Longhorn Fans in Athens: Their Experience in Bulldog Territory

By TJ Krilowicz

Reporting Texas

Texas Longhorn football fans are known for traveling well to away games.

And when the number ten-ranked Longhorns faced off against the number five-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, burnt orange could be seen all over campus on game day. From the tailgates to inside the stadium, hundreds of Longhorn fans packed the Peach State for the SEC showdown.

One of those fans was James Aldredge, who said he couldn’t wait to see Texas “beat the hell out of those ‘Dawgs.”

Aldredge was staying at Mark Erwin’s tailgate, a Bulldog fan who met Aldredge when he had come to Austin last year for the Texas/Georgia matchup. That game ended in a 30-15 Bulldogs win.

“I booked a hotel room about a year ago, but I had made up my mind that I wasn’t going to go because tickets were too hard to find,” Aldredge said.

But suddenly, his luck changed for the better.

“My friend had four tickets somebody just gave to her two weeks ago,” Aldredge said. His flight was then booked with only two weeks to plan.

Larry Schaubut and Michael Kell also repped the Longhorns in enemy territory. They paid for tickets as soon as the game was scheduled.

“We go to one away game every year. And this game we picked because it was the best on the schedule,” Kell said.

But planning this trip also came with a price.

“We spent a lot on tickets, over probably $1,200 each,” Schaubut said. “With a round-trip flight and the need to rent a car, the total cost for the two reached approximately $5,000.”

With the game being a big brand matchup, as well as the first time Texas played in Athens, the average ticket price ended up being $609 for admission.

However, despite the price, both Schaubut and Kell discussed how they have enjoyed their time on campus. Noting the “southern hospitality” Georgia fans had given them during the visit.

“We heard good things about (Athens), it’s been a beautiful place and everyone’s been really nice,” Schaubut said.

And you could feel the hospitality throughout the tailgates that were sprawled all across the campus. Almost every tent had at least a few Longhorns sharing drinks and food with Bulldog fans.

In Athens, it was like a holiday. Every single corner of the city had a tailgate.  Although the two teams may not like each other too much, it was apparent that the Bulldogs fans wanted Longhorn fans to experience a real SEC tailgate.

One of the hosts for a tailgate was Georgia superfan Tamaine Jordan, who wore a shirt that said in all capitals, “DAWGS GOTTA EAT.” He’s been running the tailgate for 18 years.

“I have met quite a few ( Longhorn fans),” said Jordan. “The Texas fans have been great people. I’ll let them come to our city and enjoy themselves.”

But the Georgia Bulldogs, led by head coach Kirby Smart, made sure the Longhorns and their fans didn’t enjoy their stay for too long. While many Texas fans arrived at Sanford Stadium early, they were also among the first to leave. 

Georgia dominated the game, particularly in the fourth quarter, where they outscored the Longhorns 21-0 to put the game away and secure a 35-10 blowout victory.

“I thought in the third quarter when we cut it to a 14-10 game, it was like ‘okay, let’s go play,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “We just couldn’t put it all together. We couldn’t tie offense, defense, and special teams all together.”

It was a devastating loss for the Longhorn fanbase. Not only did the team fail to secure a win against Georgia in their third attempt in two years, but they are also now on the outside looking in for the College Football Playoffs. 

The team sits now at 7-3 and is on the outside looking in. ESPN currently puts the Longhorns at a 12% chance of making the playoffs. If they win the last two games, which are home games against Arkansas and then the unbeaten and bitter rival, Texas A&M, their odds can increase to 45%. So even despite winning out, the team is looking at a less-than-favorable chance of extending their season.

Their next game will be on Saturday when they play the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is at 2:30 C.T. on ABC.