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Kirby Smart admits playing in SEC Championship game against Texas ‘took a lot out of both our teams’

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Kirby Smart admits playing in SEC Championship game against Texas ‘took a lot out of both our teams’


Kirby Smart knows winning last year’s SEC Championship game came with a price. Quarterback Carson Beck suffered a season-ending injury in the win over Texas, while the win set Georgia up with a game against Notre Dame.

But Smart has no regrets about how things played out last season and how it impacted Georgia’s season or expectations.

“To win the SEC in the way we won it, I think Texas and us were both really beat up in the grueling season,” Smart said in an appearance with Paul Finebaum. “We played seven overtimes a week before. They go play at – I guess it was at A&M. I mean, we both came kind of walking wounded into that and talking to Sark about it. It took a lot out of both our teams to play in that game.”

Georgia actually played an eight-overtime game against rival Georgia Tech before having to go to and pull out an overtime win against the Longhorns.

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With Beck out injured, Gunner Stockton stepped in to lead the Bulldogs to an overtime victory. The win gave Georgia a bye but it did end up matching them up with Notre Dame.

Texas, for losing the game, faced Clemson at home before next talking on Arizona State. Both teams were ranked lower than Notre Dame, though Arizona State was seeded higher by virtue of winning the Big 12.

The Longhorns saw their season come to an end against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

The playoff results have had an impact in how Texas and Georgia have been viewed entering the upcoming 2025 season. Most see Texas as the top team in the SEC, while Georgia has something to prove.

“We go all day, have a good run in the playoffs,” Smart said of Texas. “We don’t. Notre Dame beats us, and Notre Dame had a great team, and they’ve done a great job there. I’m very pleased with where we were. Do I want to win a National Championship? Absolutely. But that’s not going to be the be-all and end-all for us. We want to get the most out of every team we can.”

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Smart acknowledges that it’s a good thing to have championship expectations. With a 12-team College Football Playoff, teams are going to need more to go right in order to win a championship.

Georgia won back-to-back national championships during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Georgia famously didn’t win the 2021 SEC Championship, losing to Alabama before beating the Crimson Tide in the rematch.

Smart is 3-4 in SEC Championship games during his time at Georgia. With Texas and Oklahoma now annual members in the league, winning the SEC is going to be all the more difficult, especially in the event the league expands to nine conference games.

“I actually think that it’s a great thing when you win a 16-team SEC conference, and it’s probably one of the best years we’ve had in terms of winning games,” Smart said. “And it is hard to do when you play seven or eight top-ten teams, which we were able to do. But I really don’t get caught up in it. I love the expectation. I embrace that. I think that’s a good thing because if it’s not there, then what are you playing for, you know?”

Georgia faces a similarly tough SEC schedule in 2025, though it does face Texas, Alabama and Ole Miss at home. The Bulldogs played them all on the road last season. Georgia visits Tennessee and Auburn in 2025 as its marquee road games.

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The Bulldogs open the 2025 season against Marshall on Aug. 30. Georgia’s first SEC game is against Tennessee on Sept. 13.



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UConn vs. Texas Prediction, How to Watch, Odds, Channel

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UConn vs. Texas Prediction, How to Watch, Odds, Channel


This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

The No. 5 UConn Huskies (9-1) will attempt to continue a five-game winning streak when they host the Texas Longhorns (7-3) on Friday, December 12, 2025 at PeoplesBank Arena. The contest airs at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

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Keep reading to get all you need to know ahead of wagering on the UConn-Texas matchup.

UConn vs. Texas How to Watch & Odds

  • When: Friday, December 12, 2025 at 8 p.m. ET
  • Where: PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut
  • TV: FOX
  • Streaming: FOXSports.com, FOX Sports App and FOX One (Try free for 7 days)

UConn vs. Texas Prediction

The Huskies are holding opponents to just 60.4 points per game while averaging 91, giving them one of the strongest scoring margins in the country. Their defense has been particularly sharp, limiting opponents to 37.4% shooting from the field.

Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr. continue to set the tone. Ball is averaging 15 points per game, and Reed Jr. has provided steady interior production with 14.8 points and 5.4 rebounds. Their consistency has been central to the Huskies’ early-season dominance.

The Longhorns have shown they can score, averaging 85.8 points per game, but their defense has struggled, allowing opponents to shoot 48.5%. That could be an issue against a UConn offense that moves the ball well and attacks efficiently.

UConn’s home court-advantage and Texas’s 2-2 road struggles tilt the matchup toward the Huskies.

  • Pick ATS: Texas (+16.5)
  • Pick OU: Over (145.5)
  • Prediction: UConn 81, Texas 69

Prediction provided by FOX Sports’ Sports AIDownload the FOX Sports App for free access to Sports AI.

