Remembering favorite Georgia bowl wins
Whether your dream best-case scenario for today’s Independence Bowl game involves the Dogs winning a high-scoring thriller against the Aggies or Georgia’s patchwork defensive scheme shutting down Texas A&M in a yawner, it’s highly unlikely this match will make any Bulldog fan’s list of favorite bowl games.
It comes at the end of a disappointing season. And it’s Shreveport. Enough said.
Still, unless the Dogs turn in a showing along the lines of earlier this season in Knoxville, it probably won’t rank as least favorite bowl, either. For me, that infamous distinction forever belongs to the 1974 Tangerine Bowl, when a Georgia team that should have stayed home lost a dismal game by a score of 21-10 to the other Miami. You know, the one in Ohio.
Of course, there’s no question which of Georgia’s 45 bowl games ranks first with fans. The Sugar Bowl game on Jan. 1, 1981, capped an undefeated season for the Dogs and gave them a national championship. And the loser was Notre Dame. Talk about perfect …
John Lastinger scores against Texas. (Associated Press)
But when I asked some members of my family to pick their favorite Georgia bowl game besides that one, I got a variety of answers. One brother immediately noted that “it’s still 10 to 9 in Dallas,” referring to the Jan. 2, 1984 upset of the undefeated, No. 2-ranked Texas Longhorns by an underrated group of Bulldogs led by John “All He Can Do Is Win” Lastinger. Neither offense could do much except kick field goals that day and Texas led 9-3 when Georgia recovered a fumble, setting up the winning score when Lastinger ran the option to his right and scampered 17 yards with 3:22 left on the clock.
I think that game probably gets my nod as favorite besides the win over the Irish. But there are others still worth celebrating. The thrilling come-from-behind victory over Virginia Tech in the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, which we all attended, drew a couple of mentions. That’s certainly a treasured memory.
And the 2007 Sugar Bowl against Hawaii, while not very competitive, was a lot of fun because the Dogs manhandled the Rainbow Warriors in every phase of the game and turned the pregame media hype on its head. A No. 2 national ranking to end the season was pretty sweet, too.
Among the most memorable Georgia bowl wins for me is the Jan. 1, 1960, Orange Bowl, in which Fran Tarkenton threw two touchdown passes as the Dogs beat Missouri 14-0. I woke up with the mumps that morning, but my parents still let me watch the first UGA game ever televised.
And while it wasn’t a major bowl, I have fond memories of the 1964 Sun Bowl win over Texas Tech because it wrapped up that first season for Vince Dooley that marked the rebirth of Georgia football.
The 24-9 win over SMU in the 1966 Cotton Bowl, with Kent Lawrence running for 149 yards, is another favorite, as is the 33-6 win over Wisconsin in the Jan. 1, 1998 Outback Bowl by a Jim Donnan team that featured Hines Ward, Robert Edwards and Mike Bobo, who completed 92.8 percent of his passes that day.
If there’s another Georgia bowl win that’s one of your favorites, share it with us in the comments. And come back during the game today, when I’ll be blogging live.
Go Dogs!
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113 comments Add your comment
Stinger
December 28th, 2009
12:39 pm
I liked the bowl where Pittsburg and Tony Dorsett ran all over your defense. I can’t stop laughing thinking about it. LMFAO
ramblingbuzz
December 28th, 2009
12:40 pm
Just like the leg humpers, nothing to brag about this year with the Weedeater Bowl so you’ve got to go back in history to find something to feel good about. When was your last national championship? Oh yeah, that’s right almost 30 years ago. UGA = irrelevant in the SEC, obsolete in the BCS.
Jaspar Sanks
December 28th, 2009
12:44 pm
the crack bowl
UGA SUX
December 28th, 2009
12:48 pm
The weedwacker bowl will be an instant classic when the 6-6 Aggies pound the Dawggies into the turf.
Spike
December 28th, 2009
12:55 pm
The 2000 Outback Bowl come from behind classic and the 2007 Sugar Bowl arse whuppin’.
Beelzebub's statistician
December 28th, 2009
12:55 pm
Much more important game than anyone realizes.
Does Georgia really want to be the school that gives up A&M’s 666th win in school history?
Joe Bob Thibodaux
December 28th, 2009
12:55 pm
Bill King, it is sad to see you leading the cry baby section. Whine! Whine! Whine.
Cry Cry Cry.
With you leading the negative charge, you are doing the greatest harm.
Too bad you have to play in Shreveport. That city certainly deserves better than your
groopie of cry babies. Of course, every situation and bowl game is what you make it.
