So Many Old Dawgs: The 1966 UGA Football SEC Championship Team Reunion

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Once more they gathered between the hedges to remember and celebrate that momentous 1966 year when the University of Georgia Bulldogs reached the pinnacle of the Southeastern Conference, the SEC Championship, and left an indelible mark in the history of college football.

 

 

One Old Dawg has grieved Georgia’s loss to those Rocky Top bandits in the last four seconds of the game on Saturday, but despite that, it was still a great weekend.

It began on Friday evening with an event celebrating the 1946, 1966, and 1976 Southeastern Conference Championships.

 

The lone attendee from the 1946 team and perhaps the greatest college football player of all time was the legendary Charley Trippi.

Jerry Varnado with Charley Trippi

 

After leaving UGA, Trippi played pro ball for the Chicago Cardinals. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he is the only professional inducted with 1000 yards rushing, 1000 yards receiving, and 1000 yards passing. An honor to be with him.

Jerry Varnado and Barbara Dooley

 

Here at One Old Dawg, we’d like to know how Barbara Dooley, Coach Dooley's wife, never gets any older. She is ever an amazing, beautiful woman and such a joy.





That evening, there were just so many Old Dawgs to see from the 1966 team. Here are a few. 



Jerry Varnado, Steve Neuhaus, George Patton, Larry Kohn
 

Jerry Varnado, Tommy Lawhorne

Jerry Varnado, Jack Davis, Bill McWhorter, Happy Dicks

Varnado, Brad Johnson, Paul Handmacher

Varnados, Handmachers, Gaines, Dennards

Varnado and Nelson Bowers
 

 

Wayne Ingle and Jack Davis

When the program began, One Old Dawg gave the invocation.

 

The Celebration of the 1966 team included remarks from the defensive captain George Patton and offensive captain, Jack Davis.

A video presentation about the team was curated by Georgia football Archivist, Mark Maxwell, long time friend of One Old Dawg going all the way back to their days coaching YMCA youth league football together.

Mark Maxwell and Jerry Varnado

The evening concluded with remarks by Coach Vince Dooley who pointed out that in the long and storied history of Georgia football, there have been only twelve Southeastern Conference Championship teams.

Varnados and Vince Dooley

 

On Saturday, a special celebration during halftime recognized these same teams. From the 1966 team, twenty-two players gathered in the middle of the field once more with their beloved Coach, Vince Dooley, to be recognized for their part in sustaining and continuing a tradition of sports excellence at the University of Georgia.

Yes, despite the loss, it was a great day.

Later, we found the Varsity in Athens had posted a picture of One Old Dawg on their Facebook page. Such fun.

 

And now about the upcoming game against South Carolina, One Old Dawg says, “Any loss is tough; a loss to Tennessee is doubly tough. However, we played nose to nose with the team favored to win the SEC east. We had it won, fair and square, but a miracle play snatched it away. Our guys played their hearts out and never gave up. Ninety-three thousand attendees and millions in TV land got more than their money’s worth in one of the most exciting games I’ve seen in while. Therefore, I refuse to hang my head and be sad because they got three more points than we did. Good game Dawgs, shake it off and move on, we’ve got some South Carolina chickens to fry.

"I’ve been reminded this week of something Jesus said in Luke 18:1: 'Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.' Yes, pray about football. Ask God to help our team deal with this adversity and not get discouraged. There’s still a lot of football to play and we’re getting better each week. We can still have a great season and post season, if we forget what’s behind, keep focused, move forward and take care of business.

"Well we have the Gamecocks this week and we’re playing in their chicken coop, if Hurricane Matthew doesn’t force some changes. They’ve had a rough year so far, they are 2-3, 1-3 SEC but they’ve been in every ball game. They have a tough Georgia boy and former Dawg at the helm and he will have them ready for a good old-fashioned fight. We can’t take these chickens for granted but I’m convinced we will have them plucked by the fourth quarter. Get the frying pan ready. Gooo… Dawgs, Sic ‘em."

 

We'll be here again next week at One Old Dawg talking about homecoming games against Kentucky in 1966 and against Vanderbilit between the hedges this year. Join us again for more mostly true Bulldog lore.

