The 2021 Orange Bowl and a 1965 Flashback

The announcement about the UGA Orange Bowl match-up with Michigan had hardly been announced a few minutes until One Old Dawg’s (Jerry Varnado’s) phone rang. It was our son informing him the last time we played Michigan was when the 1965 team Jerry played on at Georgia beat them.

Then Jerry was contacted by a local radio station who wanted to interview him about the upcoming Orange Bowl game.

So, we thought we’d rev up things here at One Old Dawg, too.

From the newspaper clipping’s One Old Dawg’s mama saved, Jesse Outlar’s AJC article on the game begins, “Georgia’s Cinderella Bulldogs used Bob Etter’s magic toe, Preston Ridlehuber’s crazy legs and fierce defense to shatter powerful Michigan, 15-7, Saturday afternoon, before 59,470 dazed fans.” And just to make sure we understood how powerful Michigan was, Outlar goes on to say, “Vince Dooley’s miracle men from Athens achieved a tremendous upset triumph over the defending Big Ten and Rose Bowl Champions almost on the heels of an opening success over defending national champion Alabama of the SEC.”

Georgia beating Michigan on October 2, 1965 was a huge deal.

In addition to Etter (Atlanta Falcons) and Ridlehuber (Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets), a host of other legendary Georgia Lettermen’s names show up in the article:

George Patton (All-American All SEC, Atlanta Falcons)

Jiggy Smaha (BC Lions, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Sharks)

Dickie Phillips

Kirby Moore

Lynn Hughes (All SEC, All American, New York Giants, Coaching positions Georgia and Vanderbilt)

Tommy Lawhorne

Glenn Creech

Bob Taylor

Marvin Hurst

Ron Jenkins

Dick Wells

Doug McFalls (All SEC, Chicago Bears)

Frank Richter (Denver Broncos)

Pat Hodgson (All SEC, Washington Redskins, Coach at San Diego Chargers, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets).

 

Coach Vince Dooley and a few of Jerry's teammates from his playing years at a letterman's event. Pete Dickens, Anthony Dennard, Jerry Varnado, Coach Vince Dooley, Joel Darden, Preston Ridlehuber, Jack Davis, Barry Wilson. (photo Beverly Varnado).

One Old Dawg writes, "My best memory of the game is one written here on One Old Dawg back in 2015:

'We were on a high, having beaten defending national champion Alabama two weeks prior to boarding the planes for our trip to Ann-Arbor to face Mighty Michigan. They were much bigger and highly favored, but we were quietly determined and confident we could take them down, just like we did Alabama.

I was reading an account of the game that stated Michigan outweighed us fifteen pounds per man. I don’t know what scale that writer was using but every player but one on their starting offensive outweighed me by at least twenty-five pounds, many of them by forty pounds.

My biggest hope was their All-American tailback, who was 6’ 2” and weighed 220 pounds, would not recover from his knee injury in time to play in the game. When he was in there, they liked to run the power sweep, which routes right over the defensive end position. He didn’t start the game, but he came in the middle of the first quarter. Sure enough, it was pro-set to my side, which meant the power sweep my way. The quarterback pitched the ball to that big tailback who was led by the fullback, a pulling guard, and the quarterback. That was over nine hundred pounds of human flesh about to attack my puny 185-pound frame. I felt like I was trapped in an old west cattle stampede. God bless Dickie Phillips or the late Jimmy Cooley.

One of them shot through the hole left by that pulling guard and cut down that tailback to stop the play before one person hit me. Whew! Close call, I thought I was about to meet my Maker.

We hung in there with those big guys and came home a 15-7 winner.’

As I mentioned before here on One Old Dawg, we returned to Athens that night and were greeted by more than ten thousand exuberant fans who had clogged the small airport and backed up traffic for the four mile stretch to downtown Athens. What a day! We felt we had set Georgia on a new course, which would raise us above the muck and mire of mediocracy to the higher echelons of college football. Time would prove we had done just that with an SEC championship the following year and a ranking of number four in the nation.

In any event we will be squaring off against the Wolverines again this coming Friday night to decide which of us will play the winner of the Alabama-Cincinnati game for the national championship; we’re all figuring that will be Alabama who beat us handily in the SEC Championship game. How do we deal with the disappointment of that loss and the future prospect of playing them again? Philippians 3:13-14 gives us a hint: “… one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” That loss was a dose of humility which we may have needed to push us to our full potential. So rather than bemoaning and regretting let’s takes Paul’s advice; forget and press on to the goal we started with, to make the playoffs and hopefully win a national championship.

