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es came in 1954 between the hedges when monsoon- like downpours drenched the northern part of the state leading up to kickoff. Conditions for a football game have never been more intolerable. Even in the quagmire, the Bulldogs pushed Tech all over the field in the first half and led 3-0 at intermission.
Georgia had kicked off to start the game and had the option at the start of the third quarter. The percentage decision, given the conditions, was to kick off and play for a break. However, the team lobbied hard with Coach Butts to receive, based on the way things had gone in the first half. They succeeded.
It turned out to be a bad decision. Tech kicked to Georgia and on the Bulldogs’ first offensive snap, halfback Wendell Tarleton ran the wrong way, colliding with quarterback Jimmy Harper who fumbled. Tech recovered and threw a 19yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage, winning the game 7-3. Had Georgia kicked off to start the second half, likely there would have been no streak.
Georgia would break the drought in 1957 on Grant Field when Theron Sapp scored the only touchdown of the game, ending the futility which had come to pass. In the years that followed that milestone victory, Georgia has dominated the series, winning 75% of the time. There have been three seven-year streaks during this period with the current Bulldog team having an opportunity to make it eight Friday. That would please Bulldog partisans, but as has been said about such in state rivalries, you can throw the record books out the window when the two teams meet.
However, as Bill Cromartie who wrote his book, “Clean Old Fashioned Hate,” reminded us, the favored team in this historic matchup, usually wins. If you wear Red and Black, you might take heart from Cromartie’s research.
And as we see it worked out in the Bulldogs’ favor this year as they came out on top 169. It may not have been pretty all around, but we got the job done and will now move on to the SEC Championship Game against the Tide of Alabama.
