New book looks back on “Belue to Scott!” Has it really been 30 years?
It was 30 years ago this month–yes you read that right–that Georgia’s football team began preparations for a season full of magic, surprises, and ultimately triumph as the Bulldogs went 12-0 and won the national championship.
In an unforgettable season filled with highlights thanks to the efforts of freshman running back Herschel Walker and so many others, one play will live forever: Buck Belue’s short third-down pass that Lindsay Scott turned into a 93-yard touchdown to give Georgia a stunning 26-21 win over Florida in Jacksonville.
It is, without question, the single most significant play in the history of Georgia football. That’s because the victory, thanks to an assist from Georgia Tech (which tied No. 1 Notre Dame 3-3 in Atlanta), moved Georgia into the No. 1 ranking in the next round of polls. Georgia would never leave that position as it closed out the season with wins over Auburn, Georgia Tech, and ultimately Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.
Macon author Robbie Burns celebrates the 30th anniversary of the play with his new book “Belue to Scott! The greatest moment in Georgia football history.” The book is set to be on the shelves in early September.
Burns, a former public relations director at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, used contacts developed over a decade to interview over 50 people with some connection to the game. In the process he gives it a fresh outlook while uncovering some different angles to the game and to that play.
“This has really been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done,” said Burns, a graduate of Mercer. “I thought I knew a lot about the 1980 Georgia-Florida game when I started. But I learned so much.”
Burns interviewed a bunch of the Georgia people who played and coached in the game: Scott, Coach Vince Dooley, wide receivers coach Charlie Whittemore, captain Frank Ros, Jeff Harper and UGA owner Sonny Seiler, just to name a few. But he also took great pains to get the Florida side of this story. The agony that Florida felt by letting that game slip away has been an under reported part of the story–until now. For example: Did you know that NFL analyst Cris Collinsworth played in the game and caught a nine-yard touchdown pass?
“I have a lot more respect for those guys from Florida now because they were willing to talk about a game and a play that still troubles them a lot,” said Burns.
Burns talked to Mike Shanahan, who you know best as the former coach of the Denver Broncos and the current head coach of the Washington Redskins. But back in 1980 Shanahan was the offensive coordinator at Florida and had installed one of the first versions of the run and shoot offense with Wayne Peace at quarterback.
He spoke to Joe Delaney, the back judge in the game whose job it was to run with Scott down the Georgia sideline and signal the winning touchdown. He talked to Bobby Gaston, the lead SEC official, whose job it was to explain to Dooley why there was going to be an excessive celebration penalty after the historic play. Of course the mob scene that descended on Lindsay Scott in the end zone ranks with the biggest on-field celebrations of all time. If you’re a Georgia fan it was certainly worth a 15-yard penalty.
But Dooley, of course, was worried about the penalty giving Florida field position on the ensuing kickoff because there was still 1:03 left.
Gaston, who went on to become the SEC supervisor of officials, told me that after the touchdown the conversation with Dooley went something like this:
Dooley: What’s the penalty, Bobby?
Gaston: That’s going to be 15 yards, coach.
Dooley: Seems harsh.
Gaston: Yes sir.
Burns charts the flow of the game in Jacksonville but at the same time he keeps going back to the Georgia Tech-Notre Dame game in Atlanta, which played such a huge role in the events of the day. Georgia Tech’s 3-3 tie with No. 1 Notre Dame knocked the Irish out of the top spot and opened the door for the Bulldogs.
“It is one of the great historical ironies that Georgia got Georgia Tech’s help that day,” said Burns. “So as we’re telling the story in Jacksonville, every now and then we just pause and inject a segment we call ”Meanwhile, back in Atlanta.” People forget that the week before the Georgia-Florida game, Georgia Tech had lost at Duke (17-12). Nobody gave Georgia Tech a chance against Notre Dame.”
Burns is especially proud of the fact that he was able to get a host of pictures from the game that have never been published.
“We have the 4 or 5 pictures that everybody has seen,” said Burns. “But 90 percent of the photos only a few people have ever seen.”
It’s a quick, fun read of 128 pages with a lot of memories on each page. And if that is not enough, Burns was able to convince Larry Munson, who called this Georgia-Florida game and 41 others, to write the Foreword to the book. Munson’s immortal call of the play, where he screams “Run Lindsay!” ranks among the greatest radio calls of all time. And Munson tops off the emotion of the moment, which was considerable, by saying what was on the minds of every Georgia fan at the game: “Man, is there gonna be some property destroyed tonight!”
“I couldn’t imagine anyone else writing the foreword,” said Burns. “Larry’s call captured the feeling of that moment better than any story ever could.”
