GATArchives - Tony Milton

While recording episode 7 I casually mentioned something that got stuck in a frontal lobe's craw somewhere. Somehow, and in some kind of way, the name Tony Milton just jumped out of my mouth. Hopefully most of y'all remember him. Not exactly sure what made this player and this play specifically come to mind so quickly, but I decided last night that I would do some research on the former UGA running back.

Milton was a tough carrier of the football. (via Legge)

What I remember
The most vivid memory I have of Tony Milton was in the game against Tennessee in Athens 2002. The year after the Hobnail Boot, sporting a rare two year winning streak, and things still weren't very easy against Fulmer's Vols. But we had a lead very late in the game and came up square against a fourth down decision: punt the ball and gain maybe 20 yards of field position yet still be forced to fight to win the game, or go for it and earn the win in one more play.

Coach Richt chose the latter. And he also relied upon the fresh legs of Musa Smith's backup - Tony Milton. Student Body right and 26 yards later the Dawgs had sealed a third consecutive win over Tennessee for the first time since the late 1980s.

What I reminded myself of
Using google I entered his name and found a lot of his recruiting information. Tony Milton didn't earn a qualifying test score while in high school and eventually settled into a decision to play for Syracuse, who wanted him to enroll as a partial qualifier. But he never played for the Orangemen. Meanwhile Mark Richt had moved from Tallahassee as FSU's offensive coordinator where he had recruited Milton some, to Athens as the head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs. And that's when he found Milton working hard to stay in shape until another football related opportunity presented itself. There were times Milton even slept and lived out of his car after high school, mostly due to a strained and difficult home life.

In many ways it was a match made in Heaven, Coach Richt and Tony Milton. For all intents and purposes, he loved the young man. Years before Greene/Pollack and Tebow ad nauseum, Uncle Verne enjoyed relating the tale of Milton's struggle to earn his way into Richt's backfield. Glory, Glory.

Milton served himself well as Musa's backup in 2002 and was considered the experienced option to replace all those carries once Smith left for the NFL. Still it was a crowded group behind David Greene and JT Wall, one that included Kregg Lumpkin, highly touted freshman Michael Cooper and the 2003 GDay hero Ronnie Powell. Still, injuries eventually took their toll and Milton finished out his career at Georgia mostly recognized for his play as a redshirt freshman behind Musa.

What I found out
Milton pursued a golf career a few years ago. Not sure how it turned out as those amatuer tours can be brutal, but I hope the guy is doing well today, wherever he is.

For a while he was the kid most had forgotten that turned into the man that Richt gave an opportunity. Nothing would really stand out today if you looked back at his statistics while in Athens. But by all accounts he made the most of the chance he was given, on the field and off. And if you fast forward to about the 2:07:00 mark of this video, you will see how Tony Milton was the number called in one of the greatest play calls of the early Richt era.

GATA Tony Milton! Damn Good Dawg!

Twenty One Days!!

Keep your eye on it! Keep your eye on it!

This is absolute gold, by my definition at least. Georgia and Clemson under the lights...for the first time in Sanford! Dan Magill. Vince Dooley. Herschel used as a DECOY!!

Plus, all the Clemsoning y'all!

h/t Dawg19

"NO DEPOSIT, NO RETURN!" - Erk Russell

Practice starts today. Camp opened and iPads were dispensed. Now it's grind time. And what better way to start than with a look at one of Erk Russell's infamous August calendars. (Here's last year's. And many thanks to Scott for sharing the one below.)

In 1982, while Georgia was preparing for an opener against Clemson again, Russell was busy starting the Georgia Southern program from scratch after 40 years of dormancy. No real surprise that he incorporated a method he'd used in Athens to motivate his players and raise the bar each and every day.

When GSU hired Erk, Lewis Grizzard is noted for commenting - "When they landed Erk Russell, they got themselves a franchise." And right on cue, in just the Eagles fourth season and just their second as a full NCAA member, Erk lead Georgia Southern to their first national title.

Erk Russell was a master motivator. We should remember him at all times, but especially in August. Because no one could get a team in shape mentally and physically like Erk.

Click for larger version

GATArchives - Hoage, Butler and the 1983 Clemson game

The Clemson series defined the early 1980s for Georgia football in some ways. Georgia won in 1980 and went on to win the national title. The Tigers flipped the script in 1981. And it seemed to have flipped again in the Dawgs' favor the next season until Penn State won the Sugar Bowl.

So when you think about this rivalry you often recall back to the early 80's. And 1983 specifically brings to mind one particular player, the "greatest defensive player" Dooley ever coached - Terry Hoage. This was the All-American's last game of the series and he shows why he was so dangerous for opposing quarterbacks and often dictated their scheme and play calling.