We don’t have wolverines in Georgia, so most of us have never seen one. They are defined as Mustelids, small to medium-sized mammals in the same family as skunks and weasels. Many call them skunk-bears, I guess because they look something like a small bear, but they are just skunks without a stripe on their back. On the other hand, the noble English Bulldog has been defined by someone “as a brawny little powerhouse whose characteristic crablike waddle exudes great strength, stability and vigor.” Which one would you put your money on? I’m going with the Bulldogs! Let’s get the job done again this time!

Goooo Dawgs, sick ‘em, woof, woof, woof.”

Jerry Varnado played defensive end at the University of Georgia on Vince Dooley’s first three teams. No, he did not wear a leather helmet, but he did play on the 1966 SEC championship team, which placed Georgia fourth in the nation. One Old Dawg went on to help coach the UGA football team while he was in law school, and after graduating, he practiced law for over a decade.

Later, after a series of tragedies, he gave his life to Jesus Christ. After much soul searching, he left his law practice and has now been faithfully preaching the gospel for over thirty years. Though semi-retired, he’s still at it every Sunday. 

Inducted into the Valdosta/Lowndes County Sports Hall of Fame, he is the recipient of the Athens Athletic Hall of Fame Fosky Henderson Award for community service. He is happy to say he was president of The Athens Touchdown Club when his beloved Bulldogs won the 1980 National Championship.

He is the proud father of four children, sweet Alden who is now with Jesus, Mari, Aaron, and Bethany, and he's the grandfather of two of the best grandkids ever, Walker and Sara Alden.

 

One Old Dawg: Remembering the 1966 Georgia Tech game and going bowling

Three consecutive Georgia wins have put One Old Dawg in fine form.  “Glory, Glory to Ole Georgia! We put a good old-fashioned whipping on those Auburn cats and sent the Ragin Cajuns back to Louisiana dragging another loss behind them. That Auburn win was simply incredible, and we did it without scoring an offensive touchdown. This team had been cranking out 473 yards and thirty-four points per game, 298 of those yards rushing. We held them to 164 yards (127 rushing) and seven points, and then shut them out the last three quarters. I’m not sure where that defense came from, but I sure hope it shows up again this Saturday. We have a three game win streak going―let’s make it four!

 
“As always we wind up the regular season this week against Georgia Tech, which in my circle is affectionately referred to as The North Avenue Trade School. This year, we have them between the hedges. Both teams are 7-4; averaging a little over 380 yards per game on offense, so we are evenly matched. The same as when the Bumble Bees buzzed into town fifty years ago, but the stakes were a bit higher then. We were 8-1 the Jackets 9-0 and we were both ranked in the top ten in the nation. We had already clinched a share of the SEC championship but both teams were looking to increase our national stature.

“The game was special to me because six of my former team-mates from Valdosta High School played for Tech. A win generally insured hometown strutting and bragging rights for the summer. But I had never lost to Tech. We won our freshman game in ’62; I was red-shirted and did not dress out in ’63, and we had beaten them the last two years. I was looking at hometown strutting and bragging rights for a lifetime – did I mention the stakes were high?

“We struck first when Kent Lawrence (Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons) took a Tech punt seventy-one yards for a score. Then the unthinkable happened. Our place Kicker, Bobby Etter (Atlanta Falcons, Memphis Southmen) missed his first extra point, but it wasn’t his fault.
 

The cheerleaders had acquired a little cannon they intended to fire after each score, only someone messed up, and it went off just before Etter kicked and caused him to miss. That was the last we saw of the cannon. Rumor has it the artillery was laid to rest somewhere in the Oconee River.

“Tech responded in the second quarter with a ninety-six-yard scoring drive and took the lead 7-6. The Dawgs quickly came back with a score and two-point conversion and then a field goal to take a 17-7 lead into the half.

“Our defense tightened things up in the second half.”

When searching through saved newspaper clippings we found The Atlanta Constitution’s Jesse Outlar wrote, “Other than Tech’s long march, the Georgia defense asserted itself once again in spectacular fashion. The Bulldogs intercepted three passes, recovered a fumble and limited the Jackets to 35 net rushing yards other than the 96-yard drive.”

