Georgia Bulldogs football

Georgia Bulldogs football
2015 Georgia Bulldogs football team
First season 1892
Athletic director Greg McGarity
Head coach Mark Richt
15th year, 136–48 (.739)
Other staff Brian Schottenheimer (OC)
Jeremy Pruitt (DC)
Home stadium Sanford Stadium
Year built 1929[1]
Stadium capacity 92,746[1]
Stadium surface Grass
Location Athens, Georgia
Conference SEC (1932–present)
Division SEC Eastern Division
(1992–present)
Past conferences SIAA (1895–1921)
Southern Conference (1921–1932)
All-time record 778–410–54 (.648)
Postseason bowl record 28–18–3 (.602)
Playoff appearances 0
Claimed national titles 2 (1942, 1980)
Unclaimed national titles 4 (1920, 1927, 1946, 1968)
Conference titles 14 (12 SEC)
Division titles 7
Heisman winners 2
Consensus All-Americans 24
Current uniform
Colors

Red and Black

          
Fight song Glory, Glory
Mascot Uga
Hairy Dawg
Marching band Georgia Redcoat Marching Band
Rivals Florida Gators
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
South Carolina Gamecocks
Clemson Tigers
Auburn Tigers
Website georgiadogs.com

The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in the sport of American football. The Bulldogs compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They play their homes games at Sanford Stadium on the university's Athens, Georgia, campus, and are currently coached by Mark Richt. Inaugural season was in 1892. UGA claims two national championships (1942 and 1980); the AP and Coaches Polls have each voted the Bulldogs the national champion once (1980). UGA declines to claim four other national championships awarded by some selecting organizations and publications. The Bulldogs have won 14 conference championships, and have appeared in 48 bowl games, the fifth most all time. The program has also produced two Heisman Trophy winners, two No. 1 NFL draft picks, and many winners of other national awards.

History

Early history (1892–1909)

The first football team of 1892.
Herty Field was Georgia's first football venue. It was used until 1911.[2] (photo October 2005)

Georgia's football program began in 1892, when Dr. Charles Herty, a chemistry professor and former player at Johns Hopkins, assembled a team and arranged a game against Mercer University on January 30, 1892.[3] This was the first intercollegiate football game played in the deep south. Playing on what would later be called Herty Field, Georgia beat Mercer 7–6.[4] Georgia's second game was on February 20, 1892, against Auburn University, inaugurating what would come to be known as the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry.

From 1892 to 1909, the Georgia Bulldogs changed head coaches frequently, with 14 different coaches in a 17 year period. Their combined record was 47–52–10 (.477 winning percentage).

Pop Warner era (1895–1896)

During its early years, Georgia's greatest success came during Glenn "Pop" Warner's tenure from 1895-1896.[5] It is thought that the first forward pass in football occurred in 1895 in a game between Georgia and North Carolina when, out of desperation, the ball was thrown by the North Carolina quarterback instead of punted and a North Carolina player caught the ball.[6] In 1896, Warner's Georgia team, led by quarterback Richard Von Albade Gammon, recorded the program's first conference championship, winning the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) championship with a 3-0 conference record. Georgia's overall season record was 4–0, which marked the team's first undefeated season, as well.[3]

Charles McCarthy era (1897–1898)

In 1897, the team acquired Reynolds Tichenor and moved Gammon to fullback. The program was nearly terminated when Gammon died as a result of injuries sustained in a game against the University of Virginia. The Georgia state legislature quickly passed a bill abolishing collegiate football in the state, but the bill was vetoed by Governor William Yates Atkinson, based upon an appeal from Gammon's mother, Rosalind Gammon.[7]

Bill Cunningham era (1910–1916; 1919)

Bob McWhorter.

Beginning in 1910, Georgia started experiencing stability in its head coaches. From 1910–63, Georgia had 7 head coaches and a record of 307–180–33 (a .622 winning percentage). 1910 saw the introduction of coach Bill Cunningham and a player who would be Georgia's first All-American in Bob McWhorter, College Football Hall of Fame running back. Georgia won its first two games of 1910 by a combined 180–0. In 1911, Georgia moved its playing field from Herty Field to Sanford Field, where wooden stands were built.[8] In 1911 and 1912 Georgia suffered its only loss to SIAA champion Vanderbilt. George "Kid" Woodruff was quarterback and captain in 1911. "Kid" and his older brother "Big Kid" were both quarterbacks for the Bulldogs and were the namesakes of Woodruff Hall. It was "Kid" who later led the Bulldogs to their first claim to a national championship, the third former Bulldog player to serve as coach. In 1927, Georgia's "dream and wonder team" finished the season 9–1[3] and could stake a claim to the national championship by finishing #1 in at least one national poll.[9]

1913 was when McWhorter was Georgia's first ever All-American. The next season saw the second, quarterback David Paddock. 1914 was a lackluster 3–5–1 season on paper but included an upset of Sewanee and closed with a scoreless tie against Auburn. Sewanee had a 55-game unbeaten streak at home and the Bulldogs won 7–6 on a Tom Thrash touchdown and John G. Henderson conversion.[10] Auburn was undefeated and defending SIAA champion having been undefeated the year before. The Tigers finished the season as co-champion. In 1915, Henderson was the head of a group of three men, one behind the other with his hands upon the shoulders of the one in front, to counter Georgia Tech's jump shift offense utilized by John Heisman.[11] The game ended 0–0.

Herman Stegeman era (1920–1922)

Joe Bennett.