As for Kevin Butler, many view games which come down to kickers with scorn and dismissive gestures. But in watching this copy of the 1983 Georgia game at Clemson (h/t tigerray) you can see how much having two world class kickers can affect the game's strategy as well, not to mention the eventual outcome.

Kevin Butler vs Donald Igwebuike. I mean, how often do you see a game come down to one 68 yard field goal attempt before the field is flipped and the opposing kicker tries a 66 yard field goal. Basically those two kicks traveled twice as far as Mike Eppley threw the ball.



Great game. Thanks to AHD for sharing. And he also sent along this handy link to take in the scope of the series. Tomorrow I'll share the first of a few anecdotes I have in the vault on the series.

Go Dawgs!

GATArchives - Erk's August Calendar

First off, I view this as a true Dawg relic. I'm sure it's made rounds over the years, but I had never seen it before until Mac sent it to me several weeks ago. It came to him by way of Kid; a man named John H. Terrell who is aptly described as the "most loyal Dawg fan of this century". I hope you were able to catch yesterday's tribute to him. 


It also comes with this subplot. Erk's typewriter fad fine print, of course. As it well should. The image below has been touched up as best as myself (who failed at it, miserably) and Steve were able to. Steve, aka BassinDawg, was able to clear up some of the print and make it a bit more readable. However, you may still need to get out a magnifying glass, real or electronic.


Right click, save as, magnify...do whatcha gotta do dawg.


Some historical background. This "Friendly Reminder Calendar" was "published" and distributed in the summer of 1969. Georgia's opener that season was Tulane on September 20th. They were coming off a loss in the Sugar Bowl to Arkansas that capped off a very successful 8-0-2 regular season. It's clear that Coach Russell was a little worried about off season complacency.


With all that being said, please take the time to enjoy this. It's full of terrific history and GATA attitude. From reminding his men that for the first time since 1965 the Dawgs will be "without Dicks", to various ways to build "big necks"...like while in the church's front pew on Sunday morning.

CLICK HERE for bigger copy

I'm a better man just having read that. In the end, Georgia trounced Tulane 35-0 before marching up and across Lake Hartwell to also beat the snot out of Clemson 30-0. After scoring a season high 41 points on South Carolina at home, the road got tougher in SEC play with losses to Ole Miss and Auburn, and a tie in Jacksonville. So as the end result of 5-5-1 might have fallen short of Erk's goal to "beat everybody", the message was clear as to what the expectations were. Even when his players were at home, miles away, eating mama's fried chicken and melting in the August heat, Erk was there in their ears to run further and do more neck iso's.


That's clear and constant communication well before the days of cell phones and BookFace. And like Erk Russell said himself, "A good sense of humor even helps in football."


So as the boys of summer begin to strap on the pads and the coaches blow their whistles, I hope Coach Russell is there at Woodruff looking over them...telling them to: "Think BIG today. Get a BIG neck. Run a BIG mile."

GATArchives - Amp'd up to Wreck Tech

I remember going to a football camp in the late 1970's at Cedar Shoals High School. Coach Waters brought back some alumni to run the camp. I was working out at receiver with none other than Anthony Arnold. It was hot and almost time to break for lunch. Amp called my name and said I was to run a go route to the visiting sideline and look for the ball over my left shoulder. If I caught it, we went to the shade and cooled off. If I missed it he'd call another camper to do what I couldn't.


I caught it. It was a glorious moment for a ten year old. But nothing like the glory number 82 must've felt 'tween the hedges a couple years earlier.

h/t Dawg19

"Woerner on the 28. Ran by one, ran by another! RAN BY ANOTHER!! 50  45  40! 35  30! Scott WoernerWoernerWoernerWoernerWoernerWOERNER!! Look at the stadium. Look at it!!"


It might have been a game for the spectator, but it was a win for the Dawgs. A lot of heroes, guys that looked at a 20-0 deficit and stood ready for the task at hand. The Bulldogs' record improved to 9-1-1 on the season before a trip to the Bluebonnet Bowl.


Some bonus material related to this game:
- Garbin takes us back to meet the guy that caught the game clinching interception, David Archer.
- And he also breaks down Arnold's career a little further.
- A quick Hometown Hero piece from the ABH several years ago.

GATArchives: Bill Bates meets the kid from Johnson Co.

First game. First play. All it took for a legend to be born.


Here Larry Munson walks all over the 1980 season opener, much as Herschel walked all over Bates. You've seen the play a million times, but this is a chance to hear Munson help you get the picture for a game that helped set the stage for a spectacular season.


