Counting the Days – Day 30

Welcome to our countdown! And, we are only a month away to Georgia football… Each day leading up to the season opener, Patrick Garbin and I will each show three unique and creative ways why we think that number is special to the Dawgs. One of my favorite things to watch is documentaries, and the Peabody Award-winning series 30 for 30 by ESPN Films are some of the best documentaries around. Starting in 2009 with Kings Ransom and the tale of Wayne Gretzky, there are now 88 films and counting. There are also 30 for 30 Shorts, Nine for IX, and, on the SEC Network, SEC Storied—all of which are good, as well.Personally, these films routinely stir up good memories, as do these Georgia football moments in regards to “30”:

By Dave McMahon—Twitter @dave_mc_stats

3 – Georgia’s head football coach from 1923 to 1927, George Cecil “Kid” Woodruff won 30 games, lost just 16, and tied one. While coaching, he earned an annual salary of $1. In his final season, he went 9-1 as the Bulldogs captured a Southern Conference championship and were named National Champions by two polls (Boand and Poling). Led by All-Americans Chick Shiver and Tom Nash, the 1927 squad was the “Dream and Wonder Team.” The football practice fields behind Butts-Mehre are named after Coach Woodruff, and presumably will keep the name as soon as the Bulldogs resume practice there.

2 – One of my favorite Georgia stats deal with the 2006 clash with Auburn, in which the Bulldogs won easily, 37-15, and Tiger quarterback Brandon Cox obtained something interesting. Of 12 pass attempts, Cox had the same number of completions as the number of times he was intercepted—four. Of Georgia’s four interceptions, three were made by Tra Battle, who had totaled just two interceptions in his first three seasons, before picking off six as a senior in 2006. The former walk-on tied the modern-day single-game school record with three interceptions, including one in which he returned 30 yards for a touchdown. In case you were wondering, the other interception made by a Bulldog on the Plains that day was by Paul Oliver.

1 – For much of its history, Georgia has been a football program recognized as “Tailback U,” so it’s no surprise that most of the school’s passing and receiving records have been established the last 25 seasons. One such record belongs to Terrence Edwards: most touchdown receptions in a career with 30, which is seven more than the next closest Bulldog (A.J. Green). Edwards had 9, 4, 6, and 11 receiving touchdowns, respectively, from 1999 to 2002. His 30 touchdown receptions are the third-most in SEC history, one behind Florida’s Chris Doering and Alabama’s Amari Cooper.

By Patrick Garbin—Twitter @PGarbinDT

3—In the history of UGA football, the Bulldogs have been involved in six games resulting in a 30-to-nothing score, five of which were victories. Notably, half of these 30-0 contests were wins occurring in only a 28-game span from 1967 to 1969. Since then, or over the last 47+ seasons, Georgia has played in just one 30-to-0 affair, transpiring in one of the least likely places. The Bulldogs entered their 2003 season opener at Clemson winners of just two of their previous seven trips to Death Valley, and as only 2½-point favorites. Regardless, in what usually was a close contest as five of the seven previous meetings at Clemson resulted in a margin of a touchdown or less, the Bulldogs blasted the host Tigers, 30-0. Junior quarterback David Greene was spectacular in the rout, completing 12 of 17 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for a score, as well.

2—A very highly-touted tailback out of Cartersville, Ga., No. 30 Keith Henderson arrived at UGA in 1985 facing somewhat of a predicament: He was too good not to play immediately; however, featuring tailbacks Lars Tate, Tim Worley, and Tron Jackson, the Bulldogs already had enough tailbacks in their “stable.” Therefore, despite never having to block as a high-schooler, Henderson was moved to fullback, whereby he remarkably developed into "the most mature freshman we've ever had, even more mature than Herschel," according to head coach Vince Dooley. Becoming only the second true freshman (after Herschel in 1980) in Georgia’s modern era to lead the team in annual rushing (there have been seven newcomers to do so since), Henderson was “special,” according to a sportswriter. “Tim Worley and Lars Tate are faster, and [starting fullback] David McCluskey is stronger,” but, “Henderson's the best.” In 31 career games, only eight of which he started, from 1985-1986 and 1988 (sat out 1987 because of academic difficulties, and was an early entrant into the 1989 NFL Draft), he rushed for 1,648 yards, averaged 6.0 yards per carry, caught 44 passes for 595 yards, and scored 10 touchdowns. In addition, Henderson returned 21 kickoffs for 436 yards in becoming the first Georgia player to gain 1,500 yards rushing, 400 receiving, and 400 on kickoff returns (there have been two—Rodney Hampton and Todd Gurley—to do so since). What’s more, his 1,648 rushing yards is the most in school history of players who started less than 10 games in their careers.

1—Speaking of moving positions, now, see if you can follow this: No. 30 Scott Williams was a standout high-school tailback in Charlotte, N.C., before signing with and being redshirted by Georgia in 1980. The Bulldogs moved Williams to tight end in 1981, then moved him to fullback to start 1982 before he shifted back to fullback during the season. To begin his junior campaign of 1983, he was moved back to fullback, where he remained until changing back to tight end as a senior. For his career, Williams made 31 receptions, including a team-high 19 in 1984 when he was elected the team’s offensive captain. While at fullback, he rushed for 226 yards on 62 carries, but did not run for a touchdown. In fact, not until the tail end of his career did Williams score a touchdown in any kid of manner when, on one of the most unusual of plays, he “rushed” for this 14-yard score from his tight end position: