Georgia football countdown to kickoff: 96 days to go
The 2018 Georgia football season begins in 96 days.
There are now just 96 days left until the beginning of the 2018 Georgia football season. Yesterday, the 1997 team was the topic, but today we’ll review the 1896 team since we are at day 96.
The 1896 Georgia squad was the first to go undefeated with a 4-0 record. They outscored opponents 88-22. UGA played all four games away from Athens. They played the season opener with Wofford in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The final three games were in Atlanta. Brisbane Park hosted the game with North Carolina. And Piedmont Park hosted the games with Sewanee and Auburn.
Glenn “Pop” Warner coached the 1896 team in his second and last year in Athens. His record at UGA was 7-4. Georgia gave Warner his first head coaching job. The innovator and creator of the single-wing offense left Athens to embark on his Hall of Fame career at Cornell, Carlisle, Pittsburgh, Stanford and Temple. His All-Time record is 319-106-32.
The games
Georgia began the year with a pair of non-conference games with Wofford and North Carolina. The Wofford game was little more than a tune up. Georgia didn’t have any issues defeating them 26-0.
Georgia’s biggest test of the year come on Halloween against North Carolina. At the time, UNC was the class of college football in the south. The Tar Heels had one of the best record in college football the year before going 7-1-1.
Thanks to an 18-point first half and superior defense, the Crackers as the Atlanta Constitution nicknamed UGA, defeated the Heels 24-16. George Whitfield Price scored Georgia’s first touchdown of the game from eight yards out but UNC quickly countered to tie the game. The Tar Heels then fielded a mishandled punt in the end zone for their second touchdown of the game to take a 12-6 lead.
Wright Blanch stepped up to become a hero for Georgia. He scored two touchdowns to give UGA an 18-10 halftime lead. His first score was from 30 yards away and he ran right up the middle. Georgia went on another long drive before halftime and Blanch finished with a touchdown run around right end.
Blanch along with William Kent blocked a punt in the end zone and both men were found grasping the ball for a shared touchdown. That play gave Georgia a 24-1 lead. North Carolina scored one more touchdown but they missed the kick to cut the lead to 24-16. The officials ended the game soon after giving UGA the victory.
That game set up a huge match-up between undefeated SIAA teams in Georgia’s conference opener. UGA was 2-0 while Sewanee was 3-0. But Georgia was just too good for Sewanee. UGA won that game handily 26-0. That set up another game between unbeaten SIAA teams. The 3-0 Athenians met the 3-0 Plainsmen of Auburn at Piedmont Park.
The game was closer than Georgia’s game with UNC. A UGA touchdown in the first half was the deciding score. The game also featured what may have been the first on field huddle in football history. Auburn had learned Georgia’s signals and had a clear advantage as a result. So the team decided to huddle on the field to hide their calls.
Next: Georgia, Auburn and the college football Mecca of Atlanta
The decision paid off. Auburn, who had relied on knowing what Georgia was going to do, was now at a loss. Georgia marched right down field and punched the ball into the end zone to take a 6-0 halftime lead. But Georgia wasn’t out of surprises. They opened the second half with an onsides kick that lead to another touchdown to extend the lead to 12-0.
Auburn added a touchdown late in the game but time ran out on the Plainsmen’s undefeated season. Georgia came out victorious 12-6 to end 1896 4-0. Georgia wouldn’t finish unbeaten again until 1920 and they wouldn’t complete another perfect season until 1946.