Herman Stegeman coached the Bulldogs to an 8–0 record in 1920, when the team was named co-champion of the SIAA with rival Georgia Tech and posted the conference's best record. The "ten second backfield" of 1920 led by Buck Cheves featured on the team– the first dubbed "the Bulldogs." In 1921 not one team all year scored on Georgia through its line.[12] The line included Joe Bennett, Bum Day, Artie Pew, Owen Reynolds, and Puss Whelchel. Jim Taylor was a substitute. Vanderbilt executed a trick onside punt to tie the score 7–7 and share the SIAA title between the two. It was said Lynn Bomar stopped five Georgia touchdowns. Day played for Georgia Tech in 1918 and was the first southern player selected first-team All-American by Walter Camp. Bennett and Whelchel were both notorious kick blockers; "Prior to the 1960s, Bennett is likely Georgia's most outstanding tackle."[13] In 1922 Georgia joined the Southern Conference.

Kid Woodruff era (1923–1927)

In 1923, Vanderbilt defeated Georgia by a lopsided score of 35 to 7. Morgan Blake, sportswriter in the Atlanta Journal, wrote "No southern team has given the Georgia Bulldogs such a licking in a decade."[14] Georgia was labeled "Dixie's top team;"[15] its only loss up to that point coming against traditional powerhouse Yale. In 1924, Georgia defeated Vanderbilt for the second time ever and the first time since 1898, via a Scrappy Moore drop kick; a victory clouded by the brain hemorrhage sustained by Lynn Bomar from a kick to the chin. In 1927, Georgia's "dream and wonder team" finished the season 9–1[3] and could stake a claim to the national championship by finishing #1 in at least one national poll.[9] The 1927 Bulldogs were the first in school history to defeat Yale and went undefeated until the season's final game against Georgia Tech–the next season's national champion. Though still picked by some as national champion, the loss to Tech negated any claim to the conference title.

Harry Mehre era (1928–1937)

Harry Mehre coached the Bulldogs from 1928 to 1937, but perhaps his most memorable game was in 1929. October 12, 1929 was the inaugural game in the newly completed Sanford Stadium and Mehre's Bulldogs responded with an upset victory over the powerhouse of the day, Yale University, winning 15–0.[16] In that game, Vernon "Catfish" Smith scored all 15 points for Georgia. As head coach, Mehre compiled a 59–34–6 record (.626 winning percentage), but was never able to win a conference championship. Mehre left after ten seasons to accept the head football coach position at Ole Miss.

Wally Butts era (1939–1960)

Coach Butts

Wally Butts coached the Bulldogs from 1939 to 1960 and continued as athletic director until 1963.[16] Butts came to UGA as an assistant to Joel Hunt in 1938, but Hunt left UGA after a 5–4–1 season to take over at Wyoming; Butts succeeded him. During his tenure as head coach, Georgia had a claim to the national championship in 1942 being selected by 6 polls recognized by the NCAA Division 1-A college football national championship (Ohio St. was also selected by 6 polls, including the AP, and Wisconsin was selected by one poll), and in 1946 after finishing first in at least one national poll and/or rating system. Butts coached 1942 Heisman Trophy winner Frank Sinkwich and Maxwell Award winner Charley Trippi. His teams also won four SEC championships – 1942, 1946, 1948 and 1959.[17] As head coach, Butts posted a 140–86–9 record (.615 winning percentage), including six bowl games. His bowl record was 5–2–1.[18] Butts was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.[19]

Johnny Griffith era (1961–1963)

Johnny Griffith, a former player and assistant coach to Butts, succeeded him in 1961. Things did not get any better under Griffith and he was only able to compile a 10–16–4 record during his three-year term as head coach. While there were few successes during this time as head coach, he did have two big victories, a 30–21 upset win over Auburn in 1962 and a 31–14 win over heavily favored Miami in 1963. Griffith was replaced after the 1963 season by Vince Dooley. He resigned in December 1963 after going 10–16–2, including a combined 1–8 against Georgia Tech, Florida, and Auburn.

Vince Dooley era (1964–1988)

Vince Dooley held the head coach position longer than any other Bulldogs coach, leading the Bulldogs from 1964–88.[20] During his tenure as head coach, Georgia won its second consensus national championship in 1980,[9] winning the Grantland Rice Award. Dooley's 1968 team finished first in at least one national poll, giving Georgia a claim to the national championship in that year.[21] The 1967 Cotton Bowl win over SMU made Georgia only the 3rd school in college football history to have won all 4 of the historical major bowls, Rose, Cotton, Sugar, Orange. His teams gave Georgia six SEC Championships and he coached 1982 Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award winner Herschel Walker, 1968 Outland Trophy winner Bill Stanfill and 40 All-Americans.[16] Dooley won the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award in 2001. He compiled a 201–77–10 record (.715 winning percentage), which included twenty bowl appearances. His bowl record was 8–10–2.[22] From 1976–82, his teams were in contention for the national title 4 times (1976, 1980, 1981, and 1982). His 6 SEC titles ties him for second place all time amongst SEC coaches for SEC titles. Dooley's offenses were known primarily for running the football. He converted UGA's single-wing offense to a Split-Back Veer in the early 1970s, and later ran a professional I-type offense with the development of Herschel Walker. For a while during the 1980s UGA was known as "Tailback U." Dooley was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997[23] In 1981, Professor Jan Kemp complained that Georgia officials had intervened allowing nine college football players to pass a remedial English course, allowing them to play against Pittsburgh in the Sugar Bowl. The board of regents of the University System of Georgia issued a report in April 1986 implicating Dr. Fred C. Davison and the Georgia athletic department, headed by Dooley, who was also the football coach, in a pattern of academic abuse in the admission and advancement of student-athletes over the previous four years.[24]

Ray Goff era (1989–1995)