You have a mind set, that Alabama had with Utah last year. Too bad. l
Incidentally, how long has it been since Nich Saban coached the Independence Bowl.
See, Mr. King. You have nothing to gain by lowering your standards to Shreveport.
I understand the Aggies have sold all their tickets but they are stilll available in Athens.
Too bad. Shreveport deserves better.
Spike
December 28th, 2009
12:57 pm
And one other.. The tie game at the Citrus Bowl against FSU, where Kevin Butler just missed by a hair a 60 yard field goal to win the game. No overtime in those days. UGA -30 ACC Champs-24.
The Grinch
December 28th, 2009
1:05 pm
Joe Bob Thibodaux
December 28th, 2009
12:55 pm
Wow, that 30-24 drubbing in Atlanta must have affected you in a bad way. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
UGA SUX
December 28th, 2009
1:08 pm
UGA is pitiful. They sold less than 60% of their ticket allotment. What a joke program and fan base.
Big D Dawg
December 28th, 2009
1:10 pm
1989 gator bowl was nice… Vince Dooley’s last game as coach and another win over the “big ten” Michigan State 34 – 27
The Grinch
December 28th, 2009
1:11 pm
UGA SUX
December 28th, 2009
1:08 pm
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!. Speaking of jokes, the A She She championship game drew about 57,000 people. UGA had more fans at the Tennessee Tech game this year. BWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!!!
bigstack19
December 28th, 2009
1:15 pm
Other than the Notre Dame victory which was the first Georgia game my parents ever let me watch the 10-9 Cotton Bowl game was sweet because nobody thought Georgia could win that game plus it cost Texas a shot at the National Title that year. The bowl victory over The Ohio State on New Years Day 93 also ranks up there. Beating Michigan State in Vince Dooley’s last game is a nice memory.
The Grinch
December 28th, 2009
1:17 pm
UGA SUX
December 28th, 2009
1:08 pm
Regarding the A She She championship game. I notice some people dressed up as tech fans, other were dressed up as clemson fans, and then there were those that were dressed up as empty seats. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
30-24 Dawgs - WE RUN THIS STATE
December 28th, 2009
1:18 pm
2007 destruction of Colt was fun but nothing tops 1980 Sugar Bowl of course.
This year’s big game was 30-24 Dawgs over the best the ACC had to offer. Caleb King is STILL running untouched on the Flats. Touchdown Georgia!
Hank in Virginia
December 28th, 2009
1:22 pm
The 84 win against Texas is mine also, and I was there in 81 watching Hershal run and Scott Woerner rally the fans and the defence against Notre Dame for the National Championship.
This was the first year after Hershal,and John Lastinger had been berated by the fans and media all season. What your photo does not show was that Lastinger was hit at about the 7, and dragged the Texas defender in to the end zone with him from about the 5. It shows that a big heart, and the will to win are just as important as talaent, and Vince Doolely had the wisdom to recognize this and hang in with Lastinger all season.
Although the stakes were not as large, this play ranks up there with “Run, Lindsey, Run” and this win defines what made Georgia a winner under coach Dooley.
Joe Cox and the Dogs, go play this afternoon like you played the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
UGA SUX
December 28th, 2009
1:25 pm
30-24 Dawgs – WE RUN THIS STATE
December 28th, 2009
1:18 pm
Yes you are correct…the worst game GT played in 2 years and the best game UGA played in 10 years. It will not happen in Athens next year so enjoy your podunk bowl and your 7-6 season.
Toe Meets Leather
December 28th, 2009
1:26 pm
My favorite was the beat-down West Virginia administered the Dawgs at the Sugar Bowl in Atlanta. It was 35-0 before you knew it.
Oh! You said wins. Never mind.
Mike S
December 28th, 2009
1:28 pm
Stinger – 30-24! hahahahahahah! We RUN This State.
The Grinch
December 28th, 2009
1:29 pm
Toe Meets Leather
December 28th, 2009
1:26 pm
30-24
8 of the last 9
BWAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
The Grinch
December 28th, 2009
1:30 pm
Toe Meets Leather
December 28th, 2009
1:26 pm
Speaking of beatdowns. Did you see the Chick fil a bowl last year when a 7-5 SEC team just destroyed A She She team tech? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Billboy
December 28th, 2009
1:31 pm
Yawn…..this post could have been copied and pasted from all the other whining ones….
Billboy
December 28th, 2009
1:32 pm
What kind of chesse would you like with your wine…..um PBR???