It's an instant classic.

h/t Dawg19

GATArchives: Game Between the Hoses

Seemingly, the 1986 Georgia Bulldogs were limping into Opelika to play their annual game against Auburn. Knee injuries had plagued the backfield and quarterback James Jackson wouldn't be able to play either due to an ankle injury. The Dawgs were unranked and faced a tall order in a top ten Auburn Tiger team. Backup QB Wayne Johnson had attempted 4 passes on the season. It looked to be a long night.


But the defense was opportunistic and the offense kept catching the plainsmen off guard, so somehow Dooley's Dawgs managed a 20-16 victory...before the real action began. Celebrating fans rushed the field and hoses were turned on to control them. In a word, it was bedlam.


A few weeks ago we looked at Otto and how he filled in so admirably during the Auburn game of '86. Now, Dawg19 has the entire game loaded up and ready to view. From the opening drive to the hoses being turned on the fans on the field and in the stands.

"It's a little chilly to be getting drenched down there."

There's some great bonus reading your can do on this epic game. MT over at Bubba 'n Earl looked back at this game last November. The video PWD posted a few years ago is no longer available, but there's some great comments in the post. Especially the one about a commemorative t-shirt.

As with other posts like this I'm sure there's more out there. Feel free to share in the comments. Stay dry Dawg fans!

GATArchives - greatest upset at WLOCP

Sure, there have been plenty of upset faces for Dawg fans leaving Jacksonville the last couple decades. But the biggest upset in Georgia history was one handed to the hated Gators. 


The year was 1985 and Galen Hall not only had his fightin' reptiles #1 in the nation, he also had inherited the team on probation. Charley Pell had left the program steeped in controversy in the middle of the 1984 season. Strapped with over 100 major NCAA infractions, Hall would rally his players the rest of the season to a 9-1-1 record. That catapulted them into the '85 season where they were undefeated coming into the WLOCP.


The problem for the Gators was, the Dawgs never blinked. Behind the powerful legs of freshman Keith Henderson Dooley's offense rushed for over 300 yards. And even though Kerwin Bell threw for over 400 yards, Florida never found the endzone. A 6-1-1 Georgia team ranked #17 in the nation proved to their rivals that the Gator Bowl was still their turf with a 24-3 upset win.


Because the game wasn't televised, very little footage has ever been seen. Luckily Dawg19 has us covered with this recap by Larry Munson. Enjoy.

Never gets old seeing a Florida quarterback struggle to get off the turf. Hope you enjoyed that one too. And if you were there we'd love to hear what the experience was like...taking down the hated Gators in the biggest upset in Georgia football history.

*for more on the game, check out Garbin's post from a couple years ago.

A BIG bite of 1980

Cuz when you meet the Georgia Bulldogs you gonna feel the Bulldog bite!


This is the season highlight tape of the 1980 season. It is replete with everything from Run Lindsay Run! to Lewis Grizzard giving a tour of Wrightsville Georgia..."PBR, cold to go!"


It's not gameday today, but this ain't a bad alternative.

courtesy of carlmilton

GATArchives: Dooley's favorite mascot

In 1986 the Georgia Bulldogs faced a number of key injuries, especially in the backfield with the loss of both Tim Worley and Keith Henderson. But the injuries weren't just limited to the field. Uga IV injured a knee as well the morning of the Vanderbilt game. When it was clear that the bulldog wouldn't be able to fulfill his gameday duties officials called on his brother Otto.


Fast forward to what would eventually become known as the "Game Between the Hoses" and Otto is doing quite well. Here carlmilton provides an old tape of a halftime report. Even through Tim Brando struggles with the correct pronunciation of Uga, it's a good look back at one of UGA's greatest temporary mascots.

Wow, those were some bad jokes. Real bad. If you're interested in highlights from the game (which had one of the more chaotic endings in college football history) carlmilton also has those loaded up here.


Back to Otto, he ended up with a record of 3-1 and handed the duties back over to Uga IV by the end of the season. It was clear the temporary mascot had won the head coach's heart as he "came off the bench and got the job done." Which is another reason he reminds me of our current mascot. Although Russ is likely to pass the collar soon, he's been there when the Dawg Nation has needed him, twice now. Like Otto, he really knows how to GATA.

GATArchives - a hate for Dawgs is born

Tomorrow's a get away day for me. I'll have some provoking items as I aim the Bernie Family Circus towards the beach. I'm interested to hear your thoughts as we all head into the Dawg days of summer.

But for now....



That's Spurrier, circa 1966 I believe.

I got a real good kick out of Coach Richt's response the other day to the Ol Ball Coach's proposal that only divisional games count towards the divisional crown. In case you missed it, here ya go:

“I think every man has a right to his own opinion. If it gets changed, then good for him I guess this year. I don’t know if he’d feel that way every year. This year he’d probably feel good about it. I don’t think it’s going to change. I’ve always said for me personally tell me what the rules are at the beginning of the year and let’s go play by them.