Ray Goff was promoted from assistant coach and took over as head coach in 1989. He coached the Bulldogs until 1995, posting a 46–34–1 record (.574 winning percentage). Goff's tenure got off to a slow start, with just ten wins in his first two seasons, before reeling off nine wins in 1991 and ten in 1992; the latter campaign finished with Georgia ranked eighth by the Coaches Poll. Over the next three years, Goff's Bulldogs never again posted as many as seven wins. His teams were 0–5 against Tennessee, 1–6 against Florida, 2–4–1 against Auburn, 5–2 against Georgia Tech and won no conference titles. During his time at Georgia, Goff was often derisively referred to as Ray "Goof", a nickname given to him by disgruntled fans, and even rival coaches. There was one incident in which an aircraft flew over Sanford Stadium during the 1990 Georgia Tech game towing a banner reading "'Fire Ray Goof'". This nickname was resurrected after Goff's teams began to fall below expectations again. Goff had a 2–2 bowl record.[25] Goff's 1995 team was on the receiving end of Steve Spurrier's "Half a Hundred" game in which his Florida Gators team put up 52 points on the beleaguered Bulldogs. They were the first and, to date, only team to do so inside Sanford Stadium. He was fired at the end of that injury-plagued season, despite the Bulldogs being invited to the Peach Bowl.

Jim Donnan era (1996-2000)

Jim Donnan left Marshall and took over as head coach of the Bulldogs in 1996 and coached the team until 2000, posting a 40–19 record (.678 winning percentage). He was the first head football coach in UGA history to lead teams to four consecutive bowl victories. Under Donnan, the Bulldogs won the 1998 Outback Bowl, the 1998 Peach Bowl, the 2000 Outback Bowl, and the 2000 Oahu Bowl. Before the 1997 game against Mississippi State, Donnan drove a steamroller into practice and told his players they "were either going to be the steamroller or the pavement"; Georgia won the game, 47–0.[26]

Donnan was fired by University President Michael F. Adams, against the wishes of athletic director Vince Dooley, in 2000 after the Bulldogs posted two consecutive eight-win seasons and three consecutive losses against Georgia Tech. Before the 2000 season, Georgia, led by a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate (Quincy Carter), was predicted by some prognosticators to contend for the National Championship. However, an early disappointing loss to rival South Carolina and later losses to rivals Florida, Auburn, along with the loss to Tech frustrated many in the fan base. Donnan's inability to return the program to the national prominence of Dooley's era, compete with longtime SEC Eastern Division rivals and off-the-field problems for players, are believed to be the reasons for his dismissal. Donnan was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2009.

Mark Richt era (2001–present)

Coach Richt

The current head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs is Mark Richt, who joined the Bulldogs in 2001 after serving as the offensive coordinator of the Florida State Seminoles under Bobby Bowden.[27] Since Richt's tenure began, Georgia has won two SEC championships – 2002 and 2005 – and 6 of their 7 SEC East Division Championships – 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, and 2012.[17] (Out of those years Georgia represented the East in the SEC Championship Game in all but 2007.) Including bowl games, Richt's record, as of January 14, 2014, is 126–45 for a (.737 winning percentage) and 72–32 (.692) in the SEC .[28] His bowl record through 2014 is 8–5. On October 8, 2011 Richt won his 100th career game as UGA's coach against Tennessee at Neyland Stadium 20–12.

Under Richt, Georgia is 9–4 against Tennessee, 5–8 against Florida, 8–5 against Auburn, and 12–2 against Georgia Tech. In 2011, under Richt, Georgia defeated Tennessee, Florida, Auburn, and Georgia Tech in the same season for the first time since 1981.

Conference affiliations

Georgia was a founding member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, one of the first collegiate athletic conferences formed in the United States. Georgia participated in the SIAA from its establishment in 1895 until 1921. During its tenure in the SIAA, Georgia was conference co-champion in two years, 1896 and 1920.[29] In 1921, the Bulldogs, along with 12 other teams, left the SIAA and formed the Southern Conference.[30] During its time in the Southern Conference, the team never won a conference championship. In 1932, the Georgia Bulldogs left the Southern Conference to form and join the SEC, where Georgia has won the third most SEC football championships, with 12, behind Alabama (24) and Tennessee (13).[17]

Nicknames

The first mention of "Bulldogs" in association with Georgia athletics occurred on November 28, 1901, at the Georgia-Auburn football game played in Atlanta. The Georgia fans had a badge saying “Eat `em Georgia” and a picture of a bulldog tearing a piece of cloth"; however, it was not until 1920 that the nickname "Bulldog" was used to describe the athletic teams at the University of Georgia. Traditionally, the choice of a Bulldog as the UGA mascot was attributed to the alma mater of its founders and first president, Abraham Baldwin, who graduated from Yale University.[31] Prior to that time, Georgia teams were usually known as the "Red and Black." On November 3, 1920, Morgan Blake of the Atlanta Journal wrote a story about school nicknames and proposed:

The Georgia Bulldogs would sound good because there is a certain dignity about a bulldog, as well as ferocity.[32]

After a 0-0 tie with Virginia in Charlottesville on Nov. 6, 1920, Atlanta Constitution writer Cliff Wheatley used the name "Bulldogs" in his story five times. The name has been used ever since.

Traditions

Sanford Stadium

Uniforms

Georgia's standard home uniform has not significantly changed since 1980, and consists of a red helmet with the trademarked oval G, red jerseys, and silver pants.[35]

Wally Butts first introduced the "silver britches," as they are colloquially known, in 1939. When Vince Dooley became Georgia's head coach, he changed the team's home uniform to include white pants. The uniform was changed back to silver pants prior to the 1980 season, and has remained silver ever since.[35]

Georgia's earliest helmet was grey leather, to which a red block "G" logo was added in 1961. The shirts were usually red, sometimes with various striping patterns. Their uniforms in the pre-World War II era varied at times, sometimes significantly. Photographic evidence suggests that black shirts, vests, and stripes of various patterns were worn at times over the years.

