Georgia Football: The Five Two-Quarterback Seasons
1975: Ray Goff and Matt Robinson
Before 1975, Georgia slid down hill to a three year record of 19 -10 – 1, including a tie against an upstart Pittsburg team led by freshman Tony Dorsett. The 1974 season was the first year of the veer offense at Georgia and the growing pains were near fatal to many Georgia football fans. The season ended with a miserable 34-14 loss in a near freezing rain in Sanford Stadium to Georgia Tech and an embarrassing Tangerine Bowl loss to Ohio University.
Vince Dooley tightened the program’s player expectations and Erk Russell rallied a collection of ball hawking misfits, including quarterback cast off Dickey Clark, and dubbed them the Junkyard Dogs. Dooley assigned quarterbacking duties first to gun slinging passing ace Matt Robinson and option juggernaut Ray Goff relieved Robinson regularly. Together, they resurrected the Georgia offense and led the Dawgs to a 9-2 record and within an actual split second of the SEC Championship. The pair of quarterbacks gained national acclaim as not only run-pass complements, but personality opposites – the run oriented Goff grounded in his Christian faith while the ball slinging Robinson carried a reputation for after dark prowling.
The two combined in 1975 for one of the most memorable, stunning and ironic moments in Bulldog history when neither of the two quarterbacks threw 80 yards to a streaking Gene Washington to defeat Florida in the Gator Bowl.
Next: Absent in Spring