Anyway, it all got me thinking about the Dawgs' history with Steve Spurrier. The historical saga has been a long and dramatic one between the visored one and the Georgia Bulldogs. There's truly no love lost.
- Spurrier played for Florida from 1964-66. He went 1-2 against Georgia, including a beat down just before he was crowned the 1967 Heisman trophy winner. The Gators were undefeated heading into Jacksonville that season. It wasn't pretty from the get-go as Dooley's Dawgs went on to a 27-10 victory and Co-SEC champs. (here's some more on that game)
- It didn't fare much better for Spurrier once he started his coaching career. He was a QB coach in Gainesville in 1978 as well as at Georgia Tech in 1979. Both were wins for Georgia.
- I wasn't able to find much on the internets regarding Georgia's history with the Tampa Bay Bandits...or Duke. So, we festered in his belly during those years too.
- But then he owned us, flat out during the 1990's. Enough said, let's move on.
- 1997! Robert Edwards helped exercise many demons.
- But then Spurrier owned us. Again.

South Carolina has been a mixed bag. I'll admit that the ol ball coach has lasted longer in Cola East than I thought. But at least it has helped create my favorite memory of Spurrier to date.

What's been your favorite (or least favorite) memory of the one we love to hate?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

GATArchives: last home game of the 1980 season

So last week we looked at the Railroad Track Crowd's last game before Sanford was expanded. Today let's focus on what happened 'tween the hedges in that edition of Clean Old Fashioned Hate.


It wasn't much of a game until the second half - Georgia led 17-0 at the half. And it's not that the second half was tight, it's just that Tech started scoring often enough to keep the game interesting. And after Belue scored on a 1 yard run early in the 4th quarter to give the Dawgs a 31-14 lead there was surely a feeling that the game was about to be on ice.

Picture credit: Steve Deal of the AJC. Sorry for the poor scanning job. It was
too wide for my scanner. Not a whole lot of explanation given for it. But it's
designed to show how one simple screen pass to Walker could go for a big
gain. The byline states: "Georgia quarterback Buck Belue passes to Herschel 
Walker, who breaks a couple of tackles and gains 31 yards to Tech's 41 to set 
up Rex Robinson's 57-yard field goal."

However, there were two problems with that scenario: Tech went on a methodical drive to pull back to within two scores (31-20 after a failed 2-point conversion), and Hershel Walker was still 42 yards shy of Tony Dorsett's freshman rushing record. UGA Sports Information Director Claude Felton called down to the sideline to get word to the coaches of how close the record was. However, once Tech scored to narrow the margin some the point was moot.


So, on Georgia's first play from scrimmage Walker took the ball on a "22 Draw" and scampered 65 yards to seal the victory. He'd racked up over 200 yards and helped Georgia earn a perfect 11-0 regular season. He'd also bested Dorsett's freshman mark by 30 yards. I think OG Tim Morrison summed up the post-game sentiments best:

"In my opinion he's the best running back in the history of football. I don't care what anyone says. That's the way I feel and that's the way a lot of people on this team feel."

There were more quotes in the article (11/30/1980 by the AJC's Dan Barreiro) about Herschel's quiet, humble manner. There were comparisons to other marquee backs of the era such as Charles White of USC. It was all to profess their love for #34, and their support for him as a Heisman candidate.


Unfortunately, as we all know, it was all for naught. In fact, the ballots had been sealed the Friday before. Voting was done. Herschel would end up third behind two seniors, Pitt's defensive lineman Hugh Green and South Carolina's George Rogers.


So in summary: despite not winning an award that was rightfully his. perhaps the only person to outwork the Track People that day was The Goalline Stalker, Hershel Walker.

GATArchives: the Railroad Track Crowd eviction

They were not players. They never scored a single touchdown. In fact, they never really bothered to sober up for kickoff. They probably even approached their studies in much the same manner. Yet they are The Railroad Track Crowd. They earned Erk Russell's respect and their stories are those of legend. Therefore, they are to be honored with an archive here.

Source: AJC
Date: Sun 11/30/1980
Photo credit: Steve Deal

First, I was neither of age to celebrate amongst the Track People, nor was I conceived among them. That puts me about knee high to Amp Arnold around the time of their hey day. On Sunday mornings I recall riding along East Campus Rd on the way to church. After a home game the rocky embankment that led up to the railroad track was completely littered with bottles, tailgating remnants and the occasional underclassman.

