Its that boring time of year before signing day (and baseball, for me) and spring practice and everyone is slushing through each day till the season starts again....but we gotta have something going on here. So here's the deal....
Rank your top 5 UGA games of all time. Could be just your personal favorites, maybe ones that have a special place in your heart, maybe the top 5 you witnessed in person, etc. They don't even have to be wins.....just memorable. Do whatever you want. Here are mine in reverse order from 5 to 1....all that I have attended.
5- UGA-26, Clemson-23 (1984, Athens)- This was not the first Georgia game I had ever been to...but its the first one I remember. Kevin Butler kicked a 60-yarder with time expiring to win the game. Walking back to the car, folks were selling signs with the score on them....and I was amazed. I mean, c'mon, how did they know what the score was gonna be? Funny, I remembered the score incorrectly as 21-19.
4- Auburn- 31, UGA-30 (2005, Athens)- This was the most painful game I can remember actually attending. We had played very well to get the lead 30-28 with very little time left. Auburn was pinned deep in their own territory and down to 4th and forever. All we needed was one stop and the game was ours....but a blown coverage left the receiver wide open across the middle for the longest gain I have ever seen in my life (not really, just the most painful). You know the rest of the story.
3- UGA- 28, LSU-27 (1998, Baton Rouge)- The real coming out party for Quincy Carter. A great game after a great weekend. So loud....so much fun. We were chanting outside the stadium after the game and someone hit me in the nuts with their cooler. Given that there were like 6 of us, and thousands of them....I decided it best to let it slide. In the post game interview, Quincy was asked what he thought about his performance. After acknowledging the efforts of his teammates, he concluded by saying, " I was pretty fantastic, wasn't I?"
2- UGA- 21, Tennessee- 10 (2000, Athens)- We had not beaten the Vols since 1988 (they rotated off the schedule in '90 and '91) and this game was absolute mayhem. Although the score was nothing impressive.....the win was huge. After the game was over, me and Haynes jumped the hedges and got onto the field. I actually touched and stood on the Super G.
1- UGA- 56, Auburn- 49 (1996, Auburn)- This 4-OT thriller was the most amazing game these eyes have ever witnessed. Trailing 28-7 at halftime, the Dawgs battled back to tie the game at 35 with time expiring. The OT rule had just come into effect...and this one might have been the first SEC OT game ever. It was nothing short of a classic. Long live Mike Bobo.
Honorable Mention- UGA- 19, GT-13 (2004, Athens)- This was one of the ugliest, wettest, most awful games I have ever witnessed. Greenie got hurt early and Shockley was disastrous. Were it not for Ball playing even worse (and throwing the 4th down ball away) we might have been in serious trouble. Green returned in the 4th quarter to help seal the deal. If this game was so bad, why is it on my list? Pre-game was spent with Toom in the team's pre-game meeting, we rode to Samford Stadium on the bus with the team, went through Dawg walk with them, and hung out on the field during warm-ups. We even got to stand in the Senior Game lines with the rest of the team (I was beside Toom and Zeb McKinzie- sp?). One of the best experiences of my life. Thanks Toom.
2 comments:
Wow, it is hard to call a game great unless you remember it well. I'm sure there are some old-timers who would disagree on that, but I can only base mine on what I've seen.
1. GA / FL in 1980 - I was 8 and at the Tech / Notre Dame game with my Dad that day but I've seen the replay a dozen times.
2. GA / ND in 1980/81 - I vaguely remember the game and have seen the replay. Certainly not pretty, but typical of the Herschel era. We complete one pass the whole game (Herman Archie?) and Herschel plays hurt. In a recurring theme for that year, we get a key turnover late and that proved to be the difference, 17-10.
3. GA / TN 2001: Almost didn't go to this one but so glad Juice and I did. Coming of age for the Pollack and Greene teams, and even larger than that, immediate notice that the Mark Richt era would be different. The kind of comeback you dream about with the famous Hobnailed Boot play, also featured outstanding defense, what should've been a game saving int by Jermaine "the head-hunter" Phillips, and Fred Gibson's debut. Damien Gary also had a wonderful game, including some big possesion catches and a punt return for a TD. And who could forget Randy McMicheal who made some plays I didn't know TEs could make. This marked the end of the mystique that Neyland Stadium held during the 90s over GA and everyone else.
One thing I love about road games: listening to the local post game. Fulmer throws his kicker under the bus for kicking out of bounds on the last drive and the fans are worried UGA is FSU North. We farted around with Auburn and Boston College but this one was great as a stand alone game and for the program moving forward.
4. UGA at Auburn 1996 - on its own merits, perhaps the greatest, but loses some luster in context. GA goes 5-6 and no bowl. Losses to KY and SMiss will do that.
Other memorable games (by team):
UT
1995 - Edwards gets hurt and Goff's fate is sealed. Still, a great game and we had a puncher's chance in the end.
2000 - God bless the Clausen family
2003 - A butt kicking that was beautiful to watch. Sean Jones running down the field at the end of half was euphoric.
LSU
1998 - Carter's freshman year, game was ruined by our beating the following week by UT
99 - We play like crap but Will Witherspoon bats down the 2 pt conversion at the end.
03 - Made the mistake of going to Red Stick and now I guess I have to go back. We DOMINATE, despite getting sacked 100 times and getting passes knocked down at the line. Still, little Browning takes it 91 yards and would be remembered by everyone if LSU hadn't scored on a last gasp effort. Horrible call on last drive where LSU just about held every one of our guys on the KO return. And I think Billy missed 3-4 field goals.
04 - Beating
05 - Beating
Florida
1993 - At the old Gator Bowl in a driving rain, I became a Dawg. Though Jacksonville hasn't been kind to me, I will always remember that trip.
1997 - Best gameplan Donnan, maybe anyone has had in recent years.
07 - replay was great, live? Not so great.
Auburn - My favorites are the beatings
2006 was glorious!
2003 - I really think this was our best team of the Richt era. Loves me some Odell Thurman running down the sideline.
Bammy
02 - great football game that we almost gave away. Hotter'n blue blazes
03 - Man-handling. Remember Brodie getting killed? Odell again.
07 - Mikey in OT. Not the best game, our OL was really sucking at this point in the season. Celebration was pure joy as the Tide was undefeated and worshipping their coach.
06 - MSU - Tucker had been to many games, but the light went on at this one. Ugly win, but I will always remember him ringing the chapel bell after the game and watching him fall in love with the Dawgs and Athens.
02 - Arky - The coronation of a champion and serving notice that the SEC had better make some room.
02 - Tech - 51-7. I love blowouts!
I do remember the 1980 NC.....I was 7 and I of course don't remember everything....But I do remember watching it at the Cook's house (family friends) and listening to Munson rather than the tv guys.....some of my tops I've been at and others I just watched.....
1. '80 FL
2. '80 NC (without the first one..this one doesn't happen)
3. GT '98? (Bobo to Allen on the flats)
4 '03 TN....first time in Neyland...it was a butte Clark
5. '07 Auburn....never been more jacked.
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