Vince Dooley was the first to incorporate a red helmet into the uniform in 1964, adopting the oval "G," a white stripe, and white facemasks. Anne Donaldson, who graduated from Georgia with a BFA degree and was married to Georgia assistant coach John Donaldson, was asked by Dooley to come up with a new helmet design to replace the previous silver helmet. Dooley liked the forward oriented stylized "G" Donaldson produced, and it was adopted by him. Since the Georgia "G" was similar to the Green Bay Packers' "G" used since 1961, Coach Dooley cleared its use with the Packers organization. Nonetheless, Georgia has a registered trademark for its "G" and the Packers' current, redesigned, "G" logo is modeled after the University of Georgia's redesign of Green Bay's original "G" logo. The helmet change was part of a drastic uniform redesign by Dooley, who also replaced the traditional silver pants with white pants that included a black-red-black stripe. The jerseys remained similar to the pre-1964 design, however, with a red jersey and white numbers.

Prior to the 1980 season, the "silver britches" were re-added to Georgia's uniform with a red-white-black stripe down the side. Since the 1980 season, Georgia has utilized the same basic uniform concept. The sleeve stripes, trim colors, and font on Georgia's home and away jerseys have varied many times, but the home jerseys have remained generally red with white numbers, and away jerseys have remained generally white with black numbers.

The most recent trim redesign occurred in 2005, when sleeve stripe patterns were dropped in favor of solid black jersey cuffs on the home jersey and solid red cuffs on the away jersey. Matte gray pants have also been used at times instead of "true" silver since 2004, mainly because the matte gray pants are of a lighter material.

One of the things that make Georgia's uniform unique is its relative longevity, and the fact that it has very rarely changed over the years. There have been occasions, however, when alternate uniforms have been worn.

Rivalries

The Bulldogs have three main football rivals: Auburn, Florida, and Georgia Tech. All three rivalries were first contested over 100 years ago, though the series records are disputed in two cases. Georgia does not include two games from 1943 and 1944 against Georgia Tech (both UGA losses) in its reckoning of the series record, because Georgia's players were in World War II and Georgia Tech's players were not. Georgia also includes a game against one of the four predecessor institutions of the modern University of Florida in 1904 (a Georgia win) that national sportswriters[41][42][43] and Florida's athletic association do not include.

Georgia has long-standing football rivalries with other universities as well, with over 50 games against five additional teams. Since the formation of the SEC Eastern Division in 1992, Georgia has had an emerging rivalry with the Tennessee Volunteers. The Georgia–South Carolina football rivalry has been a game of increasing importance; South Carolina won the SEC Eastern Division Championship in 2010, Georgia in 2011 and 2012,[35] and in 2013 Missouri won, but South Carolina was second and Georgia was third.

Georgia Bulldog rivalries: all-time records
Rivalry Rival Games played First meeting Last meeting UGA won UGA lost Ties UGA % Streak Most recent win
Deep South's Oldest Rivalry Auburn Tigers 118 1892 2014 55 55 8 .500 1 win 2014, 34-7
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 104 1893 2014 64 40 5 .615 1 loss 2013, 41–34
Florida–Georgia football rivalry Florida Gators 92 1904 2013 49 41 2 .538 1 loss 2013, 23-20
Georgia–Vanderbilt football rivalry Vanderbilt Commodores 74 1893 2014 53 19 2 .730 1 win 2014, 44–17
Georgia–South Carolina football rivalry South Carolina Gamecocks 67 1894 2014 47 18 2 .734 1 loss 2014, 35–38
Clemson–Georgia football rivalry Clemson Tigers 64 1897 2014 42 18 4 .651 1 win 2014, 45–21
Georgia–Tennessee football rivalry Tennessee Volunteers 43 1899 2014 22 21 2 .500 6 wins 2014, 35–32

Seasons

As of the end of the 2011 season, the Georgia Bulldogs had played 119 seasons with an all-time record of 747–400–54 (a .622 winning percentage). A complete decade by decade list of game results can be found at Georgia Bulldogs football (all games). Note: Georgia was also the only Division I FBS program to win at least 8 games every season from 1997–2009.

Bowl games

The Bulldogs have played in 50 bowl games and have a record of 28–19–3. On the all-time lists, the Bulldogs have the fifth most bowl appearances[44] and tied for third for bowl game victories.[45]

2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Georgia Bulldogs bowl games by year
W/L/T Date Bowl Opponent PF PA Coach
W 1942-01-01 Orange Bowl TCU 40 26 Wally Butts
W 1943-01-01 Rose Bowl UCLA 9 0 Wally Butts
W 1946-01-01 Oil Bowl Tulsa 20 6Wally Butts
W 1947-01-01 Sugar Bowl North Carolina 20 10 Wally Butts
T 1948-01-01 Gator Bowl Maryland 20 20 Wally Butts
L 1949-01-01 Orange Bowl Texas 28 41 Wally Butts
L 1950-12-09 Presidential Cup Texas A&M 2040 Wally Butts
W 1960-01-01 Orange Bowl Missouri 14 0 Wally Butts
Wally Butts' bowl record: 5–2–1
W 1964-12-26 Sun Bowl Texas Tech 7 0 Vince Dooley
W1966-12-31 Cotton Bowl Classic SMU 24 9 Vince Dooley
L 1967-12-16Liberty Bowl NC State7 14 Vince Dooley
L 1969-01-01 Sugar Bowl Arkansas 2 16Vince Dooley
L 1969-12-20Sun Bowl Nebraska 6 45 Vince Dooley
W 1971-12-31 Gator Bowl North Carolina 73 Vince Dooley
W 1973-12-28Peach Bowl Maryland 17 16 Vince Dooley
L 1974-12-21 Tangerine Bowl Miami, Ohio 10 21 Vince Dooley
L 1976-01-01 Cotton Bowl Classic Arkansas 10 31 Vince Dooley
L 1977-01-01 Sugar Bowl Pittsburgh 327 Vince Dooley
L 1978-12-31 Bluebonnet BowlStanford 22 25 Vince Dooley
W 1981-01-01 Sugar Bowl Notre Dame 17 10 Vince Dooley
L 1982-01-01 Sugar Bowl Pittsburgh 20 24 Vince Dooley
L 1983-01-01 Sugar Bowl Penn State 23 27Vince Dooley
W 1984-01-01 Cotton Bowl Classic Texas 10 9Vince Dooley
T1984-12-22 Citrus Bowl Florida State 17 17 Vince Dooley
T 1985-12-28Sun Bowl Arizona 13 13 Vince Dooley
L 1986-12-23 Hall of Fame Bowl Boston College24 27 Vince Dooley
W 1987-12-29 Liberty Bowl Arkansas 20 17 Vince Dooley
W 1989-01-01 Gator Bowl Michigan State34 27 Vince Dooley
Vince Dooley's bowl record: 8–10–2
L 1989-12-30 Peach Bowl Syracuse 18 19 Ray Goff
W 1991-12-29 Independence Bowl Arkansas 2415Ray Goff
W 1993-01-01 Florida Citrus Bowl Ohio State 21 14 Ray Goff
L 1995-12-30 Peach Bowl Virginia 2734 Ray Goff
Ray Goff's bowl record: 2–2