If you wanted to party with these guys you had to be ready Friday afternoon and your insurance had to cover the occasional tumble down the rocky slope to the street's pavement below. Saturday November 29th, 1980 was the last home game before Sanford was enlarged and enclosed on the east end (in the picture you can see the beginnings of the construction). About 4000 fans took to The Tracks for one last view of a football game from the perch they had come to know and love. No doubt feeding off of that energy, the Bulldogs used two 4th quarter touchdowns to beat visiting Tech 38-20 that day. It finished an undefeated regular season and put Dooley's team in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day against Notre Dame.

The fact that the last team they saw became Georgia's best team ever was no coincidence. You see, Erk Russell had written that it was to be so. On July 7th, 1980 the Georgia defensive coordinator wrote a heartfelt letter referencing the "Railroad Track Crowd" addressed to his "Gentlemen: (and Linemen)". He openly challenged his Dawgs to not only be the last team they saw from the tracks, but also the best.

And it was so.

But in the years leading up to that time just before and during the magical 1980 season, the citizens of the tracks had already begun to wear out their welcome. In the article that accompanies the picture, Alan Truex explains that a student suffered a spinal injury due at least in part to a fight on the tracks in 1979. If you speak to those around campus at the time this was fairly frequent behavior, along with thrown bottles and confrontations with local police. And all that was before even the first trashbags were used to clean up the free seats.

As with the more recent case on North Campus, the UGA tailgating scene knows that it takes just a few bad apples to kill the buzz. It's hard to imagine the decision to enclose the east end being about anything more than money, but doing away with the free seats was surely a welcome byproduct of the stadium's growth.

Still, the Railroad Track Crowd is largely and affectionately remembered as they should be: die hard fans that cherished their spot, greeted the team before and after each home game, and generally bled red and black. But don't take my word for it, here's Scott Woerner:

"It's gonna be sad not having those people there. I can tell how much the team is gonna miss these people. When you drive up and see all the people, and know that some of 'em stayed out all night long up there, you get chills and a warm feeling."

Yes. It might be hard for today's fan - and player for that matter - to understand. But back in the 1970's the Track People were as big a part of the Georgia football gameday tradition as Munson, the cheerleaders and even Uga. They won the hearts of the players. And they gave each game their all.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Some bonus readings:

- I certainly don't believe in the curse (it's Bleacher Report after all), but the "legend" of Rusty McKay provides a decent picture of who many of these fans were.

- Rex talked about what it was like to be a player during the tradition of getting off the bus to the Tracks. The comments provide some great memories as well. I especially chuckled at the reference to the "hippie lettuce". 

- Same is true for Garbin, "as long as there was whiskey to drink and Larry Munson on his radio."

- And make sure and visit the official website where you can read Erk's letter in its entirety as well as grab a commemorative t-shirt.

GATArchives: Herschel's jersey retired

We've all seen the pictures of the four legends; the only Georgia Bulldogs to ever have their jersey retired. Herschel alongside Theron Sapp, Charlie Trippi and Frank Sinkwich.


The day was September 2nd, 1985 and Georgia was hosting Alabama in a rare night game on Labor Day. At halftime an appreciative crowd welcomed #34 back for the prestigious honor of retiring the jersey. This is the only footage I've seen of the actual ceremony, hosted by Georgia legend Dan Magill.

via carlmilton

Too bad Davidson had to step in for that moment in the spotlight. Because that intro by Magill was legendary..."Number 34 the Goalline Stalker, Herschel Walker!" What a great night this must've been to be at Sanford. To have those four gentlemen on the field together has to put 9/2/85 as one of the Stadium's best moments.


Just for kicks, let's take a quick look at each Damn Good Dawg.


Frank Sinkwich - probably the one man that could argue against Walker for being Georgia's greatest player ever. Under Coach Butts, Sinkwich passed for 2,331 yards and rushed for 2,271 yards. His touchdown split was dead even at 30 rushing and 30 passing. All that in just three seasons. It's no wonder he was an All-America and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.


Charlie Trippi - played alongside Sinkwich during the 1942 championship season and was named the Rose Bowl MVP retroactively in 1953. After fighting in WWII Trippi came back to UGA to play for two more seasons, earning the Maxwell Award in his senior season of 1946. A year later Trippi later became a professional legend as well for his performance in an icy NFL Championship Game in Chicago. For better traction he wore basketball shoes and gained over 200 yards total, 102 coming on punt returns. Trippi was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959. 


Theron Sapp - the "Drought Breaker" was practically responsible for breaking Tech's 8 game winning streak in 1957 on his own. He recovered a fumble, then took nine handoffs culminating in a 1 yard plunge into the endzone. Georgia won 7-0. Although his career was plagued by injuries (including a broken vertebra his freshman year) he still garnered All-SEC honors in 1957 and 1958.


