GEORGIA MEMORABLE GAME
1978 (Georgia 29, Georgia Tech 28)
Things to know
1. Georgia rallied from a 20-point deficit to cement the nickname, “Wonderdogs,” earned after rallies to defeat Baylor, Clemson and LSU, among others that season. It was the biggest rally in Georgia’s history at the time.
2. The Bulldogs took a 21-20 lead on a 72-yard punt return for a touchdown by Scott Woerner. The rally started when coach Vince Dooley turned to quarterback Buck Belue to try to spark the offense. Willie McClendon scored the first touchdown from a yard out just before halftime. He added a 9-yard touchdown after Woerner stopped a Tech drive with an interception.
3. Drew Hill returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. The two-point conversion gave the Yellow Jackets a 28-21 lead. with 4:42 left. Not done, Belue hit Anthony Arnold for a 42-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to get the Bulldogs to within one point of tying. The Bulldogs went for 2-point conversion and victory. The first attempt resulted in a pass-interference penalty against Tech. The second seemed as if Belue was stopped short, but he tossed it to Arnold, who ran in for the lead. David Archer intercepted a pass to end Tech’s chances of winning.
What happened next for Georgia: The Bulldogs (9-2-1) lost to Stanford 25-22 in the Bluebonnet Bowl. They finished No. 16 in the AP poll, No. 15 in the coaches poll.
TECH MEMORABLE GAME
1984 (Tech 35, Georgia 18)
Things to know
1. The win gave Tech a 6-4-1 record, its best since it went 7-5 in 1978. When the Jackets returned to campus, a few hundred students were waiting to celebrate with the players. “It was like winning the World Series and coming back to your hometown,” defensive back Cleve Pounds said after the game. “Everybody was going crazy, jumping around, and it excites you more.”
2. It was Georgia’s third consecutive loss after starting the season 7-1 with wins over Clemson and Alabama. “I have never felt any lower in my life,” quarterback Todd Williams said. The Jackets used several big plays — a 58-yard run by Malcolm King set up a touchdown was followed by a 31-yard touchdown, and John Dewberry scored on a 30-yard draw. Georgia’s only touchdown came on a 72-yard punt return by Fred Lane.
3. The win was Tech’s first over Georgia in any sport in 998 days, according to the book “Clean Old Fashioned Hate.” The previous victory came in baseball, 9-7 on March 9, 1982.
What happened next for Tech: The Jackets didn't participate in a bowl game, but the future seemed bright with Ted Roof, Pat Swilling and others returning on the "Black Watch" defense.
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