30-24 Dawgs - WE RUN THIS STATE
December 28th, 2009
1:32 pm
Hey Toe Meets Leather, even better than UGA’s 3 point loss to WVU was Coach Paul Johnson’s failure to prepare the wreck for a 38-3 demolition in maggots’ last bowl game.
Gotta love Less Smiles calling for the onside kick while spanking an unprepared Paul Johnson team in a bowl game.
SEC domination – baybee!
The Ghost Erskine Russell
December 28th, 2009
1:33 pm
The Reality Bowl:
Michael Adams 1
Vince Dooley 0
Jim
December 28th, 2009
1:37 pm
Why does The Grinch feel the need to post everyone’s name and time/date they posted when leaving a comment?
bulldawgfromcairo
December 28th, 2009
1:44 pm
Enter your comments here
Dorsey Hill
December 28th, 2009
1:44 pm
Cuz,
We were down 25-0 with ten minutes to play in the second quarter. Might have been my most miserable moment as a Dawg. Purdue never scored again and we won in overtime. Not my favorite bowl game, although we do have the largest comeback in bowl history, but it was a relief.
For some reason that I will never understand, it never gets said that we have only one loss to a Big Ten team. (For those who are thinking PSU, they were an independent in 1982 and for several years after that, so they do not count.) That one loss was to Michigan in 1957 and we’ve won about a dozen (I think its 13 or 14 but I’m not taking the time to look it up) straight since. That we haven’t lost to a Big Ten team in over half a century is quite an accomplishment. Knowing that streak was on the line at the Outback down by 25 to Purdue???? was almost intolerable, but all was well in the end.
One bowl game that I’m sure won’t get mentioned is the 1995 Peach Bowl vs. Virginia, probably because we lost. However, it is still one of my favorite games because of the way we played in Ray’s last game. Hines Ward was playing QB. Bobo was healing a broken femur from week 4 vs. Ole Miss and Brian Smith had a seperated shoulder. We had no back-up QB. If Hines couldn’t go we would have had to go to the Wildcat before there was such a thing. Anyway, UVA kept pounding Hines, who played with a sprained wrist on his throwing hand, and Hines kept dragging himself up. He’d looked at the sideline a couple of times as if to say “Coach I really need a break here” and the coaches would just shrug as if to say “Hey you are all we got.” Hines threw for 300 plus and ran for another 100 in one of the most courageous games I’ve ever seen a player play.
Down by less than a TD with just over a minute to play, UVA threw on 3rd and 8 with their backs against the goal line. The TE caught it and Armin Love hit him as hard as I’ve ever seen a receiver get hit. The ball came out and Jason Ferguson picked it up and dragged at least 4 UVA players into the end zone for the go ahead score. Of course we then kicked it off and they ran it all the way back.
But that was the story of the 1995 season. While we finished 6-6 that year, to this day I haven’t seen a UGA team fight through adversity like that team did for Coach Goff. Yeah, he was terrible as a coach but he loved UGA and his players loved him and it showed, at least that year. Further, if Edwards doesn’t break his foot and Bobo doesn’t break his leg, that team would have been very good and Ray would have kept his job and our former OC McDuffie wouldn’t have committed suicide.
Just an aside to the tragic story regarding McDuffie who was one tough SOB. And again, I am not making light of this very sad story, but the man shot himself in the chest… twice. Who the hell does that?
What are you Stupid? Just Punch'em
December 28th, 2009
1:57 pm
Wait till the TV ratings come in for the Orange bowl, man what a joke. Tech = LOSERS put that in your calculator and see what you get. I got 60-37 in mine. Don’t worry if you get 30-24 cause you maggots are still trying to win that one. Ealey just scored again, Touchdown Georgia!
What are you Stupid? Just Punch'em
December 28th, 2009
2:00 pm
Can’t believe someone would actually try to call holding on Guy McIntyre. Not sure how many refs are looking directly at a linebackers foot when and OL falls down in front of him. May be why that little ditty was missed. It was more tripping with the hands than holding. Never seen that one called either. Go Dawgs! It is still 10-9 in Texas!
Mike Bobo
December 28th, 2009
2:06 pm
The Bowl here in Shreveport is the best. The food at Denny’s is great!
I think we’ll come back next year!
UGA SUX
December 28th, 2009
2:08 pm
Enjoy your bowl Mutts….an end to a season you can truly be proud of….
Willie Martinez
December 28th, 2009
2:15 pm
Well, at least they can’t blame me when the Dogs allow 60 points tonight….and no Vince, I am not coming over to help you rebuild your house, although Bobo should be able to make it on Tuesday afternoon.
