Top 5 biggest hits in recent Georgia Football history

Georgia football has been known to have a few good hits throughout its history. However, after Eric Stokes rocked Tennessee’s quarterback last week, we wanted to take Dawg nation down memory lane. Here are the Dawgs top five defensive hits.

This past Saturday night in Knoxville, with just under 5 minutes remaining in the ball game, Tennessee freshman Brian Maurer took a shotgun snap on 2nd and 15 with the Vols down 36-14. Junior cornerback Eric Stokes blitzed from his corner position and made one of the biggest (and clean) hits in recent memory for Georgia football.

The hit from Stokes caught Maurer by total surprise, and the ball was dislodged in the process. Senior Linebacker Tae Crowder scooped the loose ball up and sprinted 60 yards for the touchdown.

That play would be the final nail in the coffin at Neyland on Saturday night. The play gave the Dawgs a 43-14 lead that would send the visitors back to Athens happy.

There has been a fair share of sacks that resulted in a scoop and score for Georgia, but this one had more electricity than your average sack.

It was the textbook definition of the “havoc play” that we’ve been looking for from this Dawg defense. This tackle got me thinking about some of the other big hits in Georgia history that made college football stand up and take notice.

Not all hits are created equal. Some are bone-jarring, and some are perfectly timed to cause a turnover in a much-needed spot.

Nothing gets the crowd roaring or quiets a rowdy fan base more than a huge defensive play. This is the SEC after all; where we enjoy a flashy offensive play but absolutely thrive on menacing, smothering defenses.

I’ve been a fan of the Bulldogs since birth in 1977. Since then, I’ve seen some great defensive players come and go. And they have made some tremendous hits along the way.

The Stokes play aside, here are five additional plays in Georgia football history that feature legendary hits.