                                                                                       

 

One Old Dawg: Pressing on and Sending Old Smokey back to Rocky Top

After his beloved Bulldogs fell prey to the Ole Miss Rebels last Saturday, One Old Dawg remained positive. “In Philippians 3:13-14 the Apostle Paul told us how he dealt with past failures. ‘But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize . . . ’  Forget Ole Miss and press on! We’ve got them right where we want them,” he declared. “They have all written us off as contenders, so now we can slip up on them. All we have to do is win our next six games and we are in the Dome on December 3.”

 

 

Now, that’s the way to put a positive spin on a situation.

 

And when it comes to the Bulldogs, One Old Dawg aims to do just that.

 

Back in 1966, the Bulldogs faced Miami the fifth game of the season. Hopes were high, as the team boarded the two Southern Airways planes, a Martin 404 and a DC3 to head to Florida. In fact, the Atlanta Constitution ran an article entitled, “Bulldogs Roar into Miami.”

 

But in paragraph three, sportswriter Bill Clark wrote what turned out to be a foreshadowing of things to come, “Odds makers say it should be a fifth straight triumph for Georgia and a third loss in four games for Charlie Tate’s Hurricanes. But with that scent of oranges in Bulldogs nostrils, there is the threat that Georgia is ripe for upset.”

And that’s exactly what happened as Georgia suffered a 7-6 defeat.

 

One Old Dawg remembers, “The paper declared the temperature to be 80 degrees that night, but it felt more like 100. It was so muggy; breathing was like trying to suck a thick milk shake through a straw. We had stopped keeping oxygen on the sidelines at home games, because we hardly ever used it, but there was a tank on our bench at the Orange Bowl that night. We sucked it dry. It was one of those games where nothing seemed to go right, we just couldn’t get the ball into the end zone and had to settle for two field goals. A third field goal attempt was thwarted by a bobbled snap.

“Our defense had played well until their scoring drive late in the third quarter. They got the ball on their forty-nine and drove down to the goal.  We held inside the five and they went for it on fourth down.

“I had nightmares about that play for weeks. A man came in motion toward me, so I had to drop off the line into pass coverage. In that situation I was to holler “off” so the tackle would know to move a step to the outside to contain any running play around the end.

“The noise was so loud the tackle didn’t hear me, so he was a sitting duck to be blocked. The runner came outside and turned the corner. As soon as I saw it was a run, I dropped pass coverage and came up along with the linebacker, Tommy Lawhorne, and we hit him hard right on the goal line but he fell into the end zone for what turned out to be the winning score. It turned out to be the only blemish on our record that year, and I felt it was my fault we didn’t go undefeated, but that’s football."

Athens Banner Herald

The players returned from Miami in a heavy rain at Ben Epps airport  to the applause of what the Athens paper called “the largest crowd assembled this year, even though it was the team’s first loss.” Some things never change, and that’s the faithfulness of Bulldog fans. 

 

"We were really encouraged to see those fans standing in the rain at the Athens Airport; they believed in us. So we all forgot about Miami and pressed on to win the prize, a great season and the SEC championship.”

 

The fiftieth anniversary celebration for the 1966 SEC Championship team is coming up this weekend with an event Friday night and during halftime on Saturday, the team will be recognized along with the 1946 and 1976 SEC championship teams. A big weekend. Nothing would be better than for Georgia to beat those Tennessee Volunteers. 

 

One Old Dawg says, “It’s all on the line this Saturday and will be for the next six games. We have six straight SEC games, and we can’t afford to lose another. Tennessee is 4-0 and flying high after a big come-from-behind win over Florida last Saturday. I mean ‘flying high’ as in they had 320 yards passing and another 178 rushing. 498 yards of offense is scary.

 

"As I mentioned last week, turnover margin is critical when playing against a high-octane offense. Turnovers stop drives and usually improve field position; we need a plus four margin this week. Come on Dawgs, we’ve got them where we want them― riding high, and that means ripe for upset, and we’ve got them between the hedges. Send Old Smokey back to Rocky Top Tennessee with his tail tucked between his legs. Gooo... Dawgs, Sic ‘em!"

 

We'll be right back here next week with more of One Old Dawg's mostly true Bulldog lore on the 1966 Kentucky game as well as his thoughts on the matchup between this year's Bulldogs and South Carolina.

