Good times in the Dogs-Gators series
A few more of my favorite Georgia-Florida games over the years …
The 1964 game in Vince Dooley’s first season as coach. I remember rushing back from a Boy Scouts outing to turn the radio on and listen to this one. Late in the game, the two teams were tied 7-7 and after a Georgia drive bogged down at the Gator 5-yard line, the Dogs were going for a field goal when the snap was fumbled. The Georgia kicker, Bobby Etter, whose name was usually preceded by the word “little,” picked up the ball and ran to his left, giving a pump fake while he was a it. The Florida defender came up, holder Barry Wilson blocked him and Etter dove over the goal line for the winning score. I vividly remember listening to Ed Thilenius describing the action on the radio. It was, I think, when Georgia fans knew something special was happening to the program.
Steve Spurrier probably still sees Bill Stanfill in his nightmares. (Dozier-stanfill.com)
The 1966 game during Steve Spurrier’s Heisman Trophy season. Spurrier was sacked a number of times by the Georgia defense, led by all-Americans Bill Stanfill and George Patton, and safety Lynn Hughes, my favorite player at the time, ran an interception back 39 yards for a touchdown as the Dogs prevailed 27-10 in Dooley’s first SEC championship season. Spurrier has never forgiven Georgia.
The 1975 game, in which No. 11 Florida came in as a heavy favorite. This was about three weeks before my wedding and I seem to recall my bride-to-be was at a shower being held by one of my parents’ neighbors and I watched it with my brothers and Dad in my parents’ basement den. Florida scored early off a Georgia fumble but Erk Russell’s Junkyard Dawgs held the Gators scoreless the rest of the game, which was won with 3 minutes left on a trick play immortalized in one of Larry Munson’s most memorable calls as tight end Richard Appleby faked the end-around and stopped and threw that famous 80-yard pass to flanker Gene Washington. We were all on our feet screaming as Washington “caught it, thinking of Montreal and the Olympics, and ran out of his shoes,” as Munson put it, adding: “Gator Bowl rocking, stunned, the girders are bending now!” Georgia won 10-7.
Sweet memories.
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113 comments Add your comment
"Timeout....Florida"
October 29th, 2009
6:28 pm
It was UGAg’s President Adams that began crying about dropping the nickname WLOCP. Freakin’ weenie leghumper.
UGASlobberknocker
October 29th, 2009
6:37 pm
It’s gotten pretty bad when our own governor is blogging against the dawgs. But sure enough there’s Sunny Perdue above questioning my intelligence, and agreeing with some 25 yr old know it all Gator punk. I just wish I was as smart as the average 25 year old thinks they are.
My history is from 1975..Dawgs are 15-19 in that time. 12-3 from 1975-1989…3-16 since then. The point being is that over time these things even out..but if you are a 25 yr old kid you dont yet have the life experiences to realize that. Dont worry Skippy, one day you will grow up and move out of Mom and Dads house.
ugaaccountant
October 29th, 2009
6:47 pm
Innocent bystander – that story had a ton of spin on it and did not appear to wait for the facts. I never saw much definitive as to who, what, where, when or why.
SOS
October 29th, 2009
8:40 pm
“Somebody told me that Georgia had never had 50 scored on them here. Guess they won’t be saying that anymore!”
BIRD DAWG ONE
October 29th, 2009
9:19 pm
For all the history buffs out there:
Did Florida ever win a SEC championship before 1991?
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
October 29th, 2009
9:31 pm
…….Please UPSET the gators
Buckhead Bulldog
October 29th, 2009
10:02 pm
Skipper – A little hint = you are on a UGA blog trying to convince UGA fans to your way of thinking. Your stuff is solid, makes sense for the most part, but you are not going to be making any headway on here, buddy. You were either on the debate team or currently an attorney because it looks like you are enjoying yourself.
Might as well knock your head against a brick wall = same results.
Sic’ em Dogs…….Dogs in a HUGE upset 28-21 = AJ save the day!
BIRD DAWG ONE
October 29th, 2009
10:36 pm
to all the history buffs:
Did florida win a SEC championship before 1991?
POSER= techredneck
October 29th, 2009
11:17 pm
The only way you gators are going to get the mutts to shut the hell up is to, too, two, 2, Is that OK slobber? beat the snot out of them. Say at least by 50 points. But they will still most likely bitch about the team had the flu, holding their defense, the gators chop blocking, or some B.S. Although I’ll admit some mutt fans have said they just are not that good this year. Those are the proud, but true dawg fans. I just hope its a good game.
Skipper
October 29th, 2009
11:23 pm
Thanks, Butthead. I’m well aware of what I’ve gotten myself into here. I only fight with these people for one week a year, just to get myself up for the game. The rest of the time I leave them to their usual bickering with Jackets fans.
Speaking of the game, I’ll be in Lot N with jean shorts and a mullett. Seriously.
One more history lesson for BIRD DAWG ONE: Yes, in 1984. It was vacated after the fact (NCAA violations later put Florida on probation) and the championship trophy still resides in Gainesville despite the fact that neither the SEC nor UF recognizes the title. Same thing could have happened to Alabama in 1999, but didn’t.
Gators also won it on the field in 1990, but we were on probation.
While we’re on the topic, UGA has 11 SEC titles (4 of them shared), while Florida has eight. Does anybody else find it remarkable that Florida is only three shy of Georgia even though their first conference title was in 1991? How predictable.
See you folks in Jacksonville. I’ll be the one with the jean shorts, mullett and winning football team. Let’s raise our bloody marys and toast to a good time down by the river.
BIRD DAWG ONE
October 30th, 2009
12:14 am
Thanks Skipper:
I forgot that florida had a problem that big with cheating in its past. Did they also have to vacate the victories during the season or do they still count them?
I love history.
Bill King
October 30th, 2009
11:10 am
UGA-2001:
No, our wedding was a couple of days after the Tech game.
egeagle
October 30th, 2009
11:17 am
My first major college game ever was Ga-Fla in ‘77. Growing up in Bwk, I heard Florida crud constantly on TV for the first 18 years of life. My favorite besides the obvious ‘80 or ‘75 was ‘85. Fla was ranked #1 for 4 whole days before being run into the turf of the Gator Bowl. This week is a long shot.but if it did pan out it would be sooo sweet to have Tebow with a 1-2 record as starter vs. UGA. He would be just like SOS. Maybe we can compare Stinchcomb’s memories with Emmit Smith’s? Florida could win every game from here to infinity and still have the lamest fans in college football.