Herschel Walker - is the only player ever to finish in the top three of voting for the Heisman in every season of his college playing career. Walker gained over 5,000 yards rushing in just three seasons. While his freshman highlights were more dramatic, it's always been his sophomore season that impressed me the most. Herschel carried the ball a phenomenal 385 times that season, even as every team was keying on him. And he still gained nearly 1,900 yards and had 18 touchdowns.

GATArchives: 1984 GDay, Varsity versus Alumni

Ok, so we've been stuck in 1984 for the last couple editions of GATArchives. It's cool with me cuz I can still rock my Members Only and impress all the 8th grade chicks with my retainer. So let's give it one more go. And for this we give a huge fist bump to Dawgs19 for sending the clipping below. I hope I was able to make it big enough for you to read. If not, now's a good time to go dig out that magnifying glass. It relates to Georgia's spring game before that 1984 Citrus Bowl and before that epic win over Clemson. 

from The Macon Telegraph

Reading over that my curiosity peaked. Because what's notable about the article above is that we had players just removed from campus like Ronnie Stewart playing in the same game as much older players such as Kent Lawrence (who played in this game shortly before being appointed to the State Court by Gov. Joe Frank Harris...and after a couple stints in the NFL, time as a UGA police officer, Clarke Co. Chief of Police, a prosecutor and a judge). And they were playing against the likes of Jeff Sanchez and Andre "Pulpwood" Smith. (Smith would of course lead the team in rushing later that season before being dismissed from the program.) I just love that quote from Lawrence - "After I caught it, I turned on the jets and headed east. But I ran out of fuel." Having had the privilege on sitting on Judge Lawrence's jury stand, that's one to remember. Considering he was nearing 40 years young at the time of the game it's understandable that the fuel tanks might have been a bit lower than they were in the 1967 Cotton Bowl.

"Pulpwood" returned to Sanford this past Saturday to participate in the alumni flag football game. And that's likely as close as we'll get to seeing legends grace the field at Sanford again, at least while wearing cleats. I knew the answer but had to ask the question we all would wonder after seeing this newsprint from so long ago. So I took the liberty of contacting AD McGarity about any possibility of this happening again. The answer of course was somewhere just short of there's not a snowball's chance in hell. It's just a different age now than it was back then. As cool as it would be to see Damian Swann try and cover Hines Ward, it's an image that will have to live on in our imagination.

Attendance for GDay is up. Moving the spring game away from Masters weekend was one of McGarity's best decisions for the fans of the football program. We see a lot of discussion this time of year about the value in GDay. There are a lot of different ways to look at it. What do the fans like? What do the players prefer? What's better for the program? 

In the end, perhaps the way the scrimmage is structured is most important for the coaches doing the evaluation. They've invested a lot of time in prepping the players for drills and scrimmages all spring, you want them to go away from GDay with some idea of where the players are in their development. That's an item that might be up for some debate in terms of whether the current GDay set up can provide that better than say a scrimmage against another nearby program.

I don't know. I'd just love the chance to see a 50 year old Herschel Walker strap that chinstrap on tight and have a go at Ray Drew on an outside sweep. An old Dawg can dream right?

GATArchives: Georgia - Clemson, 1984

If you come by here often you know that there is orange blood in my family. However, you are also aware that this fact doesn't keep me from bold predictions and putting the flags at full Glory in their territory. The Georgia-Clemson rivalry can cause some family tension certain Fall seasons, but it also allows me to sit in the middle of their endzone sea of orange every now and then and watch Greene and Pollack dismantle their team 30-3.


So I'm thrilled that this rivalry appears to be saved for the 2013-14 season openers. To celebrate I want to use this edition of GATArchives to remember one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) game between the two programs.


It was the day Sanford Stadium became worse than bonkers. It's known for Kevin Butler's miraculous and momentous 60 yard game winning kick that went 100,000 miles. Georgia beat the #2 ranked Tigers 26-23 after trailing by two touchdowns at halftime. Here are some important notes from the game.

• Georgia gave the ball away three times in the first half on interceptions, but Tiger QB Mike Eppley accounted for five second half turnovers (and seven total for the game with three INTs and four fumbles, holy crap!) in helping the Dawgs climb back into the game.
• William "The Refridgerator" Perry was limited to seven tackles. When asked what the Dawgs did to neutralize him he claimed it was anything but blocking him. "Tripping, holding, clipping. But I don't think they blocked me."
• On the other side Georgia center Pete Anderson had a different take: "I was exhausted but [Perry] was more tired. We were in better condition. I think they should have rested him at times."
• Although it's the 60 yard FG that everyone remembers, it was Tron Jackson's 24 yard run on a '23 Draw' late that set up the kick.
• Both coaches pretty much agreed the turning point of the game was Georgia's first possession of the 2nd half. The Dawgs drove 70 yards and quarterback Todd Williams found Herman Archie on a 19 yard score.
• Another unsung hero of the game was punter Chip Andrews who averaged 47.5 yards on 4 punts.
• Munson's memorable call

