The biggest game of the weekend in college football will take place Saturday night when No. 1 Texas hosts No. 5 Georgia in Austin.
The most recent matchup between these two storied programs came in the 2019 Sugar Bowl, a 28-21 Texas victory under then-head coach Tom Herman. The game was highlighted by an unlikely sideline confrontation between Bevo, Texas’ live steer mascot, and Uga X, Georgia’s lovable bulldog. Bevo charged at Uga, whose real name was Que, before the game, causing a stir and providing a viral video clip for the ages.
These days, Que’s son Boom, known as Uga XI, is the Bulldogs’ live mascot,. His father’s personal history with Bevo left some wondering if Uga would make the trip to Austin.
As it turns out, he won’t, said owner Charles Seiler, but strictly for logistical reasons.
“This dog hasn’t been on a plane yet and hasn’t been on a bus yet,” Seiler told Chip Towers of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He is really young and immature and crazy as hell, and this game just wasn’t a good fit for us.”
Seiler told Towers he’s had to answer “a bunch of questions” about the Uga/Bevo showdown in the last few weeks. This will be the second trip that Uga XI, a 70-pound two-year-old, has missed this season.
He did not attend Georgia’s win at Kentucky, but was at the Bulldogs’ loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 28.
“Typically, we miss two or three a year,” Seiler explained. “When Georgia plays these away games, I’ve got a five-hour drive up to Athens and a five-hour trip back after. So it can be quite an undertaking for me and for the dog. The school gives me full authority as far as what to do with the dog, and sometimes these trips are just not safe for us.”
Texas and Georgia will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday night on ABC.
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