One Old Dawg ties it up, “Two of those interceptions resulted in field goals giving Georgia the lead 23-7. Tech’s last score came against our reserves with five seconds left in the game. It was a great end to an almost perfect season. We tied with Alabama for the SEC Championship and were chosen to represent the SEC in the Cotton Bowl against the Southwest Conference Champion, Southern Methodist University.

 

Under the headline "Bulldogs Smash Jackets," the Athens Banner Herald ran this photo of several Georgia players including One Old Dawg, 88,  celebrating after the Georgia Tech game.

 

“As we wind down this season, I think it would be good to recall Philippians 4:12, ‘I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.’

“Many in the Dawg nation are upset, not content, with how the season went this year and for sure, I would have preferred a national championship. But this is a game, with ups and downs, good fortune and bad. With the transition to a new staff and system, I’m not sure it was reasonable to expect much better. I’m proud of our team and staff for fighting back after disappointing losses and salvaging a decent season. We have laid a good foundation for the future, so I’m content. I’m not griping and complaining because things didn’t go the way I wanted. So, let’s get ready to put a whipping on Tech and go bowling – did I hear something about Nashville - I like country music.

“Gooo Dawgs! Sic ‘em!”

Last week, One Old Dawg flew down to Albany with a contingency from the University of Georgia to the funeral of the legendary Bill Stanfill. We extend our sympathy to the Stanfill family as they navigate their grief over the passing of this great man. If you missed Loran Smith’s tribute to Stanfill, please take the time to read it HERE at Online Athens. No one does a better job than Loran Smith honoring and remembering those who have etched their names in the annals of Georgia Football.

 

One Old Dawg will be back next week to talk about the Cotton Bowl game in 1966 and weigh in on the results of the Tech game.

We’ll see you here for still more mostly true Bulldog lore.

 

One Old Dawg on the 1966 Kentucky game and sinking the Commodores

One Old Dawg had to leave midway through the Georgia game on Sunday to attend an event. He texted family and friends and told them not to let him know how the game was going as he intended to watch the recording when he returned. However, at the end of the event the person on the platform said, “You don’t have to be in a hurry to get home―Georgia won.”

One Old Dawg gave him the death stare.

However, it turned out fine. He watched the entire second half with a big smile on his face because he knew Georgia was going to win.

He says, “Glory to Old Georgia! It sure is good to be back in the win column! Can you believe 326 yards rushing! Chubb and Michel both had one hundred plus, and Herrin had eighty-two with only nine carries. The passing game never got off the ground but let’s cut our young quarterback some slack. He is coming along. It won’t be long now until that rifle arm of his is zeroed in and steady, and if that running game is still clicking, the Dawgs will be a sight to see. Good game Dawgs, umm… that fried Gamecock sure was good. But there’s not much time to soak it in, a naval battle is looming on the horizon, the Vanderbilt Commodores are on the way to town, and it’s Homecoming.

"Homecoming in 1966 was after the Miami game. There was no team vote or discussion about it, but I think individually we decided to put the loss to Miami behind us. The fans had shown they believed in us by standing in the rain to welcome us home after the loss, and the least we could do is believe in ourselves. It was homecoming and the Bulldawg nation was counting on us. The Cats were 2-3 and desperately needed another W to stop the stop their downward spiral. I’m a South Georgia boy and know something about Wildcats. They are a bit shy, but when cornered they are very dangerous. These Cats were in a corner, and I felt sure we would have our hands full and that proved to be correct.”

In the Atlanta paper, Jesse Outlar put it this way: “In one of the zaniest and most exciting football games played in Sanford or any other stadium, Georgia’s bulldogs scored every way possible Saturday afternoon and still had to rally for 13 points in the last quarter to repel underdog Kentucky, 27-15.”

One Old Dawg explains, “What Outlar meant by ‘every way possible’ was we scored three touchdowns, made two PATs, one two-point conversion, one field goal and one safety. I know you can score by returning a blocked extra point but it is called a safety. The same with returning a failed field goal attempt. So Outlar was correct, we had scored every way possible, but that doesn’t mean it was an easy win. This was a cornered wildcat fighting for its life.

