carson Beck to 283 total yards with three turnovers. But the Texas offense turned the ball over four times and struggled for 259 yards.

    Next up for the Longhorns is a clash with Vanderbilt.

    Here's how the Longhorns fared in their first loss of the season:

    More: Georgia beats Texas football 30-15: Final score, highlights from Week 8 game

    Quarterback: D

    Quinn Ewers struggled so much that Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was able to pull him in the second quarter and bring Arch Manning into the game. To Ewers' credit, he led the Longhorns to two touchdowns after returning to the field in the second half.

    But the mistakes from Ewers and Manning were too much to bear, even though both were under pressure the entire game. Ewers threw an interception and fumbled twice, while Manning fumbled once. In total, the pair combined for 230 yards on 28 of 49 passes.

    Season average: B-

    More: Texas football: Week 8 loss to Georgia humbles Longhorns and exposes flaws that need to be addressed

    Running Back: C

    Neither Quintrevion Wisner nor Jaydon Blue had many chances in a game script that seemed to be written from the opening whistle against Texas. Wisner made his first start of the season but managed just 52 yards on 15 carries, and Blue didn't have a single rush.

    Blue made an impact as a receiver with a team-high seven catches for 48 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown reception. Wisner added five catches.

    Season average: B-

    Receiver: C-

    With both Ewers and Manning being harassed by the Georgia pass rush all game, the receivers didn't have much of a chance to make plays.

    Tight end Gunnar Helm continued his strong play with 62 yards on six catches, but leading receiver Isaiah Bond only had two catches for 11 yards. Matthew Golden's 34-yard reception in the second half was the only play that went longer than 25 yards.

    Season average: B+

    More: Texas Football vs. Georgia Bulldogs: See the best photos and moments from the game

    Offensive line: F

    Hopes of winning the Joe Moore Award as the best offensive line in the country suffered a massive setback against Georgia's defensive front, which had its struggles early in the season. But not as great as the hits Ewers and Manning suffered; Georgia had seven sacks, including the first of the year by All-American candidate Kelvin Banks Jr. at left tackle.

    The line also couldn't find much traction on the ground, as the Longhorns only ran for 88 yards after deducting the sack length.

    Season average: B-

    Defensive line: B+

    Tackle Alfred Collins had perhaps his best game as a Longhorn as he manipulated the inside of the Georgia line. He made six tackles, defended a pass and put constant pressure on Beck. Jermayne Lole and Bill Norton took turns playing well at the tackle positions while helping hold Georgia to 108 yards on the ground.

    The pass rush remains a mystery. Leading sacker Colin Simmons saw limited snaps and recorded no tackles or pressures, and Trey Moore had no tackles. Barryn Sorrell was the only edge rusher to provide consistent pressure.

    Season average: B+

    Linebacker: B+

    Anthony Hill Jr. once again had an outstanding performance at middle linebacker with a total of eight tackles, one sack and 1½ tackles for a loss. David Gbenda may have lost his starting spot to Liona Lefau, but he still saw plenty of action and collected seven tackles.

    Season average: A

    Secondary: A

    Safety Michael Taaffe was likely named the team's defensive MVP after playing heavy minutes with Derek Williams Jr. out for the season and Andrew Mukuba suffering a knee injury early in the second half. Taaffe led the team with seven solo tackles and nine total tackles.

    If Taaffe wasn't the defensive MVP, then give it to Jahdae Barron, who had two of the three Longhorn interceptions as well as a pass breakup. Mukuba had another choice at the start of the game.

    Season average: A-

    Special Teams: B

    Ian Ratliff remains the Texas player, while Michael Kern remains limited due to injury. His 43.8 yards per punt average may not have matched Georgia's Brett Thorson's high 54-yard average, but it was steady enough.

    Texas could have used a big play in the return game as its offense struggled, but a 64-yard kick return by Matthew Golden was negated by a call.

    Season average: b

    Coaching: C-

    Credit Steve Sarkisian for trying to get his team out of an offensive slump by subbing Manning for Ewers in the second quarter, but the move didn't give the offense much of a boost – and he may have some doubts about Ewers' ability to play woken up. Think about the rest of the season. But Sarkisian also needs to figure out why his offense has now endured sluggish starts in consecutive games.

    On the bright side, defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and his crew developed a game plan that stifled Beck and the Bulldogs

    Season average: B+

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    Kathleen William
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