Top 10 Georgia Games of My Lifetime

Yeah, I cannot even find a picture from that game for some reason.

As I put out there, this game is the earliest UGA moment I can recall. There was something about the excitement after the catch, and the celebration that got me so enthused.

Just an image at the time, but I go back now and listen to the call from Larry Munson, and I have got to say that is one of the best calls Larry made. The way he jokes with Scott Howard between the touchdown and the kickoff is priceless. Here is a YouTube link of that moment. One of my favorites!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGGFjnwcOM4

You know, this may sound sacrilegious, but I was completely unaware that Georgia was doing a "Blackout" until hours before kickoff. I had been so worked up and busy it had not really tuned in to the game.

Being someone who can admit to paying attention to sports uniforms more than others, I knew the word blackout meant black jerseys from the start. But, it isn't necessarily the black jerseys themselves that got me so pumped—it was seeing 92,000 black shirts in Sanford Stadium.

Sure, fans have chosen certain colors to homogeneously support their team before, and have done so for the past decade or so. But no team until that point had done one quite as well as Georgia (minus Penn State, who's fans traditionally shows up in white).

To try and persuade all 92,000 fans in just one week's time through a few press announcements to show up in black, and succeed? Amazing!

It is ironic to claim that such a progressive move like throwing black jerseys on one of the most traditional uniformed teams in football actually exposed the truest rendition of UGA tradition and fanhood. Not a single fan wore a red shirt into that stadium—not one.

Oh, and the game was pretty bumpin' too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyuOM_aXBCU -- teams takes the field in black jerseys for first time ever, seen from the student section.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynjcTC88rOo-- great moment from the game

This one was personal for me. My best friend through elementary school and middle school was a huge Bama fan and always gave me crap on bus rides about how Alabama football was far superior than UGA football.

Now, as a kid I was told the three greatest things in the world are God, women, and UGA football. Sadly, I never had evidence of UGA dominance over Alabama to back those bus ride disputes until 2002.

I was so excited in 2002 when smoking hot Georgia went in to play Bama, and I kept telling my friend UGA had this one—though I did not even believe myself.

Well, what a game. Fred Gibson made about a handful of the craziest catches Georgia fans have ever seen while playing between the hedges, but none was impressive as the "one-handed catch on his wucha-mu-call it", from the words of Larry Munson.

Here is a brief 2002 highlight video that mainly features the amazing plays from this game's second half—it's a must see!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vQXMoJeslo&feature=PlayList&p=80E47DEDD4387108&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=16

In 2003, a year in which UGA was a national title favorite, the Bulldogs watched their hopes fade in the wake of one opponent—twice. Georgia fell to LSU in a heartbreaker during the regular season in Baton Rouge, and with "home field" advantage in the SEC championship fared no better. The Dawgs lost their two meetings to LSU in 2003 17-10 and 34-13. Ouch!

Well, in 2004 LSU came rolling into Athens, and there was some bad blood. The Dawgs absolutely ripped LSU, and had a field day scoring 45 points.

Reggie Brown and Fred Gibson had some remarkable catches (Reggie's signature catch from college shown above), and the defense pummeled the Tigers all day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-oSHbdov88- here is complete game highlights.

What is worse than talking big about your favorite team during pregame, and proceeding to watch that same team get their tails kicked right out of the gates? The answer: Doing so at a Tech fans house.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkYYttHFyFY&feature=related&pos=0

That is right, nothing spells embarrassing like that. Down 21-3, and I was getting heckled big time! But, it ain't over till the fat lady sings right?

Tony Taylor, Matthew Stafford, Martrez Milner and Kregg Lumpkin turned the game around and won it—the biggest monkey off my back on a long time.

SC went up on us 16-0 early with two amazing touchdown plays (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y1qT4l4_X4), but Georgia would hunker down and complete a comeback with a touchdown pass from Greene to Reggie Brown for a 20-16 win.

Why did I pick this game?

Because SC was trying to ruin our national title hopes in mid-September, and I do not think I have been more upset with UGA football in my life than I was watching us go down the tube in the first half of this game.

Winning this game was one of the best feelings ever! Also, this game did a lot in establishing one of the more overlooked rivalries in the SEC. I hate SC more than Georgia Tech, and this game was one of my favorite wins over them—one of my favorites, that's some foreshadowing.

What else can I say about this one? Hard-nosed, hard hitting, rainy, sloppy, defensive football game that to this day defines SEC football over all other games Georgia has played.

The winning score had to come on a one-yard (Okay, let's say a one-inch) interception return for a touchdown by one of the greats, David Pollack. It was the coolest play I have ever seen, and I will never forget the moment to this day.

I was sitting at La Parilla, a Mexican restaurant next to my house—even the waiter looked up at the television and went "Wow!!" He obviously didn't speak much English or know anything about football. Talk about a "Wow" factor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQYAD-KSd1E

I know what you are thinking, "Wait, we lost this game?"

Still, this game has to make my countdown because it was hands down the most exciting football game I have ever witnessed. I was nowhere near angry when we lost the game, only a tad disappointed.

We fell down 28-0, and I began to not even pay attention to the game. However, UGA picked it up and almost pulled off one of the most amazing comebacks ever!

The touchdown plays we had to try to comeback were jaw-dropping. I will never forget when Thomas Brown broke off multiple tackles at the line, and then somehow burst through the secondary for a score.

I had never seen so much perseverance by a team. They were losing 28-7 and jumping up and down. They were losing 31-14, and jumping up and down even more, they were all of a sudden back in the game at 31-21 at halftime.

And even though we lost, there were still plenty of fireworks and long touchdowns in the second half, and Georgia never ever gave up.

It took a fake punt from WVU to win the game, and that was because they knew if they gave the ball back to us, the game was over. We lost 38-35, but it was still one of the best football games I have ever watched.

This game gave birth to arguably the most memorable Georgia football moment ever. Never in history had a team had the guts to rush onto the field after a score—in the first quarter.

Knowshon's leap ignited a celebration that no other team in the country could get away with doing without looking like complete posers. Touche Dawgs!

Better yet, Georgia's celebration turned their seemingly disappointing campaign into one of the most memorable ever. The game was full of highlight plays, and best of all, Tim Tebow got rocked!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9VxyCC2vSI

I'll let the video speak for itself. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlqJHgTmDL4