Home > Furman Bisher > Archives > 2008 > November > 27 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTech-Georgia rivalry steeped in history
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For one thing, you never saw the coach wearing a headset, looking like some kind of astronaut. Bobby Dodd and Wally Butts both walked the sideline wearing snap-brim felt hats.
The Georgia Tech team reached Athens by train, boarded at Terminal Station. The rest of the entourage loaded on at the Emory University station. Later, passenger trains were sent into retirement, and getting to Athens was an ordeal by steering wheel, and so was the return trip. Was, still is.
If you lived in Waycross or Whigham, you thanked your good fortune for such a kickoff hour as this. High noon in Sanford Stadium. All of us are at the mercy of some television lord who pulls the strings, and tells them when to kick off from Boston to Corvallis. Ah, those days on the train, though, they were grand, whisking through the countryside. But then, if you were in the writing business, you had to be quick in the press box, or you might miss the choo-choo back home.
That brings up the memory of the “trestle gang.” The east end of Sanford Stadium was open until, I’d guess, about 1991 — I don’t remember the year, but years aren’t important — and with the closure went the “peep seats” on the railroad trestle. A boisterous gang had turned the trestle into their permanent viewing establishment, occasionally interrupted by a freight yard engine, cheerfully tooting its whistle. When the east end of Sanford was enclosed, the gang had one rootin’-tootin’ farewell celebration. Those guys have been replaced in Bulldog lore by the crowd that gathers behind the rightfield fence at Foley Field.
My first season of Georgia-Georgia Tech was 1950, and I won’t swear by this story, but what I’d heard was that Bobby Dodd was in serious trouble. His team went into the Georgia game in Athens with a record of 4-and-6, and there was much unhappiness among alumni powers with the Tech coaching staff. Expecting defeat, these alums had purchased a new car to present to Dodd as they showed him the exit.
It was a mean, tough game with serious penalties on both sides. Tech ran through a string of quarterbacks until Joe Salome, later an Atlanta attorney, had his turn. Then Darrell Crawford , just a rookie, came in and scored on a sneak. Tech held on and won 7-0