Burns’ publisher, H&H Publishing Company, is now taking pre-orders for the book at:
If you want to contact Burns directly about the book he can be reached at:
rdburns00@aol.com or at (478) 737-6011.
I only have one question: Where did those 30 years go?
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279 comments Add your comment
CalGatorBrotha
August 12th, 2010
11:42 am
the same day I became a Gator fan …….
POAD
August 12th, 2010
11:47 am
Hammerhead you really need to read some of the florida papers online and see dawgs posting on “Gator” blogs. Atlanta has Grads from every major college in the south for sure and all over the country too. It is fun to post on the dawg blogs because you are high all summer and wait till fall. Bill Kings blog is so funny to hear the dawgs cry from week to week that Richt is God to FIRE Richt now. It is just to fun poking the possum that is UGA football. Wait that ain’t no Possum that is a real dead UGA VII.
1eyedJack
August 12th, 2010
11:53 am
You nerds really need to get some new material.
WHINE GATORS WHINE
August 12th, 2010
11:57 am
To all of the Gators whining like 12 year old girls about this post… this is a Georgia newspaper written by a UGA grad. Go read Bianchi if you want to hear about how great Florida is and Urban’s latest cramps.
POAD
August 12th, 2010
12:16 pm
Dawgs don’t worry be happy Georgia will beat florida this year. Well, it will happen this Saturday in Warner Robbins, Ga when the Little League Baseball teams from Ga Play Florida. GEORGIA will WIN. The best part none of the fans at the game will be stupid drunk.
Dawg Grad
August 12th, 2010
12:28 pm
Mr. Football – Is it a picture book? I sure hope so!
The Tick
August 12th, 2010
12:33 pm
correcting the exchange after the play:
dooley: what’s the penalty for?
ref: excessive celebration.
dooley: how many yards is that?
ref: fifteen.
dooley: that sure sounds excessive alright!
POAD
August 12th, 2010
12:35 pm
Dawg Grad you will still need to get one of the neighborhood kids to read the captions under the photos.
Jeff
August 12th, 2010
12:36 pm
you never know…….i am just sayin…..you never know…..
Lunchtime links: Powell’s great expectations | Hog Country Online
August 12th, 2010
12:41 pm
[...] Has it really been 30 years since “Belue to Scott?” A new book looks back on what The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Tony Barnhart says is the single most significant play in Georgia history. [...]
POAD the CHODE
August 12th, 2010
12:47 pm
“Atlanta has Grads from every major college in the south for sure and all over the country too”
And we also have complete losers like POAD who could not get into a major college because they were too stupid and had to settle for chump state university.
Big Jim
August 12th, 2010
12:47 pm
30 years ago? I like Buck Belue, but eventually, DawgNation will be celebrating the National
Championship at Shady Pines!
This years team will bring heartache and sorrow for the nation of dawgs. Overhyped=Mark Richt.
The SC players don’t seem to want to be there anymore. I don’t include Green because he’s a
bumpkin that chose athens over COLUMBIA.
G8R GRAD
August 12th, 2010
12:53 pm
I was there at that game in Jacksonville in 1980.
And it was a very long ride back to Gainesville!
hammerhead
August 12th, 2010
12:54 pm
POAD – very interesting – and, Lord knows, we give our adversaries plenty of material… from scooters to AD’s Gone Wild. I still don’t get it, but I guess it does provide something for the Techsters to do in the summertime. I’m not sure I’ve even visited a Florida blog, but I do not doubt that we have our fair share of morons picking on the “Gaytors” LOL. Btw, what the hell’s a POAD?
The facts
August 12th, 2010
12:56 pm
30 years later, Buck Belue is still as dumb as stump and as getting by solely on the fact that he had one big pass and was lucky enough to hand it off to Hershel.
observor
August 12th, 2010
1:01 pm
Only a complete LOSER would continuously troll everyday on any UGA related blog for the sole purpose of trying to to provoke and instigate arguments with idiotic and banal insults. What a truly sad and pathetic existence. Wow.
POAD
August 12th, 2010
1:03 pm
Sorry CHODE I just couldn’t drink enough to want to “Date Love” UGA girls to get in UGA. 8 “Reported” acquaintance unwanted love attacks in the last 2 months. Poor Tech students have to be careful in a big city like everybody else or they could get mugged. UGA girls like to underage drink and they have to worry that their classmates will take illegal sexual advantage of them. Girls at UGA need to self apply Chasity belts when they leave their rooms just to be safe in the septic tank of the south.
POAD
August 12th, 2010
1:05 pm
Hammer they made me drop my full name. It is Pi$$ on a Dawg. CUZ on the uga blog started calling me that and so it stuck when the ajc blog police made me drop it. Go figure that Tuck Fech and Mike Litirus are still allowed.