W 1998-01-01 Outback Bowl Wisconsin 336 Jim Donnan
W 1998-12-30 Peach Bowl Virginia 35 33Jim Donnan
W 2000-01-01 Outback Bowl Purdue 28 25 Jim Donnan
W 2000-12-24 Oahu Bowl Virginia 3714 Jim Donnan
Jim Donnan's bowl record: 4–0
L 2001-12-28 Music City BowlBoston College 1620 Mark Richt
W 2003-01-01Sugar Bowl Florida State 26 13Mark Richt
W 2004-01-01Capital One Bowl Purdue 3427 Mark Richt
W 2005-01-01 Outback Bowl Wisconsin 24 21Mark Richt
L 2006-01-01 Sugar Bowl West Virginia 35 38 Mark Richt
W 2006-12-30Chick-fil-A BowlVirginia Tech31 24 Mark Richt
W 2008-01-01Sugar BowlHawaii41 10 Mark Richt
W 2009-01-01Capital One BowlMichigan State24 12 Mark Richt
W 2009-12-28Independence BowlTexas A&M44 20 Mark Richt
L 2010-12-31 Liberty Bowl Central Florida 6 10 Mark Richt
L 2012-01-02 Outback Bowl Michigan State 30 33 Mark Richt
W 2013-01-01Capital One BowlNebraska4531Mark Richt
L 2014-01-01Gator BowlNebraska1924Mark Richt
W 2014-12-30Belk BowlLouisville3714Mark Richt
Overall bowl record: 28–19–3
Georgia Bulldog bowl games: all-time records by bowl
Bowl Record Appearances Last appearance Winning %
Belk Bowl
(formerly Continental Tire Bowl and Meineke Car Care Bowl)		 1–0 1 2014 season 1.000
Bluebonnet Bowl (defunct) 0–1 1 1978 season .000
Capital One Bowl
(formerly Tangerine Bowl and Citrus Bowl)		 4–1–1 6 2012 season .750
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
 3–2 5 2006 season .600
Cotton Bowl Classic 2–1 3 1983 season .667
Gator Bowl 2–1–1 4 2013 season .600
Independence Bowl 2–0 2 2009 season 1.000
Liberty Bowl 1–2 3 2010 season .333
Music City Bowl 0–1 1 2001 season .000
Oahu Bowl (defunct) 1–0 1 2000 season 1.000
Oil Bowl (defunct) 1–0 1 1945 season 1.000
Outback Bowl
(formerly Hall of Fame Bowl)		 3–2 5 2011 season .600
Orange Bowl 2–1 3 1959 season .667
Presidential Cup Bowl (defunct) 0–1 1 1950 season .000
Rose Bowl 1–0 1 1943 season 1.000
Sugar Bowl 4–5 9 2007 season .444
Sun Bowl 1–1–1 3 1985 season .500

Current coaching staff

Name Position
Mark Richt Head coach
Jeremy Pruitt Defensive coordinator and secondary coach
Brian Schottenheimer Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks' coach
Bryan McClendon Wide receivers' coach and recruiting coordinator
John Lilly Tight ends' coach and offensive special teams' coordinator
Thomas Brown Running backs' coach
Rob Sale Offensive line coach
Mike Ekeler Inside linebackers' coach and defensive special teams' coordinator
Kevin Sherrer Sam linebacker and star coach
Tracy Rocker Defensive line, Will linebackers' coach and associate head coach

Recruiting

Georgia's football teams have benefited from strong recruiting classes. The table below shows their national class rankings since 2002.

Georgia Bulldogs recruiting class rankings
Year Rivals.com ESPN.com Commits Top commit
2015 7 8 29 Trenton Thompson, DT
2014 7 9 21 Sony Michel, RB
2013 12 10 33 Tray Matthews, S
2012 12 5 29 John Theus, OT
2011 5 6 26 Ray Drew, DE
2010 15 12 19 Alec Ogletree, LB
2009 6 6 20 Branden Smith, CB
2008 7 5 23 A.J. Green, WR
2007 9 13 23 Aron White, TE
2006 4 4 27 Matthew Stafford, QB
2005 10 19 Mohamed Massaquoi, WR
2004 9 19 Brandon Miller, LB
2003 6 24 Paul Oliver, CB
2002 3 29 Marquis Elmore, LB

Team awards and records

Claimed national championships (2)

Years in which the Bulldogs finished with a number-one ranking in at least 3 of the final national polls recognized by the College Football Hall of Fame and included in the official NCAA Football Record Book:[9][46]

Year Coach Selector Record Bowl Opponent Result
1942 Wally Butts Houlgate, Sagarin, Litkenhous 11–1 Rose Bowl UCLA W 9-0
1980 Vince Dooley Coaches, AP 12–0 Sugar Bowl Notre Dame W 17-10
Total Claimed National Championships: 2

Conference championships

Georgia has won a total of 14 conference championships, including 12 SEC Championships.

