Well, here it is: The
fiftieth anniversary of the 1966 University of Georgia Southeastern Conference Champions.
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| (Photo used permission of Athens Banner Herald) |
One Old Dawg is ready. Been ready.
“The season can start now,” he declared after
he finished his yearly tradition of dusting off and watching the 25 Years of Georgia Football VHS (Yes, he
actually still has a VHS player, maybe for this one purpose). It
seems after watching it, One Old Dawg thinks he could still suit up and play.
This fiftieth anniversary falls
on another historic year, Kirby Smart’s first season (UGA All SEC, Indianapolis Colts, Coaching Asst.-UGA,
Valdosta State, Florida State, LSU, Miami Dolphins, Alabama. Head Coach UGA).
One Old Dawg came back all smiles
from the Athens Touchdown Club last week where Kirby Smart was speaking. He was
especially impressed with the forty five-minutes Coach Smart took in answering
questions after he spoke, and he loved the sign Bobby Poss (1969-71 letterman) held up during Coach Smart's talk. It read, "I am a Smart Dawg."
A lot of excitement in the air.
But now about that incredible 1966
year. What was the outlook before the season started back then?
Well, the media guide said the
schedule was a tough one with the first three games being on the road and all
at night. Evidently that was a negative in the mid-sixties.
In an article by Dan Magill, it
seemed the SEC coaches ranked the Bulldogs seventh in 1966. Magill wrote of the 1965 season, “Georgia
upset national champion Alabama in the opener, then became the first Southern
team ever to master mighty Michigan at Ann Arbor . . .won their first four
starts, encountered severe injury trouble as key men bit the dust . . .”
Unfortunately, One Old Dawg is
one of those men who bit the dust. Back trouble. He had surgery in the spring
of 1966.
Thankfully, Marvin Tootle stepped
in when One Old Dawg went out in 1965 and did a great job. One Old Dawg has an
interesting memory about Marvin. “I don’t remember what year it was, but in late
grammar or middle school, I went to Sylacauga, Alabama to spend a week or two
with my mother’s brother. A boy my age who lived in the neighborhood befriended
me and showed me around. His name was Marvin Tootle. I never saw or heard from
Marvin again until we walked on the field together as teammates at the University
of Georgia.”
For the first game in the season,
the Bulldogs faced Mississippi State away.
Vince Dooley said of that game
in Dooley, My Forty Years at Georgia, “We certainly didn’t start off the season like champions. We opened up
at Mississippi State in a real dogfight. The game was tied 17-17 late, Mississippi
State was deep in our territory and looking like they were going to win the
game. They threw a pass into the end zone and it appeared to hit their guy in
the chest for the touchdown. But just as the ball got there, Terry Sellers (All SEC, Cleveland Browns) hit
the receiver in the back and the ball popped right into the arms of Happy
Dicks (All SEC, All American) , a sophomore who had turned and raced for the ball after it was thrown,
and he caught it for a touchback. We took the ball and drove it about 70
yards to kick a field goal to win, 20-17, in the last minute of play. That’s
how close we were to being champions or not being champions.”
Crazy to think how that one
minute of play set the stage for an SEC championship.
One Old Dawg hoped he would play
in 1966, and the Savannah Morning News-Evening Press even wrote an article
about the Bulldog Ends.
He remembers, “I did not do a good
job getting back in shape following my surgery during spring break and paid the
price during fall camp. Severe muscle spasms kept me out of practice but I
still made the trip to Starkville (we actually played in Jackson). I wanted to be in the game, but it was not to
be. Marvin Tootle had a great game, and I was beginning to wonder if I was ever
going to break into the starting lineup again. Then, late in the game Marvin
sustained a knee injury. Our other backup, Gary Adams went in for Marvin. Anyway,
we squeaked out a win.”
For this year’s opener at the
Georgia Dome with the University of Georgia Bulldogs facing off against the
University of North Carolina Tar Heels, this is how One Old Dawg thinks it’s
going to go:
“As I was contemplating the start
of this season I thought of Revelation
21:5: He who was seated on the
throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ There is something exciting about new. It conveys
the idea of do over or fresh start. Last year was certainly not a bad year for
Georgia football, we won 10 games. However, it was disappointing to many because
we lost to Alabama, archrivals Tennessee and Florida, and so we did not make it
to the Dome.
“This year we have a new coaching
staff, some gifted new players, and there is a fresh, new and exciting feeling in
the air. Many are thinking if Coach Smart can get 95,000 thousand people to
attend that glorified practice we call G day, he is a first class motivator who
can get these guys in high gear. Anything is possible! There’s just something
exciting about new. My heart skipped a beat when I saw my tickets had arrived
in the mail. It is going to be an exciting year for Georgia football.
“Now about those Tar Heels. This
game is really hard to call since we haven’t played them since 1971 (wondering
what a Tar Heel is? Look here).
We did have two common opponents last year: they lost to South Carolina 13-17
who we beat 52-20; they beat Georgia Tech 38-31 who we beat 13-7. Go figure! I
know I have zero credibility as a prognosticator because I always pick the
Dawgs to win. However, picking the Dawgs every week last year gave me a 77%
accuracy rate, which compares favorably with the best in the business. Beside
that, I have inside information. I’m convinced our players love Kirby Smart who
has conditioned and prepared them for a great new start. I’m confident they
will give us 110% and that’s more than enough. North Carolina will find their tar heels mired
in Georgia red clay as the fleet Dawgs run around and pass over them for a
solid victory. Go… Dawgs. Sick ‘em.”
Did we mention One Old Dawg is
ready? So, we’re off and running. It’s going to be a great fall.
