Georgia–Tennessee football rivalry
First meeting |
November 11, 1899 Tennessee 5, Georgia 0 |
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Latest meeting |
October 10, 2015 Tennessee 38, Georgia 31 |
Next meeting | October 1, 2016 |
Statistics | |
Meetings total | 45 |
All-time series | Tennessee leads, 22–21–2 |
Largest victory | Tennessee, 46–0 (1936) |
Longest win streak | Tennessee, 9 (1989–99) |
Current win streak | Tennessee, 1 (2015–present) |
The Georgia–Tennessee football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Georgia Bulldogs football team of the University of Georgia and Tennessee Volunteers football team of the University of Tennessee. The series is currently 22–21–2 Tennessee.[1] Both teams are founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Tennessee and Georgia are the second and third winningest football programs in SEC history, behind only Alabama.
From 1899 to 1989, UT and UGA met only 21 times before the Southeastern Conference (SEC) expanded to twelve members and split into two divisions of six members each, West and East. (The conference expanded by 2 members (Texas A&M and Missouri) in 2012; therefore the SEC West and East divisions have currently seven members each.) Since 1992, the Dawgs and Vols have both been in the SEC's Eastern Division and have met annually on the football field. The largest margin of victory overall was Tennessee by 46 points in 1936 at Sanford Stadium in Athens in their 46–0 victory. The largest margin of victory for Georgia is by 44 points in 1981 at Sanford Stadium in their 44–0 victory. The longest win streak for Georgia is 5, twice, from 2010–14 and from 1909–24. The longest win streak for Tennessee is 9 from 1989–99.[1][2]
Notable games
1973: In 1973, Georgia, who trailed 31–21, scored a touchdown in the final minutes as quarterback Andy Johnson ran into the end zone for an 8-yard score after the football bounced back into his hands after a botched handoff. The touchdown clinched the Georgia comeback 35–31.
1980:
In 1980, Georgia, who trailed early 15–0, rallied back behind Herschel Walker, who, on his first collegiate touchdown, ran right over Tennessee defender Bill Bates. Georgia would go onto win 16–15, their first victory of an undefeated national championship season.
1995: In 1995, Georgia had the ball with under two minutes to play in a tie game, 27–27. Georgia then missed a potential game-winning field goal with just over a minute and a half left. Peyton Manning then took the Volunteers to within 40 yards, and Tennessee kicked the game winning field goal with 10 seconds left to win their 5th game in a row against the Bulldogs, 30–27.
2000: In 2000, Georgia quarterback Quincy Carter beat the Volunteers 21–10 in Athens. The victory over Tennessee was Georgia's first win over the Vols since 1988, after 9 straight Tennessee wins. Fans stormed the field at Sanford Stadium in celebration for the only time in school history - taking down the goalposts. Larry Munson, Georgia's legendary radio announcer, said "The athletic department is about to lose about $11,000...we won by 11 points and a lot of praying up here!"
2001 The Hobnail Boot Game: In the 2001 game (the Hobnail Boot game), Tennessee was ranked #6 as it faced UGA coach Mark Richt for the first time. The lead was traded multiple times, but Tennessee had seemingly won the game on a 62-yard touchdown pass with only 44 seconds remaining to take a 24–20 lead. Georgia quarterback David Greene would take the Bulldogs down the field and threw a touchdown pass to Verron Haynes with 6 seconds left to upset Tennessee 26–24. Legendary Georgia radio announcer Larry Munson in an famous call exclaimed, "We just stepped on their face with a hobnail boot and broke their nose! We just crushed their face!".
2004: In 2004, #17 Tennessee ended the back to back SEC Eastern Division Champions 17 game home winning streak with a shocking upset, 19–14. The victory propelled the Volunteers to the SEC Eastern Division Championship, and knocked #3 UGA out of the national title picture.
2007: In 2007, unranked Tennessee ran all over #12 Georgia in Knoxville early, en route to a 35–14 victory. Georgia and Tennessee would finish the season tied for the SEC Eastern Division, but Tennessee's head-to-head victory allowed the Vols to advance to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game which they lost. The Bulldogs would finish the season ranked #2, the loss preventing them from advancing to the BCS National Championship Game, while Tennessee finished #14.
2013: In 2013, Georgia jumped to a 17–3 half time lead. In the third quarter of the game Tennessee came back by a block punt for a touchdown, and a couple of touchdowns. With 1:13 left in the game Tennessee scored a touchdown by Rajion Neal to make the score 31–24. With 5 seconds to go Georgia answered back, with Aaron Murray pass complete to Rantavious Wooten. In overtime Tennessee fumbled the football causing a touchback, turning the ball over to bulldogs. After the play Georgia took the 42 yard field goal by Marshall Morgan and was good to win the game 34–31.[3]
2015: In 2015, the #19 Georgia Bulldogs made their way up to Knoxville riding a 5-year winning streak over the Volunteers. After the Bulldogs went up 24–3 before half, making it seemingly impossible for the Volunteers to come back, momentum would seem to switch hands quite fast. With just 3 minutes left in the half the Volunteers scored a touchdown and recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, propelling Tennessee to score again before half. The unranked Tennessee Volunteers would give Coach Butch Jones the second biggest win of his career and go on to beat the #19 Bulldogs 38–31, and snap the five game losing streak.[4]
Game results
Rankings are from the AP Poll.
Georgia victories | Tennessee victories | Tie games |
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References
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