Greatest Plays in UGA Football History (Round 2, Matchup #2)
Moving onto Round 2 of the "Greatest Plays in UGA Football History" Tournament, UGASports.com wants its subscribers to decide the program's greatest play. Three times a week you can vote in a bracket-style tournament—and the play that gets the most votes moves onto the next round.
As subscribers, your vote is important. VOTE HERE.
#2 The Flea Flicker (1965 vs. Alabama)
After Alabama quarterback Steve Sloan scored a touchdown to put the Crimson Tide up 17-10 over Georgia in Athens in 1965, the Bulldogs had possession at their own 27-yard line with only 3:14 left in the game. Kirby Moore took the snap from center Ken Davis and rolled slightly to his left. As Alabama’s Tom Somerville closed in on the sophomore quarterback, Moore threw and completed a short pass to end Pat Hodgson at the 35-yard line. Just as Hodgson began to drop to a knee, he smoothly lateraled the ball to the left of Alabama’s Frank Canterbury, into the hands of trailing teammate Bob Taylor. Taylor out-sped linebacker Paul Crane to the sideline and then took off down the left side, completing a 73-yard flea flicker touchdown play with 2:08 remaining in the ballgame and Georgia trailing by a single point.
The flea-flicker play had only been put in Georgia’s practice regimen the week of the Alabama game, after head coach Vince Dooley, a former Auburn assistant coach, remembered it was previously used by Georgia Tech against the Tigers. Dooley called the play at the perfect time, following Sloan’s apparent game-clinching touchdown, and as many Bulldog fans were leaving Sanford Stadium, conceding a loss. Following the play, Georgia successfully made a two-point attempt. That conversion, and the proceeding flea flicker touchdown, ultimately defeated the seemingly invincible Crimson Tide, 18-17.
#3 Appleby to Washington (1975 vs. Florida)
The Bulldogs entered “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” of 1975 as a 10-point underdog to 11th-ranked Florida, which had lost only once prior to the epic annual matchup. The Gators had a great offense, but the Bulldogs had the “Junkyard Dogs” defense. Although defensive coordinator Erk Russell’s “Junkyard Dogs” came to play that afternoon, the Georgia offense was stagnant—that is, until toward the end of the contest.
Late into the final quarter with just over three minutes remaining, the Bulldogs took over at their own 20-yard line trailing, 7-3. Georgia had run end-around running plays earlier in the season with some success, but on this particular end-around, the Bulldogs decided to pass.
On second down, tight end Richard Appleby took a handoff from quarterback Matt Robinson and started to sweep around towards his right. Suddenly Appleby stopped, wound up his arm, and threw a deep pass to a wide-open Gene Washington. The junior flanker caught the ball around the opponents’ 35-yard line and didn’t stop running until he reached the end zone. As the legendary Larry Munson barked that Washington was “thinking about Montreal and the Olympics,” the Gator Bowl stadium’s girders rocked following the score. Georgia held onto an improbable 10-7 win.
Your vote is important in deciding the Bulldogs’ greatest play of all time by the end of the summer. VOTE HERE.