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 on to the next round.
Your vote is important. VOTE HERE.
#4 Belue to Arnold
After trailing Georgia Tech, 20-0, in the regular-season finale of 1978, Georgia freshman quarterback Buck Belue rallied the “Wonderdogs,” who still trailed 28-21 late in the game. Facing fourth down and three on the Yellow Jackets’ 42-yard line with less than three minutes remaining, Belue took the snap and rolled to his right.
He thought about running for the first down until two Tech defenders grabbed hold of him. Belue broke containment and suddenly spotted receiver Amp Arnold who had slipped past a cornerback to become wide open. Belue lofted a pass to a waving Arnold, who caught it near the Yellow Jacket 20-yard line and ran ran, untouched, into the end zone.
The acclaimed touchdown pass was only supposed to be a quick-out reception for a five or six-yard gain. Yet, Belue could not throw the quick-out because Arnold was covered, so he decided to run upfield. As soon as he began to run, Arnold’s defender decided to run towards the quarterback to assist with the tackling, leaving Arnold wide open.
After Belue avoided the tackle, he spotted Arnold all alone, threw him the ball, and the sophomore receiver scored with 2:24 left on the clock. Georgia successfully made the ensuing two-point conversion to take a 29-28 advantage, and then intercepted a Tech pass on the next possession to clinch the one-point victory.
#5 Knowshon’s End Zone Celebration
One of Georgia’s greatest players the last decade or so, running back Knowshon Moreno excited the Bulldog faithful with his moves and raw athleticism. Early in the 2008 season, he leaped over a defender against Central Michigan and soared through the air for a touchdown against Arizona State—but it was his one-yard plunge for a score against Florida the year before in 2007 which makes this list of Georgia’s greatest plays.
Midway through the first quarter in a scoreless tie, the Bulldogs found themselves in a third-and-goal situation with just over one yard to go. Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford handed the football to Moreno, who leaped while both hands secured the ball, barely crossing the goal line for a touchdown.
Seconds later, practically the entire Bulldog team came onto the field to celebrate the score. While players danced in the end zone, Georgia was penalized for excessive celebration. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs, who had lost 15 of their previous 17 meetings to Florida, had displayed to the Gators that they were no longer pushovers. Moreno’s touchdown was the first of three for him that afternoon, as he spearheaded an offensive attack which ultimately captured an elusive victory in Jacksonville, 42-30.
Your vote is important in deciding the Bulldogs’ greatest play of all time by the end of the summer. VOTE HERE.
