Colleges: Florida-Georgia

5 memorable plays

By KEITH NIEBUHR
Published October 25, 2005

	[AP file photo]
	Lindsay Scott scores the deciding touchdown in 1980.

RUN, LINDSAY, RUN! (1980)

With 1:35 left in the game, unbeaten Georgia took over at the Bulldogs' 8 trailing 21-20. Georgia had one timeout left and its first two plays fizzled. On third and 11 from the 7, quarterback Buck Belue was flushed back into the end zone and then rolled to his right. A key block from guard Nat Hudson allowed Belue to fire a pass to flanker Lindsay Scott near the 25. It looked as if Scott was surrounded, but he quickly turned and darted upfield. One Florida defender slipped and fell, and Scott simply ran by the others as Georgia radio broadcaster Larry Munson shouted "Run, Lindsay, Run!" Scott was mobbed by teammates and fans after he scored. Georgia won 26-21, and later claimed the national title. A video clip of the play can be found online at www.georgia.scout.com/2/22174.html.)

By 1975, Florida already had suffered its share of heartbreak against Georgia, but nothing prepared Gator fans for this. The No. 11 Gators, who entered 7-1, were oh-so-close to earning the program's first SEC title. But unranked Georgia had other ideas. In a defensive battle, Florida led 7-3 with 3:24 left. Georgia, on its own 20, turned to tight end Richard Appleby. Earlier in the game, Appleby had gained significant yardage twice on end-around plays. But this time, he faked the end-around and threw a pass to flanker Gene Washington, who went the distance. Florida's David Posey missed a 38-yard field-goal attempt that would have tied it with 51 seconds left. Georgia won 10-7 and Florida wouldn't claim its first official conference championship until 1991.

If Florida's 1975 loss hurt, this one must have been torture. Once again, Florida controlled its own destiny in the SEC, entering 4-0 in the conference, 6-1 overall and ranked 10th. In a memorable opening half, Florida looked like a national power and took a 27-13 lead. "We were in the locker room at halftime getting measured for our rings," joked former Gators linebacker Scot Brantley in a 1991 Times interview. Big mistake. Georgia quickly cut the lead to 27-20 in the third quarter, and then Florida coach Doug Dickey made a decision that would haunt the program for years. On fourth and 1 from Florida's 29, he chose to go for it, but running back Earl Carr was stopped by Georgia's Johnny Henderson behind the line. The Gators lost 41-27 and many still haven't forgiven Dickey.

On a rainy day in Jacksonville that turned the Gator Bowl into a giant mud puddle, No. 10 Florida and unranked Georgia were locked in a surprisingly tight game. Freshman Danny Wuerffel started the game at quarterback for Florida but got the hook because of his struggles throwing the wet ball. Terry Dean replaced Wuerffel and played well, but the bulk of Florida's offense came from running back Errict Rhett, who carried 41 times for 183 yards. The Florida defense, however, struggled and Georgia quarterback Eric Zeier passed for 384 yards. With time winding down and Georgia trailing by seven, Zeier couldn't be stopped. He moved the Bulldogs to the Florida 12 with five seconds remaining, and then appeared to throw a touchdown pass that would have put Georgia in position to tie it or go for the win (there was no overtime back then). But unbeknownst to most on hand, Florida cornerback Anthone Lott called timeout a second before the snap. Officials ruled the play dead. Lott was flagged for pass interference the very next play, giving Georgia one more shot. But Zeier threw incomplete and the game was over. Florida won 33-26.

By 1984, losing to Georgia had practically become a Florida tradition. The Bulldogs had won six straight and nine of 10. The previous year, the ninth-ranked Gators had lost another heartbreaker in Jacksonville, falling to the No. 4 Bulldogs 10-9. Florida, which started the year 0-1-1 after a loss in Tampa to Miami and a tie to LSU at home, entered 6-1-1 after having just pounded Auburn and Tigers running back Bo Jackson. The Gators played what likely was their best game to that point against Georgia, and the dagger came with 14:12 left in the fourth quarter and Florida leading 17-0. From the Florida 4, Gators quarterback Kerwin Bell, a freshman, thew a 96-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Nattiel, who would become his top target in the following seasons. "That was such a relief to Gator fans," said longtime Gainesville Sun Gator beat writer Robbie Andreu. "You could almost sense it in the stadium. It was like, "It's over. There's no way they're going to lose this game.' That really ended years of frustration." Florida fans charged the field after the 27-0 victory and tore down the goalposts.

[Last modified October 25, 2005, 08:44:50]