Georgia Football countdown to kickoff: 82 days to go
83: Georgia can win without Herschel
Following the 1982 season, Herschel Walker signed with the USFL. That left the Dawgs without their superstar running back for the 1983 season. Despite that, the Bulldogs were seven points away from their fourth consecutive SEC Championship and eight away from their third perfect regular season in four years. They almost won their second national title in four years as well.
Without Herschel, Georgia entered the 1983 season no. 15 in the nation. After hanging around the top-5 for three seasons, the pollsters had no faith in the Dawgs. But Georgia learned how to win without Walker. With their experience, there wasn’t much to learn.
Georgia won 33 of their last 36 games going into 1983. They won 12 games by 10 points or less. They knew how to win the dramatic games. That carried into 1983 and they showed that skill off immediately.
Leading UCLA 12-8 late in the ballgame, Charlie Dean intercepted a pass and sprinted down the sideline to extend the lead to 19-8. They battled Clemson to a 16-16 tie. Georgia squeaked out a 20-13 win over Vanderbilt. John Lastinger led a 99-yard drive early in the fourth quarter to lift the Dawgs to a 10-9 win over Florida.
The Dawgs worst blemish came late in the year against Auburn. They lost 13-7 in a battle between two top-four teams. But they bounced back with a 27-24 win over Georgia Tech. The no. 7 Bulldogs then earned a trip to Dallas to play no. 2 Texas in the Cotton Bowl. A muffed punt and a late touchdown run by Lastinger gave the Dawgs a 10-9 victory.
New heroes step up
Without Walker, Georgia needed new stars on offense. Without one big superstar, several Dawgs combined to fill the void:
- John Lastinger
- 769 passing yards with six touchdowns
- 330 rushing yards with two touchdowns.
- Keith Montgomery
- 519 rushing yards with seven touchdowns
- Barry Young
- 502 rushing yards with four touchdowns
- David McClusky
- 362 rushing yards with five touchdowns
- Herman Archie
- 355 receiving yards with two touchdowns
- Clarence Kay
- 247 receiving yards with two touchdowns
- Tron Jackson
- 305 rushing yards with three touchdowns
- 115 receiving yards
The 1980-to-1982 teams were great, and Walker is certainly the greatest running back in college football history. But what the 1983 squad accomplished without him was impressive even if they didn’t win a championship.