Top All-Time Dawg Catchers

Patrick Garbin—Twitter @PatrickGarbin

On The Dawgvent last week, I was intrigued with a conversation which turned from the greatest Georgia signal-callers in history to the best quarterback performances against the Bulldogs. This got me thinking—literally racking my brain—of the best individual opposing performers in history versus Georgia. Hence, without further ado, in chronological order, my opinion of the top all-time “Dawg Catchers”—a Dirty Dozen of sorts, plus a handful of honorable mentions from the modern era who had at least two extraordinary outings against the Dawgs:

HB Chuck Hunsinger (Florida, 1946-1949): Even with Florida losing to Georgia by an average of three touchdowns from 1946 to 1948, Chuck Hunsinger was still a thorn in the Bulldogs’ backside. As a true freshman, the halfback from Harrisburg, Ill., totaled 136 all-purpose yards on just nine touches and, two years later, returned a Georgia punt for a 64-yard touchdown in Jacksonville. Finally in 1949, the Gators broke Georgia’s seven-game series winning streak, and Hunsinger was the primary reason, rushing for 174 yards and three touchdowns on 18 rushes in Florida’s historic 28-7 win.

QB Joe Namath (Alabama, 1962-1964): In engineering a Crimson Tide offense which averaged 392 total yards and 32.7 points (while Alabama yielded an average of only 139.7 yards and 3.3 points), Joe Namath was absolutely exceptional in his three games against Georgia. In three blowouts against the Bulldogs, the signal-caller from Beaver Falls, Pa., completed 32 of 49 passes (65.3 percent) for 451 yards, four TDs and one interception. Namath added 118 rushing yards on 27 carries (4.4 avg.) and three TDs—the trio of rushing scores all resulting in 1964.

FB Paul Gipson (Houston, 1967-1968): Paul Gipson was an excellent running back—an All-American, in fact, in 1968—but consider that Houston faced Georgia just twice in the Cougars’ 30 games from 1966-1968, yet a whopping 17 percent of his career rushing yards came against the Bulldogs. In a 15-14 victory by Houston over Georgia in the Astrodome in 1967, Gipson rushed for 229 yards on 29 carries and scored the game's winning two–point conversion. The following year in Athens, he totaled 230 yards on 37 rushes as Georgia was fortunate enough to escape consecutive losses to the Cougars with a 10-10 tie.

RB Joe Cribbs (Auburn, 1976-1979): Despite playing sparingly as a true freshman, and sharing the backfield with the likes of William Andrews and James Brooks his entire collegiate career, Auburn’s Joe Cribbs was a Bulldog killer. In four games versus Georgia, in which the Tigers compiled a 2-1-1 record, Cribbs rushed 95 times for 563 yards (5.9 avg.) and four touchdowns, including 250 yards in a 22-22 tie in 1978, which remains the most rushing yards by an individual against the Bulldogs in a single game.

RB Robert Lavette (Georgia Tech, 1981-1984): Robert Lavette was so dominant against the Dawgs, he was nicknamed “Corvette” following a meeting with Georgia and, in fact, after a loss. In three games versus the Bulldogs from 1981-1983—all Tech losses and by an average of 20 points—he rushed for 408 yards on 77 rushes and four TDs, while also making nine receptions including one for a score. In the three defeats, the Jackets totaled six touchdowns, five of which were scored by Lavette. Finally in 1984, Tech defeated Georgia, 35-18, and Lavette had another banner performance, rushing for 109 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, while also making two receptions.

PK David Treadwell (Clemson, 1985-1987): Making 7 of 9 field goals and 7 of 7 PATs against Georgia from 1985 to 1987, David Treadwell scored 43 percent of the Tigers’ points in the three games compared to his 25 percent versus the rest of Clemson’s opponents. More so, it was two field goals by Treadwell in particular which were detrimental to the Dawgs: a 47-yard game-winner as time ran out lifting the Tigers to a 31-28 victory in 1986, and a 21-yarder with two seconds remaining a year later giving Clemson a 21-20 win.

RB Moe Williams (Kentucky, 1993-1995): A Columbus, Ga., native, Moe Williams is apparently my greatest “Dawg Catcher” who never defeated Georgia. But, he and his Kentucky teammates came close in three tries, losing by an average of just six points. In the three games, including one in which the Wildcats were held to a single field goal, Williams rushed for 423 yards and two TDs on 64 rushes (6.6 avg.) and made eight receptions.

QB Danny Wuerrfel (Florida, 1993-1996): As a freshman in 1993, Danny Wuerrfel struggled against Georgia—benched, in fact—completing just 3 of 9 passes for 37 yards and was intercepted once in a 33-26 win engineered by his backup, Terry Dean. However, in three games from 1994 through 1996, Wuerrfel lit up the Bulldogs, completing a combined 49 of 74 for 730 yards, 11 TDs and four interceptions as Florida defeated Georgia by an average score of 50 to 13.

QB Peyton Manning (Tennessee, 1995-1997): As Tennessee’s third-string quarterback, Peyton Manning didn’t play against Georgia as a true freshman in 1994—and, it was probably a good thing. Winning by an average of two touchdowns from 1995 through 1997, Manning completed a combined 88 of 119 passes—a staggering 74 percent—for 1,063 yards and eight TDs. Notably, he was intercepted twice: by Champ Bailey and current Bulldog head man Kirby Smart.

LB Brandon Spikes (Florida, 2007-2009): I thought long and hard regarding the best defensive performers ever against Georgia, and came up with a few worthy of mention, but I believe Florida’s Brandon Spikes might have made the biggest impact against the Bulldogs. Although his “Cocktail Party” stats weren’t overwhelming (25 tackles, including two for loss and a half sack, two passes broken up, and an interception returned for a touchdown), the linebacker’s presence was certainly felt during each of his three games versus the Bulldogs—just ask Knowshon Moreno and Washuan Ealey, who were dealt a thunderous lick followed by fingers jammed in an eye socket, respectively, courtesy of Spikes.

QB Ryan Mallett (Arkansas, 2009-2010): Despite dropping one of the two meetings, when Ryan Mallett and his Razorback teammates faced Georgia in 2009 and 2010, the strong-armed quarterback put on an offensive showcase. In guiding the Arkansas attack to an average of 36 points and 459 total yards per game, Mallett completed 42 of 72 passes for 788 yards, eight TDs, no interceptions, and even punted once for 43 yards.

RB Marcus Lattimore (South Carolina, 2009-2012): For three consecutive Georgia-South Carolina games—and three straight Gamecock victories—Marcus Lattimore was seemingly an unstoppable force on the ground. Consider that Lattimore remarkably averaged 155.7 rushing yards in the trio of games versus Georgia, whereas he rushed for an average of 59.7 yards against South Carolina’s other 37 opponents during the three-year span. Against the Bulldogs, the dynamo from Duncan, S.C., averaged 5.3 yards per carry, scored four touchdowns, and caught five passes.

Honorable Mention (in chronological order): HB Charlie “Choo-Choo” Justice (North Carolina, 1946-1949); RB Sonny Collins (Kentucky, 1972-1975); RB Tony Dorsett (Pittsburgh, 1973, 1975-1976); RB George Rogers (South Carolina, 1977-1980); LB Curt Crain (Auburn, 1984-1987); QB Joe Hamilton (Georgia Tech, 1996-1999); QB Tim Tebow (Florida, 2006-2009); LB Zach Cunningham (Vanderbilt, 2014-2016).

Did I miss any other worthy foe? Can anyone think of an opposing “Dawg Catcher”?