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Published Jun 3, 2019
UGASports.com’s Greatest Plays in UGA Football History (Game 1)
Patrick Garbin and Dave McMahon
Staff

The 2019 Georgia football season is almost here and UGASports.com wants its subscribers to decide the greatest play in UGA football history. We selected 32 plays throughout history that we deemed worthy of nomination. 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.

Your vote is important. VOTE HERE.

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#1 Belue to Scott (1980 vs. Florida)

With only 1:20 remaining against Florida in 1980 and trailing the Gators 21-20, Georgia faced third down and 11 on its own seven-yard line. Quarterback Buck Belue dropped straight back into the end zone, avoided pressure, and ran to his right. On the run, Belue threw a strike to a leaping Lindsay Scott, who came down with the reception around the 25-yard line. The junior receiver stumbled a bit upon his catch, regained his balance, turned around, and began heading upfield. As Scott ran towards and then down his left sideline, it appeared several Gator defenders had angles on him to make a tackle; however, Scott simply out-raced every one of them—and 93 yards later was in the end zone for a touchdown.

The Belue-to-Scott miraculous play—“Left 76” or “L-76”—was intended only to gain a first down, and should have done just that. Safety Tim Groves covered Georgia flanker Chuck Jones, who ran a long post route. Once Belue threw short and Groves drew his attention from Jones to Scott, the Florida safety slipped to the Gator Bowl turf. After making the reception, Scott should have been immediately tackled by Groves, but instead, he ran by the fallen Gator, and eventually into the end zone. Moments following the miracle, Georgia intercepted a Florida pass to secure a 26-21 victory. Later, it was revealed top-ranked Notre Dame had been tied. Georgia would be the new number-one team in college football the following Monday, where it remained through the end of the season, capturing what remains the program’s lone undisputed national championship.


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#8 Ward’s Flip (1996 vs. Texas Tech)

Georgia started its 1996 season 0-and-2 under new head coach Jim Donnan and was in danger of losing the season’s first three games for the first time since 1979. Trailing Texas Tech 12 to 7 early in the fourth quarter, the Dawgs had the ball on their own three-yard line to start the possession and needed 97 long yards for a touchdown. On the drive’s tenth play, Mike Bobo connected with Juan Daniels on a 22-yard pass to put Georgia up by one point. The Bulldogs decided to go for two to give them a three-point advantage, which would force the Red Raiders to kick a field goal to tie the game.

It was then that future Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward showed once again what an amazing player he was. From the wide receiver position, Ward took a toss on an end around and darted towards the opposite corner from the 15-yard line. The superstar used his speed (and was helped by teammate Larry Brown’s block) to get around the edge before finding himself in trouble near the goal line. Ward started to dive around the four-yard line, whereby he flipped upside down. Completing a complete somersault, he was in the end zone—and the two-point conversion was good. Texas Tech later tried to tie the game, but missed a 53-yard field goal, giving Georgia the 15-12 win and its first victory of the season. The win might not be one of the Bulldogs’ greatest games, but Ward’s two-conversion run is one of the program’s greatest plays—and by one of Georgia’s all-time greats.


Your vote is important in deciding the Bulldogs’ greatest play of all time by the end of the summer. VOTE HERE.

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