“It was an in the trenches, dog and cat fight in the first quarter, which ended in a zero-zero draw. Then the Cats shocked us all by scoring seven points late in the second quarter. However, an incident on the ensuing kickoff got us in high gear. Steve Woodward returned the kick some forty yards before being driven out of bounds into the Kentucky bench. Apparently, someone on the bench took a cheap shot at Steve and a riot ensued. Order was restored and Georgia, of all things, was assessed fifteen yards for a personal foul. Then the Cats learned an important lesson―don’t poke a Dawg in his own house. With only four minutes to go in the half, the riled-up Dawgs scored two touchdowns and took a seven-point lead into half time, but there was still a lot of football to play.

Early in the third quarter, the Dawgs were intent on putting the cats away. A Dawg touchdown was called back for holding, so Bobby Etter (Atlanta Falcons, Memphis Southmen) came in to kick a field goal, which was blocked, picked up by Kentucky and returned to our five-yard line. The Cats scored, went for two, and suddenly they had a one-point lead, 15-14.

Photos from the 1966 SEC Championship yearbook:

“Georgia players and fans alike looked at the scoreboard in stunned unbelief. However, we weren’t about to let Kentucky spoil our homecoming. We mounted a sixty-six-yard touchdown drive, made a two-point conversion to take back the lead 22-15. With thirteen minutes left, Kentucky, showing how desperate they were for a win, went for it on fourth down and inches at their own thirty-six and came up short.

“Etter connected on a thirty-four yard field goal that made it 25-15, and Happy Dicks (All SEC, All American) sacked the quarterback for a safety, thereby completing the Dawgs scoring ‘every way possible,” 27-15. We had made a big step in regaining our confidence and hopes for a championship season. The only downside of the day is that our quarterback, Kirby Moore, got hurt late in the third quarter, and we were not sure how long he might be out. But Lynn Hughes (All SEC, All American,New York Giants, Coaching positions Georgia and Vanderbilt) came in from the safety position and demonstrated what we already knew, he is as good a quarterback as he is a safety.

“As an encouragement to a good King, God spoke these words to him through a prophet: ‘But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded’ (2 Chronicles 15:7). I believe that to be a foundational truth about life. It’s not true because it is in the Bible; it’s in the Bible because it’s true. We had worked hard, we did not give up and our work was being rewarded. We were 5-1 so far but 4-0 in the conference, tied with Alabama and Florida for the SEC lead. Alabama was not on our schedule that year, but we had Florida in two weeks.”

One Old Dawg switches gears to talk about the Homecoming game with Vanderbilt this weekend. “Now about those commodores. As has been the case in recent years the Commodore’s ship has a serious leak, and we should have no trouble helping her along to Davy Jones locker, if we play as if we are capable of playing. However, I feel I must remind us of Proverbs 16:18: ‘Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.’  We ought to beat Vandy, but we still have to take care of business. So arm the torpedoes Dawgs, full steam ahead, sink ‘em!”

Sink ‘em indeed. The Bulldogs have a bye next week, so One Old Dawg will be taking the week off as well. But be sure to join us the following week as One Old Dawg weighs in on Florida games, the one in 1966, which proved to be a turning point leading to the SEC championship, as well as this year’s battle with the gators.

Until then, as always, Go Dogs!

One Old Dawg on Tumbling Tech

Lots of preparations going on here at One Old Dawg’s house as he does much of the cooking at Thanksgiving. For that, One Old Dawg’s wife is SO grateful. He smokes the turkey and makes the dressing to the delight of his whole family. So good!!

 

Wearing his Georgia apron, he takes a break from chopping onions, green peppers, and celery for the dressing to talk about the Georgia Tech game―both this weekend’s and the one in 1965.

 

“I said this last year and I’ll say again, I can’t believe football season is over, it seems like it just started. But here we are getting ready for the last game of the season against that North Avenue Trade School.  Last year we were both 9-2 so a lot was riding on the outcome besides state bragging rights, like priority bowl games and national rankings. It would seem the game would not be such a big deal this year since they are 3-8 and we are 8-3. But folks, Tech is always a big game regardless of records and rankings. They embarrassed us last year by squeaking out an overtime win between the hedges 30-24; it’s time for payback.

