Georgia Football countdown to kickoff: 82 days to go

85: Dawgs upset the no. Gators in 1985

Before November 4, 1985, the Florida Gators had never been ranked no. 1 in the nation by either the Associated Press or the Coaches Poll. Following a dramatic victory over the no. 6 Auburn Tigers, the Gators climbed to no. 1 for the first time ever.

The Gators were also on the hunt for their first SEC and National Championship once again. After the NCAA punished the Gators for a hefty ammonite of violations in 1984, the Gators vacated their 1984 SEC title. Florida was unable to win the title in 1985, but a great season could have propelled them to greater success in 1986.

Starting with a 21-21 tie against LSU early in the 1984 season, the Gators accent to no. 1 in the nation in 1985 was the culmination of an 18-game undefeated streak that included winning streaks of 10 and six games.

But the Gators next game was against the Georgia Bulldogs. Florida wasn’t accustomed to beating Georgia at that time. From 1971-to-1984, they had only beaten Georgia three times. Georgia came into the game with an okay but modest 6-1-1 record with a no. 17 ranking. The Dawgs did have the mental advantage and revenge on their minds.

In 1984, the Gators embarrassed the no. 8 Bulldogs 27-0. Georgia wanted to return the favor in 1985. Florida might have been the better team, but they couldn’t handle prosperity.

Tim Worley and Keith Henderson dominate the Gators

The game was in Florida’s favor early. James Jackson fumbled to give the Gators good field position. But the defense hunkered down against the Florida offense to force a field goal that sailed wide right. Georgia dominated from there.

Jackson ran an option to get Georgia out to the 24-yard line. One the following play, he handed off to fullback Keith Henderson who broke two tackles at the line and outran the Gator defense for a 76-yard touchdown.

The defense harassed Florida quarterback Kerwin Bell all game long with several sacks and an interception. That pic led to a long touchdown drive that ended with Henderson’s second touchdown, a 33-yard score that again showcased his power and speed. That gave the Dawgs a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. Florida managed to cut the lead with a field goal, but a long run by Tim Worley and a deep pass by Jackson set up a field goal extend the lead to 17-3 at halftime.

Florida had a great chance at scoring early in the second half. But they fumbled on a toss sweep and Georgia’s defense recovered the ball at the 10-yard line. Worley put the game away with a 90-yard touchdown run. Just like on Henderson’s runs, the Gator defense wasn’t strong enough to make the tackle near the line of scrimmage, and Worley was too fast for them.

Georgia continued to punish the Florida offense on route to a 24-3 victory. The Gators were no longer the no. 1 team in the nation. Although they won their final two games to end the year 9-1-1 and 5-1 in the SEC. A win over Tennessee earlier in the year would have earned them the SEC Championship, but their probation prohibited such accomplishments.

Aftermath

Much like the Auburn Tigers in 1995 following their tie with Georgia to end a 20-game win streak, Florida’s loss to Georgia in 1985 was the beginning of a descent for the Gators. In 1986, the Gators fell to 6-5. In 1987 they were 6-6, they ended the 1988 and 1989 seasons 7-5.