Games You Remember and Want To Forget

M

MsTechAnalysis

Jolly Good Fellow
Joined
Aug 11, 2002
Messages
1,816
As it gets closer to the season opener I always start watching old tapes I have - all victories.
Quite a good library and some very good memories.

As a sit there and watch the wins I often think back on other old games that were losses that were unexpected, miraculous by the other team's comeback, sad because we had it and lost.

There was one I was trying to remember - it was 1977 we played Duke here. We were leading by I believe 24-28 pts in the 4th quarter. If I'm not mistaken - there were only about 5-6 mins. left to play. Duke brought in a Black QB who hadn't played the whole game until then - he was unbelievable and proceeded to throw TDs one right after the other.

We lost by 1-2 pts. It was one of the greatest comebacks I had seen thus far in college football. It was unbelievable - I had friends in for the weekend visiting and brought them to that game - and because Duke's QB aired it out - they started rooting for Duke!!! I was not only mad because we lost and the way we lost, but my friends turned on me.

I don't think I ever saw another game against GT like that again - where the other team was losing big, late in the game and ended up winning. Or are there ones and I wasn't there? I started going in '74.

Does anyone remember that game and who the Duke QB was?
shocked.gif
 
Why did you bring up The Duke game? Historically,it seems that Tech saved their worst
efforts for Duke. The one that hurt me the most was the 1954 game in which we led 20-0 in the second half and as great as Dodd was I truly felt
that he lost that game. Our QB Wade Mitchell had Dukes number all day but suddenly Ole Dodd went strictly to the running game and had us punting on third down. Well, Duke scores a touchdown to make it 20-7 all the fans felt that Dodd would open up his offense and burn some first downs even if we didn't score. But, that did not happen.
Dodd got even more conservative and after punting again on third down Duke drove straight down field
and scored a TD cutting the lead to 20-14. And believe it or not Dodd stayed conservative and again punted on third down, when Duke again drove for a TD with less than 20 seconds to play. that hurt me so bad that I can still remember the name of their kicker who kicked the winning extra point,his name was Nelson. Duke back then had power house teams unlike today but there was no excuse for what happened. If Dodd had kicked on fourth down instead of third down Duke would have not had enough time. This was the same Tech team
that closed the season out by beating Tenn. 28-7-Alabama 20-0 and UGA 7-3. We also beat Arkansas
in the cotton bowl and 49 years later I haven't
gotten over that downer.
 
Since we're talking about Duke games, the absolute worst, most miserable, awful, disgusting performance I've ever seen Tech football play was the '94 game. That was the most inept, ill-prepared GT team I've ever seen. The first four times we touched the ball, the offense turned it over. On the FIRST PLAY! And the fifth time, the running back dropped the ball, but was able to fall on it.

That is the only game I have ever booed GT. That was when I knew Lewis wasn't the man.
puke.gif
 
The worst... last years Georgia game... no doubt about it for me..

The best.. its a toss up.. 1990 Virginia.. 1984 Alabama... and I cant leave out the Liberty Bowl in the early 70's, I was a kid then.. but remember it well.. 31-30
 
The 1987 Auburn game which we had sewn up and then their QB (Burger?) lead them down the field and hit Tillman in the back of the endzone while he climbed Ricardo Ingram's back. Then as we were starting to drive, Aundray Bruce picked off a pass and ran it back for a TD, insuring his pick by the Falcons in the draft. It was the last game in the series and I think AU was ranked in the top 5. Devastating loss.
 
Forget : '94 Dook and last years UGA game

Remember: 1969 UGA....1990 UVA game....and ( I forget the year) but the year we beat UNC when Shawn Jones scrambled 50 yds for a TD on 4th and 10 with < a minute in the game - one of the most awesome single moments in any game.

Oh, also 1985 UGA game - wow !
 
There are altogether too many. The mention of that Duke fiasco of long ago reminded me that my father and my uncle also did not like some of Dodd's super conservative offensive ideas. In about 1965 I remember a game with Texas A&M where we seemed to be the better team and in control the whole time, but we weren't able to get much of a lead. We tried to nurse our little lead through to the end and something went against us very late and we lost...Ones I have a clearer memory of are the Auburn game we were winning until Bo Jackson took a handoff about 75 yards, and it was about the only play that Ted Roof wasn't on the field. The FSU game of 95, I think it was, where again, we looked like the better team most of the game. That night Charlie Ward created the FSU fast break offense out of deparation, but most Tech people remember the terrible call on an onside kick...Those godawful Georgia games of 71, 78, and 97 are in a category by themselves.
 
Buck, Count me in with the 20-21 loss to Duke after leading 20-0 at the half.

I never did like for Dodd to punt on third down. It cost us as many games as we won with the tactic.

Regardless of what some old timers think about Dodd being booed, he was booed occasionally for punting on third down.

pat.gif
 
Originally posted by Clito Jacket:
In about 1965 I remember a game with Texas A&M where we seemed to be the better team and in control the whole time, but we weren't able to get much of a lead. We tried to nurse our little lead through to the end and something went against us very late and we lost...
Click to expand...
<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">Holy Moley! That was my first game at Grant Field.
I still remember the A&M touchdown pass to the West corner of the South endzone that beat us. Can't recall how they got there though. Might have been a turnover.
 