Conference affiliations:

Year Conference Coach Overall record Conference record
1896† SIAA Glenn "Pop" Warner 4–0 3-0
1920† SIAA Herman Stegeman 8–0–1 8-0
1942 SEC Wally Butts 11–0 6–1
1946† SEC Wally Butts 11–0 5–0
1948 SEC Wally Butts 9–2 6–0
1959 SEC Wally Butts 10–1 7–0
1966† SEC Vince Dooley 10–1 6–0
1968 SEC Vince Dooley 8–1–2 5–0–1
1976 SEC Vince Dooley 10–2 5-1
1980 SEC Vince Dooley 12–0 6–0
1981† SEC Vince Dooley 10–2 6–0
1982 SEC Vince Dooley 11–1 6–0
2002 SEC Mark Richt 13–1 7–1
2005 SEC Mark Richt 10–3 6–2
Conference Championships: 14
† Denotes co-champions

Division championships

Georgia has won 7 SEC Eastern Division championships, and has made 5 appearances in the SEC Championship Game, most recently in 2012. The Dawgs are 2–3 in those games. Twice, in 1992 and 2007, Georgia was the Eastern Division co-champion, but lost a tiebreaker to appear in the championship game.

Year Division championship SEC CG result Opponent PF PA
1992† SEC East N/A Did Not Play – –
2002 SEC East W Arkansas 30 3
2003† SEC East L LSU 13 34
2005 SEC East W LSU 34 14
2007† SEC East N/A Did Not Play – –
2011 SEC East L LSU 10 42
2012† SEC East L Alabama 28 32
Totals 7 2–3 115 125
† Denotes co-champions

Overtime games

Following the 1995 season, the NCAA changed the rules to allow for overtime on games tied at the end of four quarters. Until that time, the Bulldogs had tied 34 times. Since then, Georgia has participated in eleven overtime games and has won six of those games.

Year Opponent Venue Number of OT Victor Score
1996 Auburn Jordan–Hare Stadium 4OT Georgia W 56–49
1999 Georgia Tech Grant Field 1OT Georgia Tech L 51-48
2000 Purdue Outback Bowl 1OT Georgia W 28–25
2000 Auburn Jordan–Hare Stadium 1OT Auburn L 29-26
2003 Purdue Capital One Bowl 1OT Georgia W 34–27
2007 Alabama Bryant–Denny Stadium 1OT Georgia W 26–23
2010 Florida EverBank Field 1OT Florida L 34-31
2012 Michigan State Outback Bowl 3OT Michigan State L 33-30
2013 Tennessee Neyland Stadium 1OT Georgia W 34–31
2013 Georgia Tech Bobby Dodd Stadium 2OT Georgia W 41–34
2014 Georgia Tech Sanford Stadium 1OT Georgia Tech L 30-24

Other

Players

National award winners

  • Heisman Trophy
Frank Sinkwich – 1942
Herschel Walker – 1982
  • Maxwell Award
Charley Trippi – 1946
Herschel Walker – 1982
Herschel Walker – 1982
Champ Bailey – 1998
David Pollack – 2004
Garrison Hearst – 1992
  • Draddy Trophy
Matt Stinchcomb – 1998
  • ESPY Award
Garrison Hearst – 1992
David Pollack – 2004
David Pollack – 2004
Bill Stanfill – 1968
David Pollack – 2003, 2004
Drew Butler – 2009
Brandon Boykin – 2011

All-Americans

The Bulldogs have had 68 players selected as All-Americans.[47] Of those 68 players, 25 were consensus All-Americans, as so-designated by NCAA rules.[48] While several players were selected in more than one year, only Frank Sinkwich, Herschel Walker, and David Pollack were selected as consensus All-Americans more than once.

The Georgia Bulldogs football players that have been selected as All-Americans are:

