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toplaymentally. The fact that he is worried this week reflects the fact that he never takes anything for granted.
It has been a long and successful season, and he does not want it to be spoiled with his team not focusing on the quality opponent that he considers Tech to be. He isn’t interested in Tech’s record and Georgia’s dominance in recent years. Herealizesthatto win a rivalry game, you must be prepared for your opponent to play his best game. You must, again, as the Dawgs have all season, be prepared for a team to render a peak performance.
Bill Cromartie, an Atlanta based free-lance writer, wrote a book about the rivalry between the two schools and called it, “Clean Old Fashioned Hate.” The title suggested that while the two schools were rabidly intent on winning the big game Saturday after Thanksgiving each fall, that was civility in the rivalry.
It remains a good history book of the rivalry and in it you will find interesting details about the games that have been played between the two schools, since 1893.
Georgia has been successful for years except for one period: 1949-1956. Inthose years, Tech won eight straight games. Coach Wallace Butts had fallen onhardtimes. Hedid not recruit well, there was red ink everywhere and alumni depression reached an all-time low.
But when Theron Sapp crossed the goal line to “Break the Drought,” on Grant Field in 1957, things have been much different since. Butts closed out his career with four straight wins in the rivalry.
The men who followed him, for the most part, have had success against Tech, especially Vince Dooley and Mark Richt. And now Kirby Smart is working to build a resume as he did as a player when the teams he played on posted a 3-1 record during his time on campus.
Back to Bill Cromartie’s well written book on the series, if there is any encouragement to be gained for Georgia fans is that Cromartie discovered that over the years the favored team usually wins the game.
That means nothing to Kirby Smart.