 

 

One Old Dawg on Bulldogs vs. Ole Miss, Ripping the Rebels in 1966 and 2016

One Old Dawg’s son captured in a text what most Dog fans felt Saturday night as they watched the Georgia-Missouri game. “I think I had heart palpitations.”

And then some.

One Old Dawg says,” Wheeew! I’m glad that one is behind us! We learned two things in that game: those Mizzou felines are a handful, and Jacob Eason is the real deal! Our running game really soared against North Carolina and our passing game was flying high against Mizzou. Now, if we can just put the two together in the same game, it will be a sight to behold. We’re going to need it this week”

For our fourth game, we travel to Oxford to play the Ole Miss Rebels. Back in 1966, the fourth game of the season was also against Ole Miss, only we had them between the Hedges. They had a great team that year and came to Athens with two wins and their only loss to Alabama, the defending national champion.  This was one of the biggest games Georgia had played in recent years and it was a “must win” if the Dawgs wanted to continue their climb to the place of title contender.

And speaking of heart palpitations, sports editor Jim Minter of the Atlanta Journal said the game “began and ended a cardiac case.”

 

 

One Old Dawg remembers, “A Georgia fumble early in the first quarter put the Dawgs on their heels. But our defense held, forcing a field goal from 39 yards out which put the Rebels up 3-0.”

Early in the second period, Ronnie Jenkins who Minter called “the old woodchopper from Glennville” pushed across the goal line to climax a 56-yard drive.

The Athens Banner Herald summed up the ensuing action like this, “Taking the snap from center, quarterback Kirby Moore passed to end Billy Payne who pitched out to trailing tailback Randy Wheeler for 25 yards and a first down at the ole Miss 20.”

Then there was an exchange of penalties and some good runs by Kirby Moore and Ronnie Jenkins, “setting up Jenkins’ one-yard scoring plunge on the first play of the second quarter. Place kicker Bob Etter’s (Atlanta Falcons, Memphis Southmen) conversion capped the touchdown.”

This gave the Dawgs the lead 7-3.

The Athens paper concluded, “A safety scored by defensive tackle George Patton (All SEC, All American, Atlanta Falcons) assisted by end Jerry Varnado gave the Bulldogs their six-point lead

 

Under front page headlines of the Atlanta Journal sports section that read, “Bulldogs Muzzle Old Miss, 9-3,” Minter wrote, “A University of Georgia football team which obviously fears nothing and has nothing to fear but its own mistakes, stuck its foot squarely into Ole Miss’ big middle and also in the Southeastern Conference championship door here at Sanford Stadium Saturday afternoon. “

Minter made a point also to mention defensive players Terry Sellers (All SEC, Cleveland Browns), Mark Holmes, Lynn Hughes (All SEC, All American, New York Giants, Coaching positions Georgia and Vanderbilt) , Jimmy Cooley , Steve Neuhaus, Bill Stanfill (All American, Miami Dolphins, Super Bowl Team) , and Georgia Patton (All SEC, All American, Atlanta Falcons) as making significant contributions to the win.

One Old Dawg remembers, “It was another slug-fest like South Carolina the week before. Two hard-hitting teams going at it in the trenches. But this week I think it was a little different. The week before I felt like we were fighting to survive, but against Ole Miss, especially after the first quarter, I sensed a new level of confidence I had not experienced in a while. I think we believed this game was ours to take. It was still hard work, and they were hitting us as powerfully as we were hitting them, but somehow it started being fun. The fact that this was our first home game had a lot to do with it. The crowd was going wild, the atmosphere was electric and that kept our adrenaline flowing.

“I had felt this way the year before after winning our first four games, including wins over Alabama and Michigan. Then we hit a rough patch, riddled with injuries, we lost four games in the second half of the season. We had lost our mojo, but we got it back that sunny afternoon between the hedges when we took down the Ole Miss Rebels. It is also interesting to note that our win was not a fluke; Ole Miss did not lose another game that year until the Texas Longhorns gored them in the Bluebonnet Bowl.