Georgia Bulldogs All-Americans
Player Position Selected Hometown
Bob McWhorter Halfback 1913 Lexington, Georgia
David Paddock Quarterback 1914 Brooklyn, New York
Joe Bennett Tackle 1922, 1923 Statesboro, Georgia
Chick Shiver End 1927 Sylvester, Georgia
Tom Nash End 1927† Washington, Georgia
Herb Maffett End 1930 Atlanta, Georgia
Red Maddox Guard 1930 Calhoun, Georgia
Vernon "Catfish" Smith End 1931† Macon, Georgia
John Bond Halfback 1935 Toccoa, Georgia
Bill Hartman Fullback 1937 Thomaston, Georgia
Frank Sinkwich Halfback 1941,† 1942‡ McKees Rock, Pennsylvania
George Poschner End 1942 Youngstown, Ohio
Mike Castronis Tackle 1945 Jacksonville, Florida
Charley Trippi Tailback 1946‡ Pittston, Pennsylvania
Herb St. John Guard 1946 Jacksonville, Florida
Dan Edwards End 1947 Gatesville, Texas
John Rauch Quarterback 1948 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Harry Babcock End 1952 Ocala, Florida
Zeke Bratkowski Quarterback 1952, 1953 Danville, Illinois
Johnny Carson End 1953 Atlanta, Georgia
Pat Dye Guard 1959, 1960 Blythe, Georgia
Fran Tarkenton Quarterback 1960 Athens, Georgia
Jim Wilson Tackle 1964 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Ray Rissmiller Tackle 1964 Easton, Pennsylvania
George Patton Defensive Tackle 1965 Tuscumbia, Alabama
Edgar Chandler Offensive Guard 1966, 1967† Cedartown, Georgia
Lynn Hughes Safety 1966 Atlanta, Georgia
Bill Stanfill Defensive Tackle 1968† Cairo, Georgia
Jake Scott Safety 1968† Arlington, Virginia
Steve Greer Defensive Guard 1969 Greer, South Carolina
Tommy Lyons Center 1969, 1970 Atlanta, Georgia
Royce Smith Offensive Guard 1971‡ Savannah, Georgia
Craig Hertwig Offensive Tackle 1975 Macon, Georgia
Randy Johnson Offensive Guard 1975† Rome, Georgia
Mike "Moonpie" Wilson Offensive Tackle 1976 Gainesville, Georgia
Joel Parrish Offensive Guard 1976† Douglas, Georgia
Ben Zambiasi Linebacker 1976 Macon, Georgia
Allan Leavitt Placekicker 1976 Brooksville, Florida
George Collins Offensive Guard 1977 Warner Robins, Georgia
Bill Krug Rover 1977 Washington, DC
Rex Robinson Placekicker 1979, 1980 Marietta, Georgia
Scott Woerner Cornerback 1980 Jonesboro, Georgia
Herschel Walker Tailback 1980‡, 1981‡, 1982‡ Wrightsville, Georgia
Terry Hoage Rover 1982†, 1983† Huntsville, Texas
Jimmy Payne Defensive Tackle 1982 Athens, Georgia
Freddie Gilbert Defensive End 1983 Griffin, Georgia
Kevin Butler Placekicker 1983, 1984† Stone Mountain, Georgia
Jeff Sanchez Safety 1984† Yorba Linda, California
Peter Anderson Center 1985† Vineland, New Jersey
John Little Safety 1986 Lynn Haven, Florida
Wilbur Strozier Offensive Tackle 1986 LaGrange, Georgia
Tim Worley Tailback 1988† Lumberton, North Carolina
Troy Sadowski Tight End 1988 Chamblee, Georgia
Garrison Hearst Tailback 1992‡ Lincolnton, Georgia
Eric Zeier Quarterback 1994 Marietta, Georgia
Matt Stinchcomb Offensive Tackle 1997, 1998† Lilburn, Georgia
Champ Bailey Cornerback 1998† Folkston, Georgia
Richard Seymour Defensive Tackle 2000 Gadsden, South Carolina
Boss Bailey Linebacker 2002 Folkston, Georgia
David Pollack Defensive End 2002†,2003, 2004† Snellville, Georgia
Jon Stinchcomb Offensive Tackle 2002 Lilburn, Georgia
Sean Jones Rover 2003 Atlanta, Georgia
Thomas Davis Free Safety 2004† Cuthbert, Georgia
Greg Blue Free Safety 2005† College Park, Georgia
Max Jean-Gilles Offensive Guard 2005† Miami, Florida
Knowshon Moreno Tailback 2008 Belford, New Jersey
Drew Butler Punter 2009‡ Duluth, Georgia
Rennie Curran Linebacker 2009 Snellville, Georgia
Justin Houston Linebacker 2010 Statesboro, Georgia
Bacarri Rambo Free Safety 2011 Donalsonville, Georgia
Jarvis Jones Linebacker 2011†, 2012‡ Columbus, Georgia
† Designates a consensus All-American
‡ Designates a consensus All-American that was selected by a unanimous vote

Current notable players

Retired numbers

College Football Hall of Fame

Sixteen former Georgia players and coaches have been inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame.[35] In addition, one former player, Pat Dye, has been inducted into the Hall as a coach for Auburn.[49] The 16 individuals from Georgia inducted into the Hall are:

Players

Player Position Years Induction
Bob McWhorter HB 1910–13 1954
Frank Sinkwich HB 1940–42 1954
Charley Trippi HB 1942, 1945–46 1959
Vernon "Catfish" Smith E 1929–31 1979
Bill Hartman FB 1935–37 1984
Fran Tarkenton QB 1958–60 1987
Bill Stanfill DT 1966–68 1998
Herschel Walker RB 1980–82 1999
Terry Hoage S 1980–83 2000
Kevin Butler PK 1981–84 2001
John Rauch QB 1945–48 2003
Jake Scott FS 1966–68 2011

Coaches

Coach Years at Georgia Induction
Glenn "Pop" Warner 1895–96 1951
Vince Dooley 1964–88 1994
Wally Butts 1939–60 1997
Jim Donnan 1996–2000 2009

Coaching history

Head coaching records

The Bulldogs have had 25 head coaches:[16]

Name Seasons All W/L/T Win %
25 Mark Richt 2001–present 135–48–0 .738
24 Jim Donnan 1996–2000 40–19–0 .678
23 Ray Goff 1989–95 46–34–1 .574
22 Vince Dooley 1964–88 201–77–10 .715
21 Johnny Griffith 1961–63 10–16–4 .400
20 Wally Butts 1939–60 140–86–9 .615
19 Joel Hunt 1938 5–4–1 .550
18 Harry Mehre 1928–37 59–34–6 .626
17 George "Kid" Woodruff 1923–27 30–16–1 .649
16 Herman Stegeman 1920–22 20–6–3 .741
15 W. A. Cunningham 1910–19 43–18–9 .679
13 & 14 James Coulter & Frank Dobson 1909 1–4–2 .286
12 Branch Bocock 1908 5–2–1 .688
11 W. S. Whitney 1906–07 6–7–2 .467
10 Marvin D. Dickinson 1903, 1905 4–9–0 .308
9 Charles A. Barnard 1904 1–5–0 .167
8 Billy Reynolds 1901–02 5–7–3 .433
7 E. E. Jones 1900 2–4–0 .333
6 Gordon Saussy 1899 2–3–1 .417
5 Charles McCarthy 1897–98 6–3–0 .667
4 Glenn "Pop" Warner 1895–96 7–4–0 .636
3 Robert Winston 1894 5–1–0 .833
2 Ernest Brown 1893 2–2–1 .500
1 Charles Herty 1892 1–1–0 .500
TOTALS 1892–present 733–389–34 .649

