Georgia Football: Ranking the Best Moments from the Georgia-Florida Rivalry

After having the week off, the Georgia Bulldogs are back in action on Saturday as they travel to Jacksonville to face the Florida Gators.

The Bulldogs are coming into the game with a lot of momentum, while the Gators are on the decline.

Regardless of what these teams have done in the past, this should be a well-contested game that could come down to the last play. If the Bulldogs win, it will be the fourth consecutive year they have beaten the Gators.

That would be a memorable moment, but there have already been some memorable moments for the Bulldogs in this series.

Here’s a look at the five most memorable moments in this rivalry. 

No. 5: Florida Comes to Athens in 1995

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This was a bad moment for the Bulldogs, but it made the list because this game was played at Sanford Stadium, which was the first time that has happened in over 60 years.

The game itself was a mismatch to begin with because the Gators came in as the No. 3 team in the country. Meanwhile, Georgia was unranked.

Danny Wuerffel threw five touchdowns to lead the Gators to a 52-17 win. It was the first and only time any team has scored over 50 points at Sanford Stadium, and it gave Bulldog fans another reason to hate Steve Spurrier a little bit more.

No. 4: Dawgs Get Spurrier in 1997

The Bulldogs were able to get their revenge on the Gators two years later when they were able to beat them 37-17.

What made this win special was the fact that it was the first and only time the Bulldogs were able to beat the Gators when Spurrier was the head coach.

Former quarterback and current offensive coordinator Mike Bobo paced the offense with timely throws, while running back Robert Edwards had his best game as a Bulldog, scoring four touchdowns in the win.

Coaches, players and fans waited a long time for a game like this, and they were able to build on it with a successful season as they finished the year 10-2 and No. 10 in the AP Poll. 

No. 3: Upset in 1985

Georgia was nowhere near the Top 10 in 1985, but the highlight of the year was when the Bulldogs went to Jacksonville and beat the Gators, who were the No. 1 team in the country at the time.

The final score of the game was 24-3. The Bulldogs were led by running backs Tim Worley and Keith Henderson, as both players rushed for over 100 yards in the win.

The loss prevented Florida from being national champions because they finished 9-1-1 and ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll. The win for Georgia was even sweeter because this was the first conference loss the Gators had suffered since 1983. 

No. 2: Gator Stomp in 2007

After losing to the Gators in 2005 and 2006, Mark Richt’s team needed to change things up.

When the Bulldogs scored first in the 2007 game, the entire team went into the opposing end zone and celebrated, which emotionally rallied the Bulldogs.

The celebration was called the “Gator Stomp” and propelled them to a 42-30 victory. Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno ran for 188 yards, and the Bulldogs defense sacked Florida quarterback Tim Tebow six times.

Another thing to point out about this game is this was the first and only time both teams scored over 30 points. 

No. 1: Run Lindsay in 1980

Among the reasons that Georgia won the national championship in 1980 was a play that happened in the Florida game.

The Bulldogs were down 21-20 late in the game, and they were at their own 7-yard line. Quarterback Buck Belue threw a 25-yard pass to Lindsay Scott after scrambling in the end zone to find anyone open. Scott was able to run past the secondary and score the game-winning touchdown with just seconds on the clock.

The 93-yard touchdown pass gave the Bulldogs the 26-21 win, and they went on to win their second national title in school history.

Late Georgia radio announcer Larry Munson was on the call, and his description of the play remains one of the more memorable calls in college football history.