“I’m reminded of Luke 9:51: ‘As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.’ Jesus was on a mission and he was nearing its culmination, which had to be in Jerusalem. Many did not want him to go to Jerusalem because that was the seat of his opposition and it would be dangerous for him to go there. But he resolutely set out. Resolutely means firm, determined and unwavering. Our goal for 1966 was the conference championship, not sure we had the faith to believe for anything beyond that. We struggled at times, had one setback, but we were resolute in our goal and kept our focus until we achieved it as well as being ranked number four in the nation.

“We need to resolutely set out for Atlanta to end our regular season the same way we started, with a win in the Georgia Dome. We need to be firm on this, determined and unwavering refusing to listen to the naysayers, even if we experience a setback along the way.” 

Now for One Old Dawg’s prediction about this week’s Georgia game. “Another thing we learned last Saturday is that if Mizzou is a handful, Ole Miss is a double handful. Yeah, I know they have only won a single game, but their two losses were to teams ranked at first and third in the country, and both games were close. We need to be hitting on all four cylinders to win this one―running, passing, defense and special teams. In 1966, Ole Miss threw seventeen passes (which was a lot in those days). They caught six and we caught five. We need that kind of defense on Saturday. Our turnover margin against Mizzou was plus four, we only need to bump it up one notch and I know we can do it. I don’t think you can keep Chubb under 100 yards three weeks in a row, so I’m confident Eason and Mckenzie will get a lot more help from the ground game this week as the Dawgs rip the Rebels for their third loss. Gooooo! Dawgs, Sic ‘em.”

So, here’s hoping for no cardiac cases, few heart palpitations and a big win for Georgia.

Join us again next week for more mostly true Bulldog lore and the 1966 team’s matchup against Miami as this year’s Bulldogs face Tennessee.

Until then enjoy this piece about One Old Dawg written in the Atlanta Constitution about this time in the season back in 1966. It calls him the "Mighty mite from Valdosta" and the team's Holler Guy. (By the way, this article didn't account for the fact that One Old Dawg couldn't play in 1965 due to a back injury for which he had to have surgery.)

 

 

 

 

One Old Dawg moving on and getting the game ball

One Old Dawg’s comments last week were eerily on target. “Every year several big schools get beat by some smaller school underdog,” he observed and then said, “They have nothing to lose and everything to gain, and we’re just the opposite and that makes for a dangerous situation.” A dangerous situation, indeed. Georgia barely squeaked out the win 26-24.

One Old Dawg says, “The only good thing about last Saturday is we got a W; it wasn’t pretty but it’s still a W. I received a text from my Louisiana cousin, whose son is a Nicholls alum, and he politely abstained from gloating, but I could sense that inside, he was mighty proud. He said, ‘We Cajuns call Nicholls, Harvard on the Bayou,’ so those Thibodaux Colonels are not only tough but also smart. We found that out.

“You might try what I did― watch the replay of the North Carolina game to clear the Georgia mind of bad memories. The apostle Paul tells how he dealt with unpleasant things in the past in Philippians 3:13:  ‘But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead’. This is not true just in spiritual matters; it has a general application as well. If we are not careful, yesterday’s miscues can contribute to tomorrow’s failure. We need to forget about last Saturday and move on to the preferred future that is ahead.”

Now to the third game in the season against South Carolina back in that 1966 SEC championship year.

“We are going to have to play our best game in order to beat them,” Coach Vince Dooley said in an interview leading up to the game. In several news reports, apprehension was expressed about the match up as in this vintage account.

 

One Old Dawg remembers, “I feel I have to remind you young’uns that the Gamecocks were in the ACC not the SEC back in those days. However, we had played them regularly since 1900, so the rivalry was intense. They had lost their first two games to LSU and Memphis State so I guess we were favored― but not by much. The game was a slugfest. Our offense moved the ball up and down field, amassing 247 yards rushing but bad breaks and mistakes kept us out of the end zone.

"We held the Gamecocks to 115 yards rushing and 80 passing but more impressively, we shut them out. Kirby Moore and our offense rose to the occasion and drove it in late in the game for a touchdown, and we won the game 7-0. It was a memorable game for me for two reasons: I was named defensive captain for the first time in my career and at a team meeting the next week, Coach Erk Russell Defensive Coordinator (later head coach at Georgia Southern) gave me the game ball; pretty dawg gone special.”