Coaching awards

Vince Dooley – 2001
Vince Dooley – 1980
Brian VanGorder – 2003

Future opponents

Non-division opponents

Georgia plays Auburn as a permanent non-division opponent annually and rotates around the West division among the other six schools.[50]

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
at Auburn vs Auburn at Auburn vs Auburn at Auburn vs Auburn at Auburn vs Auburn at Auburn vs Auburn at Auburn
vs Alabama at Ole Miss vs Mississippi State at LSU vs Texas A&M at Alabama vs Arkansas at Mississippi State vs Ole Miss at Texas A&M vs LSU

Non-conference opponents

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
vs Southern vs Georgia Tech at Notre Dame vs Georgia Tech vs Notre Dame
vs Louisiana–Monroe vs Nicholls State at Georgia Tech at Georgia Tech
vs Georgia Southern vs Louisiana–Lafayette vs Appalachian State
at Georgia Tech vs Samford

[51]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Sanford Stadium". Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Herty Field State Historical Marker". Cviog.uga.edu. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Georgia football:the 1890's
  4. ↑ "Black and Crimson Waves Triumphantly Over The Ball Ground". Athens Weekly Banner. February 2, 1892.
  5. ↑ "Pop Warner in the Cornell Chronicle". News.cornell.edu. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Tarheels Credited With Throwing First Forward Pass". Tar Heel Times. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  7. ↑ This Day in Georgia History: October 30, Ed Jackson and Charly Pou, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, The University of Georgia
  8. ↑ "UGA Historic Athletic Grounds Historical Marker". Cviog.uga.edu. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Georgia Football National Championships
  10. ↑ Patrick Garbin. About Them Dawgs!: Georgia Football's Memorable Teams and Players. p. 13.
  11. ↑ Alabama vs. Tulane (PDF). November 6, 1937. pp. 5; 11.
  12. ↑ Camp, Walter, ed. National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Rules: Official Intercollegiate Football Guide. 45 Rose St, New York: American Sports, 1922. Print. Spalding's Athletic Library.
  13. ↑ Patrick Garbin. About Them Dawgs!: Georgia Football's Memorable Teams and Players. p. 30.
  14. ↑ Morgan Blake (November 22, 1923). "Gil Reese Stars As Commodores Defeat Athenians". The Red and Black.
  15. ↑
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Former Head Coaches
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 All-Time Winningest Division 1-A Teams
  18. ↑ Official 2006 NCAA Divisions I-A and II-A Football Records Book, page 331
  19. ↑ "Wally Butts profile in the College Football Hall of Fame". Collegefootball.org. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  20. ↑ http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/vince-dooley-1.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. ↑ "History on Sic'Em Dawgs.com". Sicemdawgs.com. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  22. ↑ Official 2006 NCAA Divisions I-A and II-A Football Records Book, page 332
  23. ↑ "Vince Dooley profile in the College Football Hall of Fame". Collegefootball.org. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  24. ↑ Goldstein, Richard (December 12, 2008). "Jan Kemp Dies at 59; Exposed Fraud in Grades of Players". The New York Times.
  25. ↑ Official 2006 NCAA Divisions I-A and II-A Football Records Book, page 334
  26. ↑ Schlabach, Mark (2007-10-29). "Richt's motivational gamble pays off for Georgia". Retrieved 2010-05-10.
  27. ↑ Mark Richt Biography on georgiadogs.com
  28. ↑ "Mark Richt Victory Watch". dawgsports.com. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  29. ↑ "Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Conference Champions". Cfbdatawarehouse.com. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  30. ↑ Southern Conference History, Southern Conference 2006 Media Guide (accessed December 11, 2006)
  31. ↑ http://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/1l454g/132_teams_in_132_days_university_of_georgia/
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 "Georgia Traditions". UGA Athletic Association. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
  33. ↑ "‘In Russ they trust:’ Uga IX is inaugurated at Sanford Stadium". Atlanta Journal Constitution.
  34. ↑ "Mascot Uga VIII dies from lymphoma". ESPN. February 4, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 35.5 35.6 "Georgia Football 2011 Media Guide". Georgiadogs.com. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  36. ↑ Richt to renew old Georgia traditions, Red and Black.com, August 31, 2001. (Last Retrieved August 21, 2011)
  37. ↑ Video on YouTube
  38. ↑ UniformCritics.com, Photos of 2007 Georgia Bulldogs Black Jersey. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  39. ↑ UniformCritics.com, Photos of 2009 UGA Bulldogs Alternate Away Uniform. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  40. ↑ UniformCritics.com, Photos of 2011 Georgia Bulldogs Nike Pro Combat Uniform. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  41. ↑ http://a.espncdn.com/ncf/columns/harig_bob/1453784.html
  42. ↑ http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20101030_GA@FL
  43. ↑ http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/lists/top-rivalry-games-michigan-ohio-state-auburn-alabama-army-navy-texas-oklahoma-usc-notre-dame-harvard-yale-110612#tab=photo-title=Florida-Georgia&photo=31407932
  44. ↑ "Most Bowl Appearances". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  45. ↑ "Most Bowl Wins". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  46. ↑ "Past Division I-A Football National Champions". ncaa.org. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
  47. ↑ All-American Georgia Bulldogs
  48. ↑ Official 2006 NCAA Divisions I-A and II-A Football Records Book, pp 213–228
  49. ↑ Auburn Pat Dye HOF announcement
  50. ↑ "SEC Future Football Schedule Rotation Announced". fbschedules.com. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  51. ↑ "Georgia Bulldogs Football Schedules and Future Schedules". fbschedules.com. Retrieved 2012-02-26.

Suggested reading

External links