Throwback Dawg Day: Sweeter Than Sugar

On New Year’s night, Georgia kicks off with some very high stakes on the line in the state of Louisiana against Notre Dame.

So this seems as good of time as any to take a look back to when the Dawgs headed to Shreveport, La., in the Poulan Weedeater Bo…..

Just Kidding.

It does not matter if you were of age as a Georgia fan or not in January of 1981.

Once the matchup in the Sugar Bowl became official between Georgia and Notre Dame, it did not take long to think about not just the only previous postseason meeting between the two teams, but the place in Bulldog lore that the 1981 Sugar Bowl holds for those who wear and red and black. Some of us were there, others were too young to recall with others only reading about it years later in the “Glory! Glory!” book.

For it was on this afternoon that Georgia got the win that would lead to the awarding of a national title in the final rankings. The win was not much unlike many others in 1980 – with grit, toughness, and opportunism outweighing much flash or pizazz.

As the 1980 season ended, in the era before any sort of playoffs, multiple teams could only do the best they could with bowl invites and hope the team above them would lose.

The Sugar Bowl’s previous hopes of a de facto national title game vanished as after they invited Georgia and Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish were upset by USC, leaving Florida State, ranked second in December to the Orange Bowl and Pitt, ranked third, shut out of a New Year’s Day Bowl despite a ranking of third and 10-1 record, only losing to FSU.

Florida State would lose to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, but that result proved meaningless thanks to what happened in the New Orleans SuperDome.

Georgia, despite handily beating a Georgia Tech team that had tied Notre Dame, was a one-point underdog. None of that seemed to matter, though, even after the Irish led 3-0 and nearly doubled it before Terry Hoage blocked another field goal try.

It wouldn’t be the only time that Georgia’s special teams shined.

After Rex Robinson’s 46-yard field goal tied the score, a miscommunication on the following kickoff by Notre Dame resulted in a fumble recovered by Bob Kelly, a short Herschel Walker TD followed for a 10-3 lead, one of two scores by Walker for a 17-3 lead during a game in which he famously played through a shoulder injury, rushing for 150 yards.

That was more than enough cushion for Georgia’s defense, which sealed the game on a late Scott Woerner interception for the 17-10 win.

The victory was one thing. What followed was another. You’ve seen the pregame video to prove it – with fans swarming the field and probably terrifying Secret Service Agents who had to worry about getting the President of the United States out of the building.

To quote an exchange in Lewis Grizzard’s column.

This was wild. This was crazy. This was downright scary at times.

A cop on the floor of the Dome said, “Thank God they ain’t armed.”

A security man screamed to no one in particular, “I’ve got the damn president of the United States in here and I can’t get him out!”

A female member of the Notre Dame band, holding onto her flute as she surveyed the incredible scene before her, said, “If it meant that much, I’m glad Georgia won.”

It meant that much. Grown men cried. A man kissed Georgia defensive coach Erskine Russell squarely on the top of his bald head. Erk just smiled.

I saw a man get down on his fours and bark like a wild dog (dawg) and try to bite passersby. A woman I had never seen before lifted her skirt to show me her underpants. “Georgia” was stitched hip to hip.

At the end of it all, Georgia prevailed as national champions.

This Wednesday may not be for all the marbles. But a win against a team that…experts peg to top the Dawgs will help Georgia on that conquest.

Time is indeed a flat circle.

Go Dawgs!