 “In 1965 it was a bit different. We were a disappointing 5-4 and our bowl hopes were gone; but we sure wanted to end with a winning season. They were 6-2-1 and desperate for a seventh win which would land them in a decent bowl game. Tech was gunning for us because we messed up their season the previous year by clipping their wings for a 7-0 win between the hedges. That loss left them a respectable 7-3 season but they still did not go to a bowl game, which they surely would have, had we not beat them.  Did I mention they were gunning for us?’

 When doing the research for this article, we found One Old Dawg’s mama did not save many newspaper clippings from the last games of the 1965 season. Her son was sidelined for many of those games with a back injury. You know how Mama’s are, if her baby wasn’t playing, she wasn’t as interested. One Old Dawg continues.

 “I only have part of one article about the Tech game by Atlanta Journal Sports Editor, Furman Bisher.

 

 

 

"But thanks to my friend Mark Maxwell, who does a lot of archiving for the UGA Athletic Department, I have a written play by play which helped me remember.

“Turnovers were the difference in the game.

“On the first possession of the game we recovered a Tech fumble on their thirty-two. Georgia only took seven plays to cross the goal line and it was 7-0 Dawgs. Early in the second quarter, Lynn Hughes (All SEC, All American) intercepted a Tech pass at our forty and returned it the Tech twenty-five. We couldn’t move the ball so Bobby Etter (Atlanta Flacons, Memphis Southmen)  booted a forty-yard field goal, 10-0 Dawgs at the half. Being a defensive player I can’t help mention that according to the play by play, Tech had zero net yards rushing and forty-nine yards passing at the first half – Glory to Ole Georgia. Erk (Defensive Coordinator, later head coach at Georgia Southern) was surely proud.

“Ridlehuber (Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders,Buffalo Bills, New York Jets) returned the second half kickoff to the Georgia thirty-nine. Ten plays later he scored from the five; 17-0 Dawgs.

“I’m really having fun remembering all of this. Tech was able to mount a drive at the end of the third quarter and scored with thirteen minutes left in the game. Tech launched two more drives. The first ended with a Joe Burson interception at our forty-five. The second ended on the Georgia eleven when Marvin Tootle tackled Lenny Snow for a three yard loss on fourth down. Georgia took over with forty five seconds left to play and ran out the clock for 17-7 victory, how sweet it was.

“After the 1965 season, we were disappointed and felt a bit cheated. We did not receive a bowl invitation yet we had beaten two teams that did, including the reigning national champion that repeated as champion that year. Auburn had a worse recorded than Georgia but they played Ole Miss in the Liberty Bowl. The Sun Bowl picked TCU over us, and they got whipped by Texas-El Paso. Then there was the Tangerine Bowl that picked Maine to play East Carolina. Maine? They were in the Yankee Conference. Ever heard of it? That was their only bowl appearance in history, and they lost 31-0.  We were mad.

“I wish I had known the truth the Apostle Paul discovered and wrote about in Philippians 4:12, ‘I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.’ His context was material provision but the principle has universal application. Our discontent over how the season turned out did not change anything and it kept us from fully enjoying what we had accomplished that year.

“We were only sixteen points short of being 9-1. We were the only team to beat the national champion, Alabama. The nationally televised victory over Alabama together with the well-publicized victory over defending Big-Ten champion, Michigan, in Ann Arbor, reestablished Georgia as a national championship contender. Instead of being disappointed, we should have been content, enjoyed our successes and looked forward to the next year, for which we had established a good foundation. Besides that, I went to the Orange Bowl and saw Alabama beat undefeated Nebraska for the national championship and that was pretty cool for a small town boy.

“Back to those Atlanta Insects.  I hope this doesn’t make anyone mad at me, but I don’t hate Tech like many Georgia fans. It is a State of Georgia institution and a number of my good friends from Valdosta played there. I always pull for Tech except for one game every year. However, because of my friendships, I want you to understand that I really enjoy beating them.  So hunker down you Red Clay Hounds and swat those Jackets. Make them what they sing about - rambling wrecks from Georgia Tech. Sick ‘em dawgs.”

From everyone here at One Old Dawg, we wish you a very blessed Thanksgiving. Go Dawgs!