UConn vs. Texas Betting Insights

Betting Line Implied Predictions

  • Based on the spread and over/under, the implied score for the matchup is Huskies 81, Longhorns 64.
  • The Huskies have a 95.9% chance to win this meeting per the moneyline’s implied probability.
  • The Longhorns have an 8.3% implied probability to win.

Key Spread Facts

  • UConn has compiled a 3-7-0 record against the spread this season.
  • Texas has won six games against the spread this year, while failing to cover four times.
  • UConn has covered the spread once this season (1-4 ATS) when playing as at least 16.5-point favorites.

Key Total Facts

  • The Huskies and their opponent have broken the 145.5-point mark four times this year.
  • Longhorns games have gone over 145.5 points on eight occasions this season.
  • The total for this matchup is 145.5 points, 23.4 fewer than the combined scoring average of the two teams.

Key Moneyline Facts

  • UConn has won six of seven games when the moneyline favorite this season (85.7%).
  • Texas has split the two games it has played as underdogs this season.
  • UConn has played as a moneyline favorite of -2326 or shorter twice this season, and won both.
  • Texas has not entered a game this season with longer moneyline odds than +1103.

UConn vs. Texas: Recent Results

Huskies vs Longhorns Recent Games
Date Favorite Spread Total Favorite Moneyline Underdog Moneyline Result
12/8/2024 Longhorns -1.5 141 -121 +101 76-65 UCONN

UConn vs. Texas: 2025-26 Stats Comparison

  UConn Texas
Points Scored Per Game (Rank) 79.8 (137) 89.1 (21)
Points Allowed (Rank) 61.7 (10) 73.2 (189)
Rebounds (Rank) 9 (234) 11.7 (49)
3pt Made (Rank) 7.7 (203) 8 (175)
Assists (Rank) 17.9 (38) 14.6 (179)
Turnovers (Rank) 8.8 (10) 11.5 (167)

 

UConn 2025-26 Key Players

Huskies Leaders
Name GP PTS REB ASST STL BLK 3PM
Solomon Ball 10 15 3.3 1.6 0.8 0.3 2
Tarris Reed Jr. 5 14.8 7.6 1.4 1.2 1.6 0
Alex Karaban 10 13.4 5.4 2.2 0.9 1.2 2
Silas Demary Jr. 10 10 4.5 5.1 1.8 0.2 0.3
Eric Reibe 10 9.6 4.6 0.3 0.3 1.3 0.3

Texas 2025-26 Key Players

Longhorns Leaders
Name GP PTS REB ASST STL BLK 3PM
Matas Vokietaitis 10 15.9 6.6 0.2 0.4 1.1 0
Dailyn Swain 10 15.7 6.9 3.5 1.6 0.3 0.7
Jordan Pope 10 12.5 2.1 3 0.3 0.1 2.4
Tramon Mark 10 9.9 2.8 2.5 0.7 0.6 1
Simeon Wilcher 10 9.4 2.4 1.9 0.7 0.5 1.6

FOX Sports used technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar to create this story.

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Texas Football Opt-Outs: Who’s Likely Playing and Who’s Out for the Citrus Bowl

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Texas Football Opt-Outs: Who’s Likely Playing and Who’s Out for the Citrus Bowl


At this point in time, opting out of bowl games is nothing new, but Texas is going to have more opt-outs in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan than many—self included—expected. This problem pales in comparison to what’s going on in Ann Arbor, but the amount of lost experience will be something for Texas to overcome, primarily on defense.



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Latest in recruiting war for elite 2028 QB has Texas Football joyful

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Latest in recruiting war for elite 2028 QB has Texas Football joyful



Neimann Lawrence list the Longhorns as one school that is standing out

As the Longhorns continue to build for the future, one of their targets is four-star prospect Neimann Lawrence. The Miami native is one of the best quarterbacks in the 2028 class and is attracting interest from some of the nation’s top programs. On Monday, Lawrence revealed the schools that have stood out so far, including the Longhorns. 

While Mondays update was encouraging, Texas was not the only school Lawrence mentioned. He also highlighted Michigan, Miami, Ohio State, Texas A&M, and Tennessee. That is not an easy list of schools to go to battle with; the Longhorns have time to make themselves stand out. 

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Currently, the Miami Northwestern High star is ranked as the fourth-best quarterback in is class by 247Sports. They also rank him as the ninth-best player from Florida and the 39th-best player in the nation. With collegiate debut still over a year away, those rankings could change. 

At the moment, the Longhorns do not have a commitment in the 2028 class, but they have made offers to some of the top recruits. That includes Brysen Wright, Jalanie George, Jamarios Canton, Micah Rhodes, and King Pitts. Landing any of those players would give Texas a bright future. 

With a decision still months away, Lawrence will be a player to watch. A lot could change as his recruitment continues, but it is a good sign for Texas that they are standing out early on in the process. 



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