Georgia football countdown to kickoff: 99 days to go

The 2018 Georgia football season begins in 99 days.

Georgia football has played well over 1,200 games in its 125 seasons. But to continue our countdown to kickoff, with just 99 days remaining, we’re going to look at just one game. The 99th game in Georgia football history. The 1908 low scoring, shutout victory over Clemson in Augusta.

The 1908 season was somewhat of an anomaly. The program wasn’t very strong in the 1900’s. In fact, its record that decade was 24-38-8. It remains the only decade in which Georgia had a losing record. Georgia had four seasons that decade in which they only won one game. The program hasn’t had a one-win season since.

In the 1900’s, Georgia had losing records to each of their three biggest rivals of that era. Auburn (4-5-1), Georgia Tech (5-2) and Clemson (8-2). In every way, the 1900’s were rough for Georgia football.

And yet, here comes the 1908 team led by a future Georgia legend George “Kid” Woodruff. Georgia’s all-time record entering that year was 41-46-7. But the 1908 team was the beginning of Georgia’s climb to being a .500 program. In 2018 it’s hard to believe Georgia even struggled to hang around .500 all-time. Our winning percentage right now is .651, the 13th best in the nation.

The 1908 season began on October 3 and after one month, the squad possessed a 3-1 record with wins over Dahlonega, South Carolina and Mercer, and one loss to Tennessee. Georgia began November with a trip to Augusta to play Clemson. The Tigers had won seven-straight against Georgia from 1900-to-1906, but Georgia won the 1907 game.

Georgia out kicks the Tigers in Augusta

By today’s standard’s Georgia would have only beaten Clemson 6-0. But back then, field goals counted for four points. Two Morton Hodgson field goals were all Georgia needed to defeat the Tigers 8-0.

Clemson’s offense had some success on offense. But as the Georgia defenses got closer to the end zone, the better they played. They either forced Clemson to kick field goals or attempt to convert on fourth down. The Tigers failed at each attempt.

The first half was a true field position battle. First downs were scarce which made punting and returning very important. Clemson seemed to have the upper hand until the latter moments of the half when they gained possession from their own two-yard-line.

The Tigers had to punt and Hodgson missed his first field goal. But Clemson couldn’t flip field position and Hodgson later attempted another field goal from 22 yards away. He succeeded and halftime followed shortly after. Georgia led 4-0.

A blocked punt early in the second half gave Georgia an opportunity to take a two score lead. But the offense failed to get a goal and Hodgson missed his third field goal attempt. However, when Clemson booted a poor 20-yard punt minutes later, Georgia didn’t squander the chance to score.

Woodruff, Hodgson and Howell Peacock led a great drive that Hodgson capped off with a 25-yard field goal to extend the Georgia led to 8-0. Hodgson later missed a field goal that could have iced the game. But it didn’t matter. The Tigers weren’t scoring on Georgia that day. Georgia returned to Athens with a triumphant 8-0 victory. Their first consecutive wins over Clemson since winning three-straight from 1897-to-1899.

Aftermath

Georgia traveled to Birmingham to play Alabama a week later and battled them to a 6-6 tie in their 100th game. Georgia’s record after 100 games was 45-47-8. They defeated Davidson with a safety after that and ended the year with a terrible loss to Auburn. Georgia ended the 1908 season 5-2-1, by far their best record of the 1900’s.

Head coach Branch Bocock left after the season, as did Woodruff who spent 1909 studying abroad. Without them, Georgia fell to 1-4-2 in 1909. Their all-time record after the end of the 1900’s was 46-51-10.

Woodruff returned in 1910, the same year William Cunningham became head coach. Together, with sensational newcomer Bob McWhorter, they ushered in a new era of Georgia football. The 1910 team finished 6-2-1. They improved to 7-1-1 in 1911 and they had a pair of six-win seasons in 1912 (6-1-1) and 1913 (6-2).

Next: Georgia, Auburn and the college football Mecca of Atlanta

After McWhorter exhausted his eligibility in 1913, Georgia’s all-time record had climbed significantly to 71-57-13. Georgia football was finally over .500 and they never looked back. Over 100 years later, Georgia’s all-time record is 808-420-54.