One Old Dawg and something very good in Georgia Football

As we finalized this week's post at One Old Dawg, we were saddened to learn of Dan Magill's passing. Jerry says, "My heart sank when I heard the words, 'Dan Magill died.' We all knew he couldn't live forever, but secretly we all wished he would. He was a fountain of optimism and encouragement. There was considerable talk about how small our 1964 defense was. Barry Wilson (All SEC) and I were often referred to as Georgia's 'wee' ends, which was somewhat embarrassing. But Coach Magill had a way of transforming negatives to give encouragement, often referring to me as 'the mighty mite' from Valdosta. He indeed was 'the greatest Bulldog ever.' We're praying for his family."

A few miles from here on the University of Georgia practice field, the Bulldogs are getting ready for their opening game against Clemson.

In 1964, the Dogs opened against powerhouse Alabama coached by the legendary Bear Bryant. Alabama would go on that year to be National Champions. The Dogs were coming off three consecutive losing years. Could new coach, Vince Dooley, change the trajectory of Georgia’s program?

There was a significant change in NCAA rules around 1964. Before, only two players could be substituted on any particular down. Now, on any change of possession, an entire team could be substituted. Instead of eleven players going both ways, now two platoons could be formed with twenty-two players, which allowed players to specialize. With more players, there was more opportunity.

One Old Dawg says this made a way for someone like him to make up for his lack of skill and speed by playing aggressively.

In the spring, for the first time, the staff moved toward forming offensive and defensive teams. Almost seventy percent of the defense was sophomores.

Lynn Hughes (All SEC, All American) led the Red team to victory in the G-Day game, and newspapers highlighted Georgia football greats, Preston Ridlehuber (Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets); Bob Taylor; Frank Lankewicz; Doug McFalls (All SEC, Chicago Bears); Bob Etter (Atlanta Falcons, Memphis Southmen); Fred Barber, Marvin Hurst, Mack Faircloth, Ralph Bray, Joel Darden, Ray Rissmiller (All-American, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills), Jimmy Cooley, Danny Mitchell, George Nowicki, Vance Evans, Randy Wheeler (Buffalo Bills), and Don Porterfield, but also gave One Old Dawg a mention for recovering a fumble in the end zone. 

Both Jerry and his roommate Fred Barber received a shout out from sportswriter, Sammy Glassman, in Jerry's hometown paper, The Valdosta Times, "The Georgia coaches now say Varnado is in the line for extensive duty next season. One of Georgia's top halfback prospects is . . . Fred Barber. They say college stardom just might be his reward in the fall."

One Old Dawg says, “After Spring practice, we actually believed we could beat Alabama.” He leans back in the recliner and goes on, “If you’re not playing to win, there’s no use playing.”

In June of 1964, Dooley visited Valdosta. 

According to Valdosta Times sportswriter, Glassman, Dooley said, “All I can guarantee is that we (the coaches) will work hard to bring Georgia back to a position as a respected team in the Southeastern Conference.”

Glassman commented on the brevity of Dooley’s remarks, which included, “We do have some good football players and it just might be we are going to surprise some people next year. One reason I was hired was to win a reasonable number of football games. Given time and with your full backing, I believe the job can be done.”

Dooley concluded his speech with accolades for two Valdosta natives, “Both Jerry (Varnado) and Stan (Reaves) have a real desire to play football. If you have any more like them, then please send them over. Jerry had a good spring practice. He will play a lot for us next fall, especially on defense.”

One Old Dawg says, “When we deboarded the bus in Tuscaloosa for the opening game, one of the senior players on the team who had experienced the previous losing seasons at Georgia, said, ‘Alabama always beats us thirty points.’”

Alabama’s quarterback in the fall of 1964 was senior Joe Namath,  

who later signed with the New York Jets and received the unprecedented bonus of $427,000. One Old Dawg played every play on defense that game and had opportunity to hit Namath several times. “I tried to sack him and thought I had him a time or two, but I’d look down at Namath on the ground and realize he’d already thrown the ball. An end would have it thirty yards down the field. Namath was quick.”

The score that game was 31-3. As he boarded the bus back to Athens, that same senior player who’d made the earlier prediction said,  “I’ll tell you one thing, it’s the first time since I’ve been at Georgia that I knew who I was supposed to block on every play.”

One Old Dawg smiles. “That’s when I knew the players were beginning to gain confidence in the staff. Eugene Peterson translates Zechariah 4:10 this way, 'Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings?' That Alabama game was a small beginning for us at Georgia. Alabama only beat us by twenty-eight points, not thirty."

Something good was happening in Georgia football.

Something very good. 

Most fans hoped for a break even season.

  

But, even the best sports prognosticators couldn’t have guessed what was about to unfold.

One Old Dawg predicts something very good is about to happen in Sanford Stadium this Saturday. He says Georgia is going to win this week. He still hasn’t gotten over last year’s loss to Clemson, and he thinks it’s time beloved mascot, Uga, has a new tiger skin rug in his dog house.

Though, the Bulldogs have a bye week, we'll still be here next Wednesday .

Remember, you can always count on us at One Old Dawg for the finest mostly true Bulldog lore.