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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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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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Orange County wedding photographer deported on way to job in Texas

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Orange County wedding photographer deported on way to job in Texas


An Orange County photographer is speaking out after he was deported as he was heading to Texas to photograph a wedding.

What they’re saying:

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“I was trying to do it the right way, the legal way and it just feels like they don’t care about that,” said Adan Caceres.

Caceres came to the United States under asylum in 2014, fleeing a violent El Salvador.

“My mom’s sister was murdered and she was thrown in front of our house. She also was abused sexually before they murdered her and then my brother and I were threatened by the gangs,” said Caceres.

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He says he never received the deportation order that was issued in 2018 and only learned about it in 2023. He then started the process of reopening his case.

“I was paying my taxes. I’m a business owner, I’m a wedding photographer. I’m also married,” said Caceres.

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In October, Caceres was going through security at John Wayne Airport, heading to a job in Texas, when he was detained. He says from Santa Ana, he was sent to the Adelanto Detention Center then one in El Paso, Texas where he says the conditions were inhumane.

“We’re not even asking ‘hey let us out’ we’re asking for water, we’re asking for us to be able to use the restroom, these are basic human rights,” said Caceres.

He says now that he’s back in the country he once fled, he’s most concerned about his wife back in Orange County.

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“I was providing a lot of income for our household and now my wife has to take care of all of those things on her own; paying car insurance, the rent, all the bills,” said Caceres.

Caceres says he had no criminal history and feels he was on the path to citizenship when it was ripped away from him, leaving his future with his family uncertain.

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“I don’t know if I’m going to see them. I don’t know when I’m going to see them,” said Caceres.

The other side:

FOX11 reached out to the Department of Homeland Security asking about Caceres’ case but had not heard back at the time this story aired. 

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The Source: Information for this story came from an interview with Adan Caceres.

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