AUSTIN, Texas - Georgia's defense finally "cut it loose."

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has used this phrase multiple times this season. It means playing with confidence, not thinking too much, and instead going after it with freedom and aggression.

In the biggest game of the year, Georgia's defense did just that in a 30-15 win at No. 1 Texas.

"It was unbelievable to watch," quarterback Carson Beck said. "When you eliminate the opposing offense from having any type of big plays, explosive plays, it's really hard to just grind it out and get yards and turn drives into points, field goals, touchdowns. It was a really great job by our defense. It was absolutely huge that they came up and did a great job tonight.”

The best part of the night came in the first 30 minutes.

The Bulldogs suffocated the Longhorns in the first half, building a 23-0 halftime lead.

Georgia also forced three first-half turnovers. Two came at the hands of cornerback Daylen Everette, who forced and recoverd a fumble and also intercepted a pass.

"What we always say when it comes to takeaways, they come in bunches. So you get one, you get another one, you get another one, just keep stacking them," Everette said.

The Georgia pass rush also had its best game of the season.

Georgia finished with a season-high seven sacks. The team had registered 11 sacks in the season's previous five games before tonight. Jalon Walker (three) and Mykel Williams (two) accounted for the majority of the total against Texas.

"I think the biggest thing was not knowing what we were in every play and affecting the timing of the routes," Smart said of the pass rush. "We've got good pass rushers when we can go. The bigger factor in the game was the inability to run the ball because we felt like if they could run the ball it was going to be tough. They really never established the run, and that's what this league is. That's what you've got to do in this league because if you can't do that it makes you more one-dimensional."

It hasn't been a consistent season for the defense. There have been questions about the unit and their ability, especially over the past month or so since the loss to Alabama.

It's just one game, but the Bulldogs enjoyed making a statement against the top-ranked team in the land.

"I feel like as a defense, we take that into consideration," Walker said. "I feel like as a UGA standard defense, we take pride in what we do."