 

One Old Dawg on a Big Ten Win and Barbecued Chicken

The Bulldogs face South Carolina this Saturday, but in 1965, South Carolina was not on the UGA schedule and not even in the SEC. For the third game of the season, they faced Michigan. Anyone who knows One Old Dawg can testify to his story-telling prowess. And at times, he can embellish with the best of them, but the tale of how the 1965 University of Georgia football team beat Michigan, one of the Big Ten, on their home turf in Ann Arbor needs no embellishment. It is the stuff of legend.

 

Here’s One Old Dawg’s story told as only he can tell it:

“After dispatching Vanderbilt 24-10 we were to travel to Ann Arbor to play mighty Michigan in the Big House. Michigan’s stadium seated over 100,000, the largest in the country and still one the largest sports venues in the world. We were excited only because we were too young or too dumb to be intimidated. In 1964, they had won the Big Ten Championship, The Rose Bowl and were ranked number four in the nation.

 

“I was reading an account of the game that stated Michigan outweighed us fifteen pounds per man. I don’t know what scale that writer was using but every player but one on their starting offensive outweighed me by at least 25 pounds, many of them by 40 pounds.

 

“My biggest hope was their All-American tailback, Bill Yearby, who was 6’ 2” and weighed 220 lbs, would take a bit more time to recover from his knee injury and miss the game. When he was in there, they liked to run the power sweep, which routes right over the defensive end position. He didn’t start the game but he came in the middle of the first quarter. Sure enough, it was pro-set to my side, which sent the power sweep my way. The quarterback pitched the ball to that big tailback who was led by the fullback, a pulling guard and the quarterback. That was over 900 pounds of human flesh about to attack my puny 185-pound frame. I felt like I was trapped in an old west cattle stampede. God bless Dickie Phillips and or the late Jimmy Cooley.

One of them shot through the hole left by that pulling guard and cut down that tailback to stop the play before one person hit me. Whew! Close call, I thought I was about to meet my Maker.

 

"We hung in there with those big guys and came home a 15-7 winner. We were really riding high! The most amazing thing happened later that evening.

 

“We flew back to Athens right after the game. I was dozing in my seat when I heard someone tell me to look out the window as we flew over downtown Athens.  We thought it strange that at such a late hour, we could see car lights lined up for miles on one of the roads leading out of Athens. We were worried that it might have been a bad wreck that backed up traffic. Upon landing, we learned the truth.

“So many people had come to the airport to welcome us home the parking lot filled and backed up traffic all the all the way to downtown Athens. Over ten thousand people were there, cheering like crazy. I don’t think my feet touched the ground; two guys picked me up on their shoulders and carried me to the bus. You would have thought we had won the national championship; it was quite a day.”

 

News accounts laud kicker Bob Etter (Atlanta Falcons, Memphis Southmen) for three field goals, as well as offensive players, Preston Ridlehuber (Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets) , Bob Taylor, Ron Jenkins, Pat Hodgson (All SEC, Washington Redskins, Coach at San Diego Chargers, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets) , and safety Lynn Hughes (All SEC, All American).

Outstanding defenders were noted as George Patton (All SEC, All American, Atlanta Falcons) , Jiggy Smaha (BC Lions, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Sharks) , Doug McFalls (All SEC, Chicago Bears) , and Tommy Lawhorne.

One Old Dawg ponders the greater implications of this story. “I was again living a spiritual truth I wouldn’t realize until much later. Isaiah 40:6 says, ‘A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry? All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.”’  All of us are pretty much on the same footing. As my high school coach, Wright Bazemore used to tell us when we were playing a highly favored opponent: “They put their britches on just like you do, one leg at the time.” The glory of mighty Michigan wilted that fateful day in 1965; they were just like us, mortal men who sometimes fail.”

 

As for the matchup between the Dogs and the Gamecocks this Saturday between the hedges, well, everyone at One Old Dawg’s house pauses a moment in front of the picture in the den of him sacking then Florida quarterback Steve Spurrier. It’s always an encouragement.

One Old Dawg prognosticates, “From all appearances, they do not have as good a team as in past years; but they’ve only played two games. They won a close one against a very respectable North Carolina team and lost to Kentucky last week.

"The bottom line is the Gamecocks are licking their wounds and working up a good mad. They lost their tussle with the Cats and they will be trying to take it out on the Dawgs. Regardless of what kind of team Spurrier has, they always seem to play their best game against us. Spurrier really hates Georgia, because of how we treated him when he was a player at Florida, but more about that in October and next season.

