With the Texas Longhorns not playing this week, fans of the burnt orange had to turn to something else to watch. Luckily, a key game for the horns kicked off the noon slate–Georgia vs Mississippi State.

Even though the final result had little to no impact on Texas’ playoff chances, there was still a lot for Longhorn fans to chew on. Georgia took care of business with a 41–21 win over Mississippi State, a performance that showcased flashes of the dominance fans have come to expect from Kirby Smart’s team. From Georgia’s defensive dominance to an offense that could score in every which way, there’s plenty of tape for the No.11 team in the country to look back on.

Entering Saturday morning’s matchup, Kirby Smart’s defense had failed to live up to the expectations college football fans have come to know. Whether it was starting off slow or allowing teams to air the ball out and convert on third downs, it seemed the former defensive gold standard had lost a step.

And for just a moment, it seemed that would continue to remain the case. On the opening drive, Mississippi State stormed down the field for a 75 yard touchdown drive, going four for four on third down attempts. But whatever luck Mississippi State may have started with quickly vanished. They wouldn’t see pay dirt again until late into the third quarter.

Mississippi State would go on to average only 4.7 yards per play. The Georgia Bulldogs would finish the game with three sacks, six tackles for lose and one fumble recovered.

Defense is only half the battle. Every scoreless possession it creates needs to be taken advantage of by the offense. For Georgia, they did just that.

After only having scored off a field goal in the first quarter, Georgia responded by scoring three straight touchdowns in the second quarter. It would seem that everything was clicking. Nate Fraizer looked electric, rushing for 181 yards on just 12 carries (15 YPC) and touchdown. His longest rush came in the third quarter when he broke off a 59-yard run to the house.

But it wasn’t just the run game. Again and again quarterback Gunnar Stockton came in the clutch, preventing turnovers and hitting the splash plays when available. Stockton finished the game with 264 passing yards while gong 18 for 29 on pass attempts. Along with that he threw three touchdowns with no interceptions.

For Texas, Saturday’s matchup offered a clear preview of what’s coming. With Georgia up next, the Longhorns got a firsthand look at what they’ll be up against. If Texas wants to stay in the playoff hunt, it’ll need to tighten up on both sides of the ball and deliver its most complete performance of the season. Georgia showed where its at, now its up Texas to match it.