Source - The Atlanta Journal & Constitution
Date - September 23, 1984
Context - #20 Georgia beats #2 Clemson 26-23 after some confusion at the end of the game.
Photo courtesy of Lanna Swindler

So, Butler's kick gives the Dawgs a 3 point lead with 11 seconds left and in the chaos of celebrating Dooley's team is assessed a 15 yard penalty. Ford's Tigers tried a cross field lateral on the ensuing kickoff that appeared to have fooled Georgia momentarily, but eventually the Clemson ball carrier was forced out of bounds at the Georgia 35. The controversy came when it was uncertain as to whether there was a penalty on the kickoff and if there was one second remaining when Roulhac went out of bounds. After a brief conference officials determined that the ballgame was over.

Quotable: Ford on the final play - "I would like to have discussed it with officials but I couldn't find one. I thought there was one second left, and I thought there was a penalty, and I thought a game couldn't end on a penalty. I don't know if they made a mistake or not, and I hope I don't find out I was right."

And...Ford on what he was thinking on Butler's kick - "That he would miss it. Seriously, I knew he had the leg and knew he had a chance. That ball must be flat now. He kicked the fool out of it."

Lastly...Defensive Coordinator Bill Lewis on where the win ranked in his experience - "If it's not No. 1 then it's No. 2. But I haven't been in a more exciting game I don't think."

Back to the centerfield confrontation, Ford hinted that he didn't realize it was Dooley in front of him when he was yelling after the game. He later went to the Georgia locker room to apologize for the heated exchange. It was a tight contest that went down to the last minute. We've all seen games that even when they are over the emotions are still high and pandemonium seems to grab hold at least momentarily. Regardless of how it ended, it's evident that this was just another chapter in what is a storied and tense rivalry. 

Perhaps the greatest chapter of all if you ask Dawg fans.

GATArchives: 1984 Citrus Bowl

With the recent visit from Coach Bowden I thought this archive addition would be appropriate.

Source - The Orlando Sentinel
Date - December 21, 1984
Context - Georgia meets Florida State in the 39th Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando Fla.
Photo courtesy of Tom Burton


From the photo it's interesting to me how Bobby looks so similar to both Terry and Tommy. Dooley looks just somewhat younger than he does today.

Georgia came into the contest at 7-4 after finishing SEC play with 4-2 record. Meanwhile FSU was 7-3 and was ranked 15th in the nation by the AP. It was 10th meeting between the teams but the first in nearly 20 years.

The game ended in a 17-17 tie. Despite being an underdog to the hotshot Seminoles and missing some offensive star power, Georgia relied heavily on its defense led by Knox Culpepper and Jeff Sanchez. The Dawgs led by two touchdowns at the half, but in the waning seconds Dooley found his team tied. So he sent in his All- American kicker and Kevin Butler attempted what I think is still the longest FG attempt in football...a 70 yarder. He missed, but you certainly can't blame the logic.

Quotable: Dooley on his team's motivation - "It's going to be a tougher job no doubt about it. Normally, we're playing for a national championship, or at least with a chance at a national championship."

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

GATArchives: Herschel bests Tech and Dorsett

Ok, I promised this a couple weeks ago. Ron sent me enough old newsprint to open my own Dawg Smithsonian. I needed something to do with it. I simply must share it with the world.


First, I needed a name for these posts. On twitter Ron is solely responsible for the hashtag #GATA. Well, almost solely. So this is both a tribute to him as well as something y'all can recognize immediately from the title going forward as I add to the museum, hopefully each week.


Next I had to decide how to go about the project. My first thought was chronologically. But in the end I just wanted to pick and choose as certain pictures and stories caught my eye. And with all the talk about Herschel recently...and you know, not to mention the fact that he was a pretty good player...I thought there's not really a better place to start. 


Source - Athens Banner Herald/The Daily News 
Date - Sunday November 30th, 1980 
Context - Dawgs beat Nerds 38-20 in the season finale as Walker gains 205 yards, easily surpassing Tony Dorsett's seven year record for rushing yards by a freshman. 
Photo courtesy of Wingate Downs 
Headline - Walker Gets Record; Heisman Next? 
Photo caption - Herschel Walker Passed Tony Dorsett's NCAA Freshman Rushing Record vs Georgia Tech

Of course, despite being the best college football player in the nation Herschel would not take home the Heisman in 1980. He finished third behind George Rogers and Hugh Green. The Georgia tailback sensation was clearly penalized for not being a senior, something he could not help anymore than he could help the fact that Bill Bates got in his way up in Knoxville. For more on that subject you can probably do no better than T Kyle King's explanation for just how egregious was the hosing that Herschel received.