Jack Davis was the offensive captain for the game. Later, news reports highlighted Kirby Moore, Craig Elrod, Bill McWhorter, Edgar Chandler (All American, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots ), Donald Hayes, Ronnie Jenkins, and Jack Davis on offense. On the defense, Happy Dicks, (All SEC, All American) Larry Kohn (All SEC), Dicky Phillips, Jerry Varnado, Jimmy Cooley, Bill Stanfill (All American, Miami Dolphins, Super Bowl Team) , and George Patton (All SEC, All American, Atlanta Falcons) made significant contributions to the win.

In fact, another Atlanta Journal article began, “’. . . you are a real All American football player.’ The speaker was Georgia end Jerry Varnado. The complement directed to George Patton.”

One Old Dawg has always been a big Patton fan.

The article continues with Patton’s response, “We all did it out there tonight.”

Dooley agreed when he was quoted in another Atlanta newspaper article after the game, “I want you to know that it took a fine effort to beat that South Carolina team.”

One Old Dawg offers his prognostication about this week’s upcoming game against Missouri.

“This Saturday we have to walk into the Missouri Tigers den which is a dangerous thing to do, even though we have been very successful at skinning these tigers in their own backyard. Since Mizzou joined the SEC, we are 2-0 in Columbia and 1-1 at home. This year they lost at West Virginia 26-11 but then walloped Eastern Michigan 61-21at home. At 2-0 with a win over a ranked team, I guess the Dawgs get the nod, but we all know none of that matters when you start barking in the Tigers ‘den. But I’m confident these young Dawgs are growing fast and at the end of the day their bite will prove to be as bad as their bark and Uga will have another Tiger skin to adorn his doghouse. Gooo… Dawgs! Sic ‘em.”

So that’s it for this week’s One Old Dawg, but we’re here again next week for the both the 1966 and 2016 games against Ole Miss, both the fourth game in the season.

A few pictures from this past week’s 1966 reunion events:

Happy Dicks and Jerry Varnado

Larry Kohn and One Old Dawg, Jerry Varnado

Wayne Ingle, Terry Osbolt, Jerry Varnado
 

 Go Dawgs!!

One Old Dawg on the 1966 VMI game, Nichols State, and meeting a UGA grad and country music legend

One Old Dawg received tickets to the Georgia Dome opening game for his birthday this year.  Though One Old Dawg’s wife is a big Dog fan, she had previously committed to the Decatur Book Festival last weekend, so he took his fabulous grandson with him. And since his son was already going, well, could there have been anything better?

 

Oh, wait. Georgia won. That’s what made the night complete.

All arthritic afflictions seem to have left One Old Dawg, as he appears to be strutting around the house in renewed vigor. Something about a Georgia win does that to him.

“What a glorious night at the Dome! A typical first game, with a few mistakes and miscues, but we played tough in the face of adversity; we stayed after them and closed the deal. I was already excited about our prospects for this year but after Saturday night, I’m ecstatic. One down, eleven to go. Come on Dawgs, let’s finish the regular season like we started it, at the dome.”

 Speaking of Georgia wins, back in that 1966 championship year, the second game of the season was away against the Keydets of Virginia Military Institute, part of the Harvest Bowl series at Victory Stadium in Roanoke.

The Harvest Bowl committee awarded Ronnie Jenkins the Most Valuable Player award for his 133 rushing yards, but back at Georgia, Martin Mechanical Contractors also gave One Old Dawg a Most Valuable Player award. The plaque has a few dings after fifty years, but he still has it―the only MVP award he ever received.

One Old Dawg recalls:

“This was a special game for me as it was the first action I had seen since an injury sidelined me in the middle of the 1965 season. The game did not start out quite as expected. We got the ball first and drove to the VMI 30 but turned it over on downs. They took over on their 29 and failed to get a first down but Kent Lawrence (Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons) fumbled on the punt return and they recovered on our 18. Eight plays later, they were leading 7-0. I sure dreaded going to the sidelines. The coaches were hot! I don’t remember what was said, but it seems I do remember some mention of holding a practice at half-time to get us motivated. Whatever the coaches said,  it worked: Kent Lawrence redeemed himself by taking the kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. They got one first down on their next possession and then punted to our 26. Eight plays later, we were ahead 14-7 and for all practical purposes, the game was over. We continued to romp for a 43-7 victory.

