Waxing nostalgic: 50 years ago today-- Georgia at #11 Tennessee

For the first time in his 10 year career at Georgia,Vince Dooley was starting to get some heat. After an SEC title in 1968 with an 8-1-2 record, the Bulldogs had struggled other than the 1971 team. Georgia went 5-5-1,5-5,11-1 and 7-4. Now headed to Knoxville Georgia had just lost two straight games to Vanderbilt and a homecoming loss to Kentucky. This was expected in 1973 for Georgia basketball losing to these two,but this wasn't on the radar for football.

Tennessee was led by 32 year old boy wonder Bill Battle, who was in the middle of his fourth season with an amazing 37-6-0 record. After a loss to Alabama two weeks earlier the Vols smashed a TCU team mired in tragedy--which would only get worse-- and seemed to have righted their ship at 6-1-0 and #11.

Georgia, at 3-3-1 seemingly playing for pride, led 21-14 at halftime. But the Vols came back and took a 31-21 lead into the 4th behind an 85 yard Eddie Brown punt return and TD by Haskell Stanback. However, Jimmy Poulos, who's fumble led to Stanback's TD scored to cut the Vol lead to 31-28.

Then the 12 point favorite Vols got the ball back hoping to run out the last 4:00. They couldn't. On 4th and 2 with 2:27 left, Tennessee lined up "to punt" with Neil Clabo, an All-SEC punter and honroable mention All-American.Unfortunatel, while the University of Tennessee has a fine theatre department,none of the football players took any classes there.Georgia lineman noticed some confused looks on UT players especially upback Steve Chancey and Clabo.The Vols o-line did play dead as the Bulldogs sensing fake bull rushed the line and smeared Chancey to the ground.Georgia ball on the Tennessee 20.

After one first down, QB Andy Johnson made a great fake handoff and ran untouched for an 8 yard touchdown with 1:00 left. Tennessee couldn't do anything and somehow Georgia won, 35-31.

Battle was distraught after the game profusely apologizing to his players for a "stupid decision that shouldn't have even been contemplated."Unbeknownst at the time Battle's hot seat could be traced to this game.Going into this game after 3-1/2 years he was 37-6-0. Over the next 3-1/2 years including this game he went 22-16-2.

One side note is Georgia legend has it this was the game that endeared Georgia fans to Larry Munson.Munson came to UGA from Nashville in 1967 where he had done Vandy games (Vandy is definitely Radio Play by Play U in the SEC) before a fallout with WSM TV where he did sports. But Munson still lived in Nashville and even did a fishing show on the ABC affiliate. His touchdown call of Johnson's run really showed his enthusiasm. Here is clip from UGA about that game and his call (NOTE:its poorly edited as among other things Munson notes this game was in "the late 60's" and the narrator says OCTOBER 3rd instead of November.Still its good for the time frame.)

Larry Munson 1973 Georgia at Tennessee