Back to the historical clipping, you oldtimers probably remember Coach Mike Cavan was  the coach in charge of recruiting Herschel as well as his position coach in Athens. In the article by ABH Sports Editor Blake Giles there's a quote from Cavan that pretty much sums up the 1980 season as well as how those in Silver Britches felt about #34's Heisman résumé.

"For what his contribution to an 11-0 team has been...I think he deserves it. I sure do."

Well, in the end the trophy came a couple years later. But looking back what really stands out about this inaugural addition to the GATArchives is that Herschel Walker finished his freshman campaign with a bang by running all over the Yellow Jackets and right by Tony Dorsett in the record book. Then he readied himself for a National Championship game and a perfect 12-0 season.

GATA Herschel. Damn Good Dawg!

Monday's Mea Culpa Meatloaf

Spring Practice starts next week. Yes! You read that right, next week. Before we get to that calendar milestone I'd like to come clean, set some things straight...get some crap off my plate.

%$@! eraser! (via nomobobo)

First, sorry about last week's rant on soccer rainouts. I felt like a complete dumbass Saturday after complaining so heartily when the little girl's team was up 6-0 at halftime. Obviously they can afford a couple rainouts. This was apparent as early as the first goal. My lil sweetheart took the ball down the left side and centered a pass with her left boot that was the best lookin thing I've laid eyes on since Michael Johnson cradled that 70XTakeoff in the corner of Abuurn's endzone. Her teammate then buried the pass in the back of the net. 


I knew then and there that this game was over. My kid tallied two goals in just one half of play, but was most proud of the shot that sailed over the crossbar. "Dad!!! It went OVER the goal!" Of course, Rex pointed out that this would've been three points 'tween the hedges. One Saturday at a time #5. One Saturday at a time.


Next I feel the need to give Bobo a hug. Look dude, I haven't been great with the timing of some posts. You sometimes frustrate the hell outta me. But I want you to know I support you. If not before, ever since you threw that prayer to Corey Allen on the plains in '96 (again with the barners, piling on!) I've said you my boy! I know and you know that all you need is a dependable running game and this offense will have as much bite as it does bark.


Which leads me to my last repentance. Isaiah Crowell. I was hard on the kid. I don't think I was too hard, but with news that he's doing well this winter during workouts (and from what I'm hearing, despite some really difficult times for the kid) I think it's past time to give the guy a pat on the back. I'm looking forward to seeing #1 in his second year. Should be fun seeing him compete with a stable of tailbacks.


Whew. That feels better. Now onto the main course.


Today's Ingredients

• With spring ball heating up next week I've got a primer coming tomorrow or Wednesday. And hopefully a Q&A to get us ready.
• Football fever is getting higher. Are you going out west to welcome Mizzou? If so join Chrystal and Krisi's BookFace group.
• sUGArfalling wraps up the hoops season.
• Daugman finds some reasons for optimism. Similarly, PWD has hope.
• A lot of video highlights and links in today's recruiting thread at Leather Helmet.
• In tennis news, we rocked all weekend long. Both MEN and WOMEN.
• CCRider knows where Peyton is gonna play in 2012.
• Vandy won the SEC Tourney over Calipari's squad of semi-pros. In related news, Kevin Stallings wants Girl Scout cookie boxes in the triple digits!!
• Hmmm...stuck in trash chute retrieving her phone...can you hear me now?
• And lastly, news beginning to break on Richt and Grantham's new contracts. But in bigger news, UGA has also re-signed me as a blogger. You can all now exhale.

Pretty excited about launching a new feature here, hopefully this week. Ron is one of BDB's most ardent readers. Which is to say he has a dependable internet service provider and strange desire to subject himself daily to my lunacy. And he was kind enough to share some unique treasures with me. To cut the story short, I now have a TON of old newspaper clippings that are just begging for world wide web attention.

I've got pictures of Herschel I've never seen (and I thought I had seen most of them). I've got stories from the 1981 Sugar Bowl galore. He even sent me the tape they used for Herschel's bum shoulder so he could get back in the game...just kidding. But you get the idea.

So I'd like to share some of these riches. I've spent some time going through it all and there's some stuff I know you'd like. And what better way to say thanks to Ron and his family than to give this stuff some attention it deserves. There's several articles you'd enjoy that shouldn't be too hard to re-type and give credit. And there's hundreds of pictures I'll try and scan in and share. 

Haven't decide on a name for the feature yet, but you'll know it when you see it. Trust me. Until then, here's your guilt free fork. Get after it!

Bernie