NewnanDawg
December 28th, 2009
2:19 pm
Was at the Purdue game where we came back to 28-25. That was when they still served alcohol at pro stadiums hosting bowl games. We were able to go to that game on a private plane and had a driver (a big Christmas gift from a relative), so my group got pretty drunk when we got down so bad. I kept saying “pay attention; we’re starting to come back!, really.” I think I’m the only one who saw the game.
Aside from WVU, the Sugar Bowls have all been a blast, except for not having a hotel after FSU and sleeping in the airport with the flu, and Vince’s last game was awesome – funny how he and Bowden will both coach their last game in the Gator Bowl.
Agree with Dorsey about HW’s gutsy play (and the rest of the team) – a shiny spot in a dark time for UGA football
Go Dawgs! Beat the Aggies!
mike "we can't score" bobo
December 28th, 2009
2:21 pm
we be glad to be in any bowl game cause we ain’t really that good any more.
the food at denny’s really is good.
Yellow Fellow
December 28th, 2009
2:24 pm
Guys, please cum back to our tickle pile here in South Beach and quit worrying about those Mutt fans……can’t we just get over them and have fun in our tickle pile? We really know how to have more fun than to worry about those athletic things…….
Big Dumb Dawg
December 28th, 2009
2:29 pm
I’m scouting out the hotels here in Shreveport because all of Bulldog Nation knows we will be back next year. For a complete review of the hotels in the area, just log on to Dog Nation and read the reviews.
Bobo is right, the food at Denny’s is great!
WonderDawg
December 28th, 2009
2:33 pm
Oh you got us there, Stinger. Nerds.
WonderDawg
December 28th, 2009
2:37 pm
Why don’t you nerds go back over to the Tech blog, you know the one remembering the favorite Tech bowl victories? Oh wait, there isn’t one, cause no one remembers the 1950s!!
WonderDawg
December 28th, 2009
2:42 pm
I don’t remember which bowl it was, but it was 1978 and Buck Belue came off the bench to lead the “Wonderdogs” to a come from behind win over Stanford. This was just weeks after he drove the Dawgs to a late touchdown against Tech. We still trailed Tech by one and Dooley decided to go for two. We got it and broke the nerds’ hearts……..again!!
Original Bulldawg
December 28th, 2009
2:43 pm
I was at the 2007 Sugar Bowl. I remember telling the Hawaii fan next to me he better cheer while their band is on the field because that is all the cheering he will be doing……….First play Colt Brennan gets crushed and the rest is history.
The REAL Paul's Johnson
December 28th, 2009
2:43 pm
My favorite bowl game was last year’s Chick-fil-A bowl where LSU punched the Sweatbees in the mouth, over and over again.
How do you make GT cookies?
Put them in a bowl and beat them for three hours!
Bob
December 28th, 2009
2:43 pm
1982 Sugar Bowl. Great year for UGA!
Right
December 28th, 2009
2:46 pm
ROLL TIDE !! Screw the rest of the SEC… You kicked us when we were down, so now go away into a mediocre season…
GayRay from South Beach
December 28th, 2009
2:47 pm
I am really getting aggravated at all of these Tech fans that are coming into town. They keep trying to punch me in the butt. I’ve already broken off three of their little stingers today.
Also, FYI, you don’t wear socks with flip flops.
Barnacle Bill Bavasi
December 28th, 2009
2:58 pm
I also loved the Cotton Bowl upset of Texas.
D(r)ooley
December 28th, 2009
3:03 pm
Michigan State
Hawaii
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Purdue
Boston College
Virginia
Purdue
Virginia
WOW, look at those POWER HOUSES the DAWGS have been playing lately in BOWL GAMES. Those are the types of teams a SECOND TIER PROGRAM plays.
Jon Kontract
December 28th, 2009
3:11 pm
Tech is just happy they get to play their bowl game on a green field this year…
KeithB
December 28th, 2009
3:24 pm
I actually liked the 2006 Sugar Bowl vs WV. You dawgs fell behind 28-0 early, but made it pretty exciting with a near comeback. 38-35 when people probably turned it off thinking it would be 50-10 or something. GA was 10-3 SEC Champ. That’s when the conference wasn’t so lopsided.
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/10687810/
robodawg
December 28th, 2009
3:36 pm
Thanks Fact Checking… for keeping the mythical championship record straight.
Sure, Tech was a dominant program many decades ago. Then Dodd got arrogant and withdrew from the SEC. Program’s never been the same since.