Texas coach Steve Sarkisian knows all about Georgia football, from the top down.

The No. 1-ranked Longhorns will be looking to put that knowledge to use when they play host to the No. 5-ranked Bulldogs in a 7:30 p.m. showdown on Saturday in Austin.

“I think the premise of our programs is probably very similar, obviously ours has got a little bit of an offensive perspective because of me and his is a defensive perspective,” Sarkisian said on Monday.

“But I think the way we’ve built our teams, the style in which we try to play the game, and our belief in physicality and running the ball, those things matter,” he said. “Our belief in special teams. A lot of the things that we do and how aggressive we are in recruiting are very similar that way.”

Sarkisian is very familiar with Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, having once recruited him while he was the offensive coordinator at Alabama during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

“He was committed to us at Alabama and ultimately decommitted and went to Georgia,” Sarkisian recalled.

“Big strong kid, can make all the throws. He’s got a real presence in the pocket, can make all the throws, (and) I think they have a scheme that fits him.”

Sarkisian anticipates a balanced Georgia game plan, with Beck capable of making proper adjustments at the line of scrimmage.

“They believe in the play-action pass, they believe in the double moves,” Sarkisian said. “They’re going to take plenty of shots down the field.

“They utilize the tight end, they utilize the running backs. There’s nothing from a throw game that (Beck) really can’t do.”

Ultimately, Sarkisian knows, it could come down to a chess match between coaches, the Xs and Os at a premium.

“You’ve got Kirby Smart, Will Muschamp (and) Glenn Schumann all on the same defensive staff, those are probably three of the top defensive minds in college football,” Sarkisian said. “They’re big and physical up front, they’ve got great length in the secondary, (and) they always have smart, heady safeties to communicate what they’re trying to do.”

Sarkisian knows the Longhorns need to be prepared to protect quarterback Quinn Ewers from a number of defensive looks.

“Third down, they give you a ton of exotic pressures and different fronts,” Sarkisian said. “With all that, they end up playing a lot of almost two-man coverage, so know you’re not only having to beat one guy to get open, you have to beat two.

“That’s the scheme part, and the do a heck of a job with that …. Along with really talented players that play hard.”