'02 Georgia I'd like to forget.

'01 Maryland, '01 Clemson, '00 LSU, '01 Virginia.

Come to realize it, most games I would like to forget the most have come in recent years.
 
I am surprised no one has mentioned losing to Wake Forest 26-23 in 1999 with an Orange Bowl berth and Heisman Trophy for Hammy on the line.

I would also have to had the 27-24 loss to UGA at home in 1997 with the fabricated inteference call by Rocky Goode.
 
This really has nothing to do with the thread, but going back to the Duke memories for a sec...does anyone remember the game in Durham in '97 (I think) where we were in complete control - up something like 38-11 late in the 4th quarter. Then all of a sudden, the Duke offense went nuts. They got a TD, recovered the onside kick, got another TD, recovered another onside kick, and got another TD. We finally fell on an onside kick with about :30 left to hang on for a 41-38 win. I think one of their WRs had almost 200 yards receiving in the 4th quarter.

Game to remember: 13-7 win over highly ranked UVA in 1996. We were officially back on the map with that win, IMO.

Game to forget: Going in the tank against Arizona in '94 or '95. Seems like they were ranked #1 and we led them 19-7 with about 5 mins left. A blocked punt set up their winning TD with about a minute left.
 
I'll stick to games I actually attended...

I'll say worst loss was to Auburn in '75 after we led by 2 touchdowns, we made some turnovers and the defense couldn't hold. Big Tony Head looked good running the ball that day.

The best had to '98 UVa... No it was the Citrus Bowl in '91, that was the best... Take your pick.
 
Maybe, we can play "pay-back" this year. We play both VA and Auburn, and will, most likely, be underdog to both.

Father Time
 
51-7 last year was the most disgusting, embarassing display I can ever remember. There was also that Duffner victory over GT on Thurs. night when it appeared we flat out quit in Maryland.

As for a real hurter, I'd have to say there have been a few oh so close games that really really crushing to lose - Pepper's team fumbling and GA kicking a 60 yd fg in 76 comes to mind, 28-24 in Athens, and the one where we were robbed on the pass interference call. The one that I would really like to forget is the FSU loss where we had them whipped and we lost the onside kick, gave the ball back to Charlie Ward and went down the tubes from there.
 
I'll always remember the '98 win at UGA. I was
in the student section with a little Athens girl
I was dating at the time. I was a speck of gold
in a sea of red and took grief all game. Boy was
that win a sweet one.

The '01 losses to Clemson and UMD in overtime are
the ones that haunt me the most...worse even than
51-7 to be honest.

The one play that makes me the saddest was HOllings
getting hurt against BYU. I felt sick to my stomach.
 
Y'all may not care, but here is a Dawg's answer to the same question...

Losses that I'd most like to forget:

Auburn '99. Down 31-0 at halftime and 38-0 in the 3rd. One of the least prepared teams I'e ever seen.

Tech '00. Tech's defense was fantastic. How George Godsey blew right by Will Witherspoon on that option I'll never know.

Vandy '94. Simply embarrassing.

Most fun wins:

Florida '97. Seeing Spurrier on the sidelines, visor thrown aside, completely confused was priceless. His comments after the game were classic, "Hell, Georgia's just better than us. That's all you can say. The outplayed us, outcoached us, and outhustled us. Give 'em credit, its their day. The day belongs to the Bulldogs." Hearing that come from Spurrier's mouth also gave me tremendous respect for him when I contrast this with how Fulmer reacts to losses.

Arkansas '02 (SEC Championship Game). The game was never in doubt, even with everything on the line. That's what made it so much fun. The celebration started when Decorey Bryant blocked their first punt. That was the end of the game for Arkansas.

Georgia Tech '02. Pure fun. Close games usually aren't that fun for me because I get so nervous that I'm exhausted by the end of the game. This was the opposite feeling. FWIW, the 6 quarter period spanning the Tech game and the first half of the SEC Championship was the best I have ever seen a Georgia team play.
 
Originally posted by Father WASP:
51-7 last year was the most disgusting, embarassing display I can ever remember. There was also that Duffner victory over GT on Thurs. night when it appeared we flat out quit in Maryland.

As for a real hurter, I'd have to say there have been a few oh so close games that really really crushing to lose - Pepper's team fumbling and GA kicking a 60 yd fg in 76 comes to mind, 28-24 in Athens, and the one where we were robbed on the pass interference call. The one that I would really like to forget is the FSU loss where we had them whipped and we lost the onside kick, gave the ball back to Charlie Ward and went down the tubes from there.
Click to expand...
<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">WASP: I was at that '76 UGAG game and cried all the way home!!! When I started this thread it was more about games we were dominating by lots of points and proceeded to lose - that's why I mentioned that Duke game in '77, huge lead 20+ pts, 4th qtr., 5-6 mins left and they come back and win - I believe it was 31-30!!!!
 
Originally posted by NightFighterDawg:
FWIW, the 6 quarter period spanning the Tech game and the first half of the SEC Championship was the best I have ever seen a Georgia team play.
Click to expand...
<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">Nightfighter... I absolutely agree with you on that.. Georgia was playing as well as anyone in the nation the final two games of the regular season last year.. they could have beaten anyone during that time..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top