Georgia football countdown to kickoff: 51 days to go

The 2018 Georgia football season begins in 51 days.

From 1998-to-2000, the unthinkable happened. Georgia Tech defeated Georgia three years in a row. Tech had only won pairs of games for nearly 40 years at that point. The last time the Yellow Jackets defeated Georgia three years in a row prior to that was 1961-to-1963. Losing to Tech once is already unacceptable, losing three years straight is enough to start a riot.

Fortunately for the university, no riot began as athletic director Vince Dooley fired head coach Jim Donnan shortly after the third loss in 2000. He hired Mark Richt to coach Georgia football and he righted the ship with a 31-17 win in 2001. But that wasn’t enough. A 14-point victory wasn’t satisfying following three years of losing to the team with the nations most annoying fan base.

But the next year’s game with Tech was enough to satisfy fans. That game included one of the most embarrassing, satisfying and dominant wins Georgia fans have ever experienced over Tech. In 2002, Georgia football ended the regular season with a 51-7 beating of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. This game was punishment for the bad officiating in 1998 and 1999, and for a loss that just shouldn’t have happened in 2000.

At no point was this game close. Georgia led 10-0 at the end of the first quarter, but extended that lead to 34-0. Tech finally got on the board in the fourth quarter. But by then, the score was 44-7. But that score apparently didn’t seem dominant enough for Richt, who knew he was at Georgia because his predecessor couldn’t defeat rivals. So Georgia scored one more touchdown to make the score 51-7.

There’s something about the number 50 with blowouts. At some point a game passes normal blowout territory and becomes something else. Something worse, or better depending on which side you are on. That threshold seems to be 50 points. For some reason, 51-7 seems a million times better than 44-7 despite the difference being just one touchdown.

The score was not the only area of dominance for Georgia that day. The Bulldogs had twice as many first downs (24/12). They rushed for 230 yards while limiting Tech to just 71 yards. David Greene and D.J. Shockley combined for 322 passing yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Tech did amass 222 passing yards, but that included two interceptions. The Yellow Jackets only attempted one field goal all game. Boss Bailey blocked it, his third of the season.

Choosing a player of the game for Georgia is nearly impossible. They all played so well and contributed so much. Seven different players accounted for Georgia’s 51 points. 15 offensive players averaged at least four yards-per-play.

Then you get to defensive players and that task is even greater. 26 players recorded a tackle. Georgia had three tackles for a loss and two sacks. They recovered three fumbles and intercepted two passes. And of course, it was 2002 so the game included one blocked kick.

Instead of attempting to name a player of the game, lets just list the best.

• David Greene: 10/14 passing, 205 yards, one touchdown.
• D.J. Shockley: 5/8 passing, 86 yards. six carries for 20 yards. 106 yards of total offense.
• Musa Smith: 20 carries, 121 yards, one touchdown.
• J.T. Wall: three carries, 22 yards, two touchdowns.
• Fred Gibson: three catches, 73 yards, one touchdown.
• Kentrell Curry: Two tackles, one interception, 46 yards.
• Boss Bailey: Five tackles, one blocked field goal.
• Thomas Davis: Five tackles, one sack, nine yards.
• David Pollack: One sack, 11 yards.
• Tim Jennings: Two tackles, one interception, one yard.

Tech just didn’t have an answer that day. Georgia’s first drive went 80 yards in 11 plays. Smith finished with a short one-yard plunge into the end zone. Tech’s next possession began on their own five-yard line. They avoided the safety, but gave up field position with their punt. Jones had a decent return to give Georgia the ball at the Tech-41. Billy Bennett knocked in a field goal nine plays later to extend the score to 10-0 after one-quarter.

Shockley took over on Georgia’s next drive starting at the UGA-36. He completed all three of his passes and finished the drive with an eight-yard dance into the end zone. 17-0 Georgia. Tech finally found some offense with a 42-yard pass on their ensuing possession. But the drive stalled and they attempted a 49-yard field goal. Bailey leaped into the air as he did all year and got a paw on the ball. Decory Bryant caught the ball in the air and advanced it to the UGA-28.

Greene returned and carved up Tech’s defense with a 31-yard pass to Terrance Edwards and a 49-yard touchdown pass to Fred Gibson. 24-0 Georgia. Shockley returned later in the second quarter, but Smith led the way with 24 yards on three carries. Billy Bennett kicked in a field goal. 27-0 Georgia.

Tech’s return man fumbled the kickoff and Georgia regained the ball on the Tech-26. Three plays later, on third and two, Georgia handed off to fullback J.T. Wall hoping he could barrel his way past the marker. Instead he stayed on his feet and ran 18 yards to the end zone for a touchdown. 34-0 Georgia.

Tech tried to start a rally before halftime, but Curry intercepted a pass at the UGA-24 with nine seconds left and ran it back 46 yards before going out-of-bounds. Clock expired, halftime. Wall and Bennett added 10 points in the third quarter and Tyson Browning’s 17-yard run extended the lead to 51-7 late in the game.

Tech fans made the long, depressing trip back to Atlanta or whichever caverns in Georgia they lived in. UGA fans rejoiced as revenge had finally come. The Bulldog Nation didn’t have to think about the three-straight losses anymore. Georgia wouldn’t lose another game to Tech until 2008. Tech still hasn’t beaten Georgia in consecutive games.

Next: Georgia needs to make Atlanta their second home

There are 51 days left until the season opener with Austin Peay. But later this year, Georgia looks to start another streak over the Jackets. The Dawgs dominated last year 38-7. Maybe, they’ll exceed the 2002 beating this year.