 

“The Gamecocks will give us fits as they usually do, but at the end of the day the Dawgs will have a mouth full of feathers, barbecued chicken for supper, and another W on their schedule.  Sick ‘em Dawgs.”

And that wraps it up for this week’s One Old Dawg.  Be sure, you can always count on us here for “mostly true Bulldog lore.”

 

One Old Dawg comments on the Commodores

At One Old Dawg’s house, the family is breathing a sigh of relief that the University of Georgia football season is now underway. Everyone here loves the Bulldogs but was growing a bit weary of seeing reruns of last year’s games and more than a few showings of One Old Dawg’s well worn favorite video, “Twenty Five Years of Georgia Football.”

He tivoed last week’s ULM game and while watching it, shouts of “Boy, don’t those dawgs look good,” rang through the house. The Bulldogs are definitely off to a great start. Now on to the Vanderbilt game.

In an anecdotal mood, One Old Dawg sits in the recliner and hits the foot lever. And as he leans back, he says he doesn’t remember Vanderbilt ever being a consistent, serious contender for the SEC championship, and 1965 was no exception.  He takes a sip of Coke Zero from his Bulldog glass. “It seemed we had forgotten that we were in the same boat for the last few years. But after the amazing start of the Dooley era in 1964 (7-3-1and first bowl trip in five years) and the stunning 1965 opening victory over reigning champion Alabama, we were thinking pretty highly of ourselves.  It took our coaches all week to get us back down to earth; they kept reminding us these same Commodores had played Georgia Tech to a 10-10 tie the week before.”

An early fumble recovery by Dickie Phillips led to a Bob Etter (Atlanta Flacons, Memphis Southmen)  field goal and an exciting 82 yard punt return by Preston Ridlehuber (Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets) . This put Georgia ahead 10-0. One Old Dawg remembers, “I think we started getting the big head again, but before we knew it, a long drive for a Vandy touchdown in the second quarter followed by a field goal after a fumble recovery in Dawg territory tied the game. Thankfully, destiny seemed to be in our favor that day. Defensive tackle Vance Evans blocked a pass which guard Dickie Phillips caught and took to the end zone to give us the lead at half-time. The second half we settled down, took care of business and came out a 24-10 winner.”  

 



Jerry Varnado and Bob Etter

 

 

Preston Ridlehuber remembers a story with Jerry Varnado and Pat Hodgson

 

 

 

Preston Ridlehuber, George Nowicki, Jerry Varnado, Pat Hodgson

 

Vance Evans with One Old Dawg

Dickie Phillips, Anthony Dennard, Randy Wheeler, Pat Hodgson, Wayne Brantley, Marvin Hurst, Duncan Newkirk
 at 64 reunion

 

When asked what spiritual truth he gleaned from the Vanderbilt game in 1965, One Old Dawg thinks a moment and says, “Later in life I learned something that I unknowing lived that week in 1965. Proverbs 16:18 tells us that ‘Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.’ Romans 12:3 affirms that principle, ‘…Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment….’ Thank God, our coaches forced us to think of ourselves with sober judgment each time we drifted into believing our vain imaginations.”

As far as a prognostication for the Vanderbilt game this Saturday, One Old Dawg is full of confidence. “The last time the Dawgs visited Nashville was 2013 and the Commodores were not very hospitable. In fact, they torpedoed our ship for a 27-31 win, and sank our hope for a SEC East title. We got some revenge last year with a 44-17 win between the hedges, but this year we have to sail back to Nashville and you can be sure the Commodores are planning some rough water for us.

"I know these guys couldn’t keep their ship afloat last year, finishing 0-8 in conference play, but they lost to the SEC East Champ, Missouri by only 14 points. The Commodores will have their ship ready for battle this Saturday with all torpedo tubes loaded ready to sink our title hopes again. We can’t take this bunch for granted.

"But the Georgia coaching staff knows Proverbs 16:18 and they will be helping the team to think about themselves with sober judgment. I know the Dawgs will be sea worthy and ready for war this Saturday. I expect a fierce battle at the start but the Dawgs machine gun of running backs will soon sink the Commodores’ ship so we will have smooth sailing all the way back to Athens. Gooooo, Dogs, Sic ’em.”

That's it for this week at One Old Dawg, but we’ll see you here again next week where you’ll always find mostly true Bulldog lore.