Big Jim
August 12th, 2010
1:08 pm
observor?
Only a complete loser would look any UGA situation and see the “positive”. Even when it’s blatantly
bad. Learn to laugh at yourself, as well as others. Learn that your Dawgs are capable of the same
faults and mistakes as any other kid!
DawginLex
August 12th, 2010
1:09 pm
tide4u2c,
What was that magic formula Bama was using from 1994 to 2007 when you won nothing?
You had what, 4 coaches in 6 years.
Was that a magical time?
2 years of winning and now everything since the beginning of time was magical?
DawginLex
August 12th, 2010
1:11 pm
darrow or vance duly or whatever your name is now,
cut and paste, cut and paste
Use that Tech brain of yours and come up with something original.
G8R GRAD
August 12th, 2010
1:14 pm
athensdawg:
“For all that sizzlin, thats a mighty small steak.”
That’s great!
May I have your permission to hang onto and reuse that phrase?
hammerhead
August 12th, 2010
1:15 pm
Oh, I remember you now, POAD… You’re a complete jackass.
Blackberry Cobbler
August 12th, 2010
1:17 pm
I’m a huge UGA fan. I’m an alum and fan…………………
BUT, 30 years is a LOOOOOOONG time. UGA students of the past 8-10 years weren’t even born when UGA won the NC.
Until UGA once again becomes competitive even within the SEC, UGA fans don’t have much to brag about and I’m about ready for CMR to actually accomplish something with all this talent they recruit or pack up and move on!
Tide4u2c
August 12th, 2010
1:28 pm
DawginLex,
Everybody knows about Bama’s down years but given the circumstances Bama was still competitive which is why Bama still won a SEC chmpionship the same as Auburn yet Auburn was’nt on probation with reduced scholorships and no chance for the NC.What did Georgia do when Bama was down too? They allowed Florida to take over the east and was’nt on probation with reduced scholorships and no chance to play for the crystal and look that all of that depth and talent and yet still excuses.
Big time?? Not
August 12th, 2010
1:36 pm
Four tickets, four hot dogs, four cokes
Lunchtime links: Powell’s expectations | SportsTalk South
August 12th, 2010
1:38 pm
[...] Has it really been 30 years since “Belue to Scott?” A new book looks back on what The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Tony Barnhart says is the single most significant play in Georgia history. [...]
John Harrison
August 12th, 2010
1:40 pm
I’m glad to see the literary skills of my Mercer classmate recognized.
G8R GRAD
August 12th, 2010
1:42 pm
FYI:
Read on today’s AJC.com:
“The next Tebow?
The similarities are remarkable.
At 6 feet 3 and 225 pounds, Florida freshman quarterback Trey Burton is built like Tim Tebow.
Like Tebow, Burton went to a Florida high school. Burton graduated from Venice. Tebow went to Nease in Ponte Vedra.
Like Tebow, Burton entered Florida early, arriving on campus in January.
Like Tebow, his running skills are his strength. Burton rushed for 123 yards and two TDs on 10 carries in the Gators’ spring game.
Like Tebow, he’s spending his freshman year as a backup.
And like Tebow, Burton has a strong Christian faith.
“I just want to do whatever I possibly can to get this team to [the SEC Championship game],” Burton told the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune. “I don’t care if it is washing people’s shoes or carrying water bottles. I am not really trying to prove anything to anyone. I am just going to go out there and try to make plays.”
An embarrassment of riches.
POAD
August 12th, 2010
1:51 pm
Hammerhead THANKS, I love being remembered. It is all fun and games. See when you thought I was somebody else you actuall saw something you could relate to. It does happen Even DawginLex has found some commom ground on a few issues. It can happen because it if can’t then our government will never work. We can have differing ideas from both side and still find some humor and insight in those differences. I do make some BAD joke but I have to write then to see the responce. What you complain about me saying here about you would laught it it were said about another team. It is all good.
npgator
August 12th, 2010
1:52 pm
Keep the memory of that play alive because it will never happen again. By the way – Buck Belue is the worst announcer in college football.
Lunchtime links: Powell’s expectations | GameDay Weekly
August 12th, 2010
1:57 pm
[...] Has it really been 30 years since “Belue to Scott?” A new book looks back on what The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Tony Barnhart says is the single most significant play in Georgia history. [...]
POAD
August 12th, 2010
1:57 pm
Tide4u damn that smack across the face of reality hurt. Becareful you might wake the other dawgs from their Richt/Bobo haze. Many Fans want Bobo gone and a few are still on the Richt can’t get us any better so fire attitude. All teams want UGA to keep Bobo and Richt. I was so happy when Miami hired Pat NIX. I hated when they let him go and got don’t squeeze the Charmin Mr Whipple.
