Georgia football has always had sacred traditions. From those beautiful hedges that provide a boundary between the playing field and the spectators. To calling the Dawgs and the new tradition of the fourth quarter light show.
Sanford Stadium is a special place, and more recently, it has become one of the most intimidating environments for opposing teams.
The 2020 season was a weird year for everyone — college football just didn’t feel the same due to the pandemic.
College football is a unique sport, and that is because of the fans. Not having fans at full capacity last year had teams trying to create their own momentum. That is very hard to do without screaming fans — they are the 12th Dawg for a reason.
Surrounded by 93,000 fans, it can get louder than a Penn State white-out game. As a Georgia fan, you feel as if you are right at home — right where you are supposed to be.
There is not a better feeling than being between the hedges in Athens, Ga.
Throughout the years, Georgia has played some of their most program-defining games in Sanford Stadium. We all remember the original 2007 black-out game against Auburn where the Dawgs won 45-20.
Or the LSU game in 2013 when Georgia won 44-41. This matchup was one of the loudest ever in Sandford Stadium history.
However, since head coach Kirby Smart showed up, this atmosphere changed. While it used to be a place that could be intimidating if the fans were up for it, but now it is the most tantalizing environment in the SEC East.
Opposing fans would likely say Florida, South Carolina, or Tennessee should be the toughest, but we politely disagree.
Having a home field advantage in the SEC is a must, and Georgia fans make sure that they provide that energy for the team whenever the Bulldogs are in Sanford Stadium.
So far, this year has turned into a special season.
Georgia is already off to a historic start as they are 7-0 heading into the Florida week. The last time the Dawgs started 7-0 was back in 2017, and we all know they made the national championship that year.
One of the key parts for them being 7-0 is how the fans have shown up this year to create that true home advantage that we didn’t see last season due to COVID.
The whole country noticed how daunting Sanford Stadium could be when Arkansas came to Athens on the first Saturday of October to play a noon game. Yup, even in the middle of the day, this stadium can be intimidating — just ask Sam Pittman and his Hogs.
On the first drive for the Razorbacks, it was false start, after false start. Arkansas couldn’t get the snap off because of how electric the fans were in Sanford Stadium. That series set the whole tone for the game.
When a noon game is louder than a night Penn State white-out game, the race is over, Sanford Stadium is the most challenging SEC East environment.
It just goes to show why Sanford Stadium is one of the most challenging venues to play at as an opposing team.
Dawg nation continues to show up and show out every week the Dawgs are playing. They make Sanford Stadium what it is, and they look to continue it all season long.