The 1964 Sun Bowl and moving into a new era

For all of you getting ready for the Belk Bowl, here’s our final post for the year as One Old Dawg  concludes his memories of playing on the 1964 Georgia Bulldog football team.

After all the uncertainty of the 1964 season with new head coach, Vince Dooley, a young team, and so much nay saying, all of those hardworking Bulldogs captured a trip to the Sun Bowl.

 

From El Paso, Texas, Furman Bisher wrote of the game’s beginning in the Atlanta Journal, “Wayne Swinford returned the kickoff from the end zone to Georgia 20, and the Bulldogs set out on an impressive offensive that left the crowd agog. They ground out six first downs in the kind of strangling attack that has been typical of the Bulldogs this season.”

Of the game deciding touchdown, Bisher wrote, “Ridlehuber . . . flipped one . . . to Barber, who ran as hard as he can run down the west sideline, but was grabbed from behind the Tech six . . . . The play, however, covered 52 yards. On third down Frank Lankewicz crashed across the goal line from the two, and Bobby Etter made the score 7-0 with 7:57 left in the half.”

Sadly, Fred Barber suffered a pulled hamstring in that 52-yard run which would be the last run of his college career, but what a legacy he left.

 

Bisher commented on how Texas Tech struggled to move into Bulldog territory, and that “Mainly, this was because of tackle George Patton . . . “ Of course, Patton went on to be All SEC and All American as well as playing for the Atlanta Falcons.  

Also highlighted were Don Porterfield , Bob Taylor , Jim Wilson(All SEC, All American, San Francisco 49rs, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams) , Leon Armbrester,  Vance Evans , Lynn Hughes (All SEC, All American), George Nowicki, and Pat Hodgson (All SEC, Washington Redskins, Coach at San Diego Chargers, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets) for their outstanding work.

The Sun Bowl win would help the Bulldogs complete the 1964 season with a 7-3-1 record.

Hidden away in the box of clippings One Old Dawg’s mama saved, we found a small clip from an unidentifiable newspaper entitled, “Varnado way well earned.” None other than a very young Lewis Grizzard who went on to be a nationally known Southern writer and celebrity wrote it.

Grizzard writes, “Varnado, a native of Valdosta where he played on two AAA state champions, came to Georgia without a scholarship. However, his love of football, especially the defensive phase, enabled him to get his grant-in-aid and become one of the Buldogs’ most promising ball players.”

 He quotes Jerry as saying, “You should never let any runner get to the outside, and this requires a lot of effort sometimes when they send two or three blockers at you. This is the toughest part about defensive end, but it really makes you feel good if you can do your job and make a good play that will stop the other teams offense.”

Grizzard goes on, “From the sounds that a mass from the Georgia cheering section when the Bulldog defensive corps comes off the field, it looks like Jerry Varnado is not the only one who feels good when the opposition’s offense is thwarted.”

The truth is the fans would continue to rally around these young players, many of whom would persevere and still be playing in 1966 when the Bulldogs won an SEC championship for only the second time since 1948 and which ranked them fourth in the nation. But it is this 1964 team which moved Georgia football into a whole new era. Each one of these players is truly a legend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Old Dawg concludes, “It has been a lot of fun sharing bulldog lore with you these last few months and I want to be sure that you all know that none of this would have happened if not for my incredible wife Beverly. This was her idea, and she made it happen. Not only has she freely shared her award winning writing skills with us but also spent many hours researching, gathering, and organizing a lot of information she used to produce these blog posts; and that’s in addition to putting up with me and my story telling for all these years. Thank you Beverly from all Bulldawgs everywhere, but especially us Old Dawgs, for remembering and preserving something of our story and the part we were privileged to play in the history of Georgia Football.

"The Belk Bowl is fast approaching; hunker down Dawgs; let’s close this season on a winning note and get on the right track for next year.

"Hope to see you back next fall for more “mostly true” bulldog lore from One Old Dawg."

 

And if you'll forgive a bit of author intrusion from One Old Dawg's wife, it has been my privilege to partner with One Old Dawg for this nostalgic trip back to 1964. It's been a joy to get to know many of you through the years, and the fiftieth celebration was a fabulous experience I and my children and grandchildren will never forget.

 

We end here in our traditional way with a great big loud, "Go Dawgs!"