Counting the Days – Day 24

We are more than three quarters the way through our countdown until the Bulldogs’ 2016 season kicks off! Each day leading up to the season opener, Patrick Garbin and I will each show three unique and creative ways why we feel that number is special to the Dawgs. The song “24 Frames” has an Athens connection to it; singer Jason Isbell is a former guitarist for local legends, Drive-By Truckers. Isbell left the band in 2007, whereby he played with some other groups and did some solo work, as well. “24 Frames” was released in 2015, and won a Grammy Award earlier this year for Best American Roots Song. I remember seeing the Truckers several times with the last time being at AthFest a few years back. That was a good memory, as hopefully these are regarding Georgia football and the number 24:

By Dave McMahon—Twitter @dave_mc_stats

3 – No. 24 Knowshon Moreno was one of the most exciting Bulldog players in recent history. He played only two seasons for the Dawgs, but gained 2,734 yards on the ground, averaging 105.2 yards rushing per game—the fourth-most by an individual in Georgia history. Moreno rushed for 100+ yards in exactly half of his 26 collegiate games, and his 30 career rushing touchdowns rank sixth all time at the school. Also, to me, every time highlights of the 2007 or 2008 season is featured, Moreno is shown hurdling over defenders (or, soulja-boying on the sidelines):

2 – Lindsay Scott, Lindsay Scott, Lindsay Scott also wore “24” for the Bulldogs. Most Georgia fans remember Scott for primarily the 93-yard catch and run against Florida in the 1980 Cocktail Party, but he actually led the Dawgs in receiving in three of his four seasons—and, the one season he wasn’t the annual leader in receiving ironically enough was in 1980. Scott finished his career with 131 receptions for 2,098 yards, which still ranks eighth in Bulldog history, and 10 touchdowns.

1 – Aaron Murray owns the school’s top three most touchdowns passing marks in a season, followed by Matthew Stafford’s 25 in 2008. Tied for fifth are four different quarterbacks, one of which did so twice, passing for 24 touchdowns. Eric Zeier threw for 24 scores in back-to-back seasons of 1993 and 1994. Next, D.J. Shockley did so in the only season he was a full-time starter, 2005. Four years later, Joe Cox passed for 24 touchdowns and, finally, Aaron Murray accomplished as much in his freshman season of 2010. Another quarterback worthy of mention relating to the No. 24 is Zeke Bratkowski, who totaled 24 touchdown passes in his career.

By Patrick Garbin—Twitter @PGarbinDT

3—Not until its first 24 full football seasons had been played, and 169 games, did Georgia face its first intersectional foe, or an opponent from outside the Southeast. In late October of 1916, the Red and Black traveled 30 of its players to Annapolis, Maryland, to face the Naval Academy at Farragut Field. Georgia’s lone score in a 27-3 loss was a field goal by Bill Donnelly drop-kicked from the Midshipmen’s 25-yard line. Apparently, the highlight of the trip to Annapolis was the team’s visit to a “burlesque show” the night before the game, reportedly where a “big time” was had by the players until a 9:30 p.m. bedtime.

2—Of the six wins in Georgia history resulting in a 24-0 score, the most notable of which is perhaps a victory at South Carolina in 1971. Late in the first quarter, the Bulldogs’ standout starting quarterback, sophomore Andy Johnson, was injured, and in stepped junior James Ray who, ironically, hailed from Columbia, S.C. Ray rushed for a 1-yard touchdown followed by a lengthy 84-yard score, and passed for a two-point conversion. He added a 56-yard run to finish with 151 rushing yards on 14 carries in Georgia’s 24-0 win over the Gamecocks. The backup signal-caller’s 151-yard rushing performance was the highest total at Georgia in 20 years, or since Lauren Hargrove gained 167 yards against Auburn in 1951.

1—This “24” is about a No. 24 who, at the 23, made one of the biggest fumble recoveries in UGA history, and would later change to No. 3… As a freshman at Georgia in 1983, No. 24 Gary Moss solely played on special teams, but did so quite well, averaging 24 yards per kickoff return and 14 yards per punt return during the regular season. To cap the campaign in the Cotton Bowl against second-ranked Texas, and as I mentioned in my Q&A with the Cleveland, Ga. native in April, he had my opinion of one of the greatest single-game performances on special teams in UGA football history: Moss returned six punts/kickoffs for 110 yards, made a special-teams tackle, and recovered a Texas fumble via a Georgia punt at the Longhorns’ 23-yard line with approximately four-and-half minutes remaining in the ballgame, leading to an epic 10-9 upset victory. It was said that Moss, pending a Georgia victory, had all but locked up MVP honors of the game until John Lastinger's historic 17-yard game-winning touchdown relinquished the award to the Bulldogs' quarterback. Wearing No. 3, Moss finished out his collegiate career in 1985 and 1986 as one of Georgia’s most outstanding defensive backs of the 1980s. For his career, he tallied 98 tackles, including five for loss, 20 passes broken up, and 10 interceptions—remarkable totals considering they essentially were recorded in a period of just two seasons. Playing with the Atlanta Falcons in 1987, Moss remains the only NFL player to have attended White County High School.