Texas Football: 5 overreactions from Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia

3. Texas dominated Georgia in the trenches

What we saw from Texas football in the trenches on both sides of the ball was truly impressive in the Sugar Bowl. An area where the Horns definitely needed to hold an advantage in this game was in the front seven. And, as a result of senior Georgia linebacker D’Andre Walker missing the Sugar Bowl due to a groin injury he suffered in the SEC Title Game, the Texas offensive line had some added opportunity to get a bigger push.

Texas converted on the edges handed to them up front on both sides of the ball early and often. The speed of the Texas front seven also helped win the day as the Georgia offensive line couldn’t help keeping the pass rush from blowing up its backfield. Senior Texas football defensive end Charles Omenihu and linebacker Anthony Wheeler stepped up to the plate in their final game with this program.

Sophomore Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm didn’t get enough credit for the numbers he posted despite a lack of support from the ground game and his offensive line. Texas lived in Georgia’s backfield for much of this game, and the numbers sophomore running back D’Andre Swift posted were a direct result of that push in the trenches. The range and pursuit of the Texas front seven, and even the defensive backs at times, showed off how potent this group can be in completely limiting Georgia’s powerful ground game.

Few could have predicted the outcome of rushing stats for each side in this game. It seemed more reasonable heading into the Sugar Bowl that Georgia outrush the Horns due to an early lead posing the need to control the clock and wind things down. Instead, Georgia’s passing game had to carry the load as the Texas ground game was a deciding force. Texas finished up with 106 more rushing yards than the Dawgs, displaying the superior Texas offensive line sparked by redshirt freshman All-American Samuel Cosmi.