David
August 12th, 2010
1:58 pm
It’s that time Dawgs, August.
NC talk for the last 30 years.
Ga leads the nation in August NC’s.
G8R GRAD
August 12th, 2010
1:59 pm
Oh, and also, nota bene:
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/94/best-colleges-10_Americas-Best-Colleges_Rank.html
Lunchtime links: Powell’s expectations | Hog Country Online
August 12th, 2010
2:13 pm
[...] Has it really been 30 years since “Belue to Scott?” A new book looks back on what The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Tony Barnhart says is the single most significant play in Georgia history. [...]
JB
August 12th, 2010
2:14 pm
Tech folks biggest problem….. well, it’s stuck being Tech Folk…….Hasn’t really done anything in Football since 1990 ( And rib us for doing nothing)……Stuck with that ugly campus, stuck in the ACC,
Have watched their school taken over by Indians, Crime out of control on campus, playing a ACC schedule with a bunch of lightweights playing at noon on regional TV. reading the AJC, their home town paper, and the UGA stories are 5 to 1 over Tech…..Have lost 8 of 9 to their hated rival, well, used to be rival, it’s pulling down our strength of schedule…..and you could go on and on…….Living here, peering over the fence, is their joy…………What they would do to come to Athens on a beautiful fall afternoon, a 3:30 nationally televised hyped game, and experience that atmosphere just once……………….Or suck exhaust fumes sitting under some viaduct off north Ave. wearing a yellow wig with 30 nerds……hummmmm….
Call IT
August 12th, 2010
2:25 pm
Hey BJohnDawg,
Gators only live in the present not the past like GA fans since that is all GA fans have is the past.
Over all record who gives a Sh#$? All I know is this year will be the same as the last, another beatdown in Jax.
Florida wins the East and SC will come in second not third.
Enough Said!
JB
August 12th, 2010
2:29 pm
Call IT…………………..ironic…………We can’t live in the past but you have the ability to live in the future…….If you only knew how Dumb that post made you look……
bamafan
August 12th, 2010
2:31 pm
17 of 20 – Yes, Florida has had a remarkable 20 years but never once have they gone undefeated.
And remember, before 1991, Florida was basically irrelevant in football.
Big Al
August 12th, 2010
2:34 pm
Tony could not find anything current to write about? Just saying— besides Belue and his side kick are the most arrogant folks on radio.
JB
August 12th, 2010
2:34 pm
Right Bama fan…….. Dooley had a little farm outside Athens with a pond with a little 3 foot Gator in it…….Named it …” Rented Mule”……….LOL
True Old Gold
August 12th, 2010
2:35 pm
I remember the good old days, sipping toddies at the Piedmont Driving Club and marveling at that “Dodd Luck”. Now, I don’t get out much. I mainly sit on my front porch and marvel at my bug zapper. It is similar to what happens to the Yellow Jackets every season now when they play Georgia.
JB
August 12th, 2010
2:36 pm
But…… I do take my hat off to Spurrier While at Florida……..They were fun to watch….couldn’t stand him…..but respected him…..
POAD
August 12th, 2010
2:36 pm
JB you need to the Athens Banner Herold to see UGA crime. Go to the Athens-Clarke County Sheriff’s site and see how many UGA students get arrested every day. Atlanta is a CITY and Athens is a lil town. 8 UGA girls have been “R” in the last 2 months by other UGA students. Yea I want my daughter to go to UGA without a CHASITY BELT on. Like they said in Animal House-FAT, DRUNK, and STUPID is noway to go through life.
POAD
August 12th, 2010
2:38 pm
JB and now Vince Dooley wears ORANGE panties with Somkey’s B across the butt cheeks.
Fools Old Gold
August 12th, 2010
2:41 pm
Where ya been true ?
JB
August 12th, 2010
2:45 pm
POAD……. Spin Athens anyway you want…..or any College campus with 30,000 students…………There will be crime everywhere, including Mayberry………Your Campus sadly sits in a war zone…… I know where I wouldn’t want my kid, and that’s walking North Ave.
POAD
August 12th, 2010
2:49 pm
Fools old gold: True old gold was in the Masters Program this summer. Athens-Clarke County Jail just GRADUATED him with a MBA in DRUNK & STUPID. He was the Salutatorian. Well, how could he beat Damon Evans for the Valedictorian?
JB
August 12th, 2010
2:51 pm
Poad, Derek is his Son, What was ya’ll’s pride and joy Bill Curry’s Excuse for bailing on his Alma Mater. Humm……..I’ll leave this place the first chance I get…….And he did………