"We learned an important Biblical truth that night, though I doubt any of us realized it was in the Bible.  The lesson is repeated over and over, but two verses stand out to me: Proverbs 16:18: Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 18:12: Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. Every year several big schools get beat by some smaller school underdog. You can warn players about pride and failing to take every opponent seriously, but they still do it. Most of the time game events and the coaches can shake it out of them, but every now and then pride leads us to that terrible embarrassment of losing to the underdog. Thankfully that didn’t happen in Roanoke in 1966.”

This weekend as the 2016 Bulldogs face off against Nicholls State University from Thibodaux, Louisiana, One Old Dawg has this to say:

“Not only can I pronounce it, I know right where it is, 115 miles southwest of Bogalusa, where I was born. Did I mention I have Cajun roots? My last name used to be spelled Varnadeaux. The Colonels haven’t had a winning season since 2007 with a 3-8 record last year. In case you are getting over-confident, let me remind you that in 1961-1963 the Dawgs had three straight losing seasons. But we turned it around in 1964 finishing 7-3-1, including a win over Texas Tech in the Sun Bowl.

“Nicholls should not present a real challenge to the Dawgs, but that doesn’t mean we can look ahead to Missouri. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain, and we’re just the opposite and that makes for a dangerous situation. So stay focused Dawgs, buckle up those chin straps, get ready, think of nothing but winning this game. Don’t worry about running up the score; the Colonels will have a big check to salve their bruised egos on the long trip back to Thibodaux. Geaux… Dawgs! Sic ‘em.

“By the way, let’s pray and do what we can for our neighbors in Louisiana, they are still reeling from the record floods last month. During the game my cousin from Baton Rouge texted that his brother-in-law lost his house, furniture, everything but the clothes on his back, and he is certainly not the only one.”

Next week One Old Dawg will be right here talking about the 1966 South Carolina game, and as usual, he’ll be holding court on this year's Georgia matchup against Missouri.

In the mean time, here’s a One Old Dawg moment:

One Old Dawg’s wife invited him over to the Decatur Book Festival to hear legendary country music singer, Bill Anderson, speak. One Old Dawg had just been talking about him the day before remembering when he performed at a UGA game, but couldn’t remember the date. Almost first in line at the book table, One Old Dawg’s wife told Anderson he played on the ’66 SEC championship team, and One Old Dawg asked Anderson if he remembered the year when he sang at the game.

Anderson flipped open Bill Anderson, an Unprecedented Life in Country Music from the University of Georgia Press. He pointed to  a picture of himself singing at a Georgia game with the date―November 4, 1972.

 

Then the inevitable happened. Anderson, a UGA graduate, asked One Old Dawg what he thought about the Dogs this year. Of course, he offered an opinion. Then the man next in line chimed in. Much to the dismay of the fifty people still waiting to get their books signed, these three proceeded to have a lengthy discussion on the matter.

 

 

When Old Dawg left, it was Bill Anderson who stuck out his hand and shook One Old Dawg’s paw. “Very glad to meet you,” he said.

Those Old Dawgs just love getting together.

 Til next time, again we say it, Go Dogs!!!

One Old Dawg and a Historic Year

Well, here it is: The fiftieth anniversary of the 1966 University of Georgia Southeastern Conference Champions.

(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.

One Old Dawg and the Big One

Now just a few weeks out from the Georgia Dome game when the University of Georgia Bulldogs face off against the University of North Carolina Tarheels, we’re busy working here at One Old Dawg. The dining room table is covered in old news clippings because this year is the big one―the fiftieth anniversary of the 1966 University of Georgia Southeastern Conference Championship Team.  Let all your friends know to sign up to receive by email or check in Wednesdays at the One Old Dawg site beginning August 31.

As usual, you can also count on One Old Dawg to be holding court concerning what’s happening with the Bulldogs today.

If you’re in the Athens, Georgia area, stop in at the Varsity where you’ll find a photo of that 1966 championship team hanging on the wall. Our wonderful grandchildren point out their grandfather (Can you tell the picture was not exactly candid?).

So watch for us, and don’t miss any of One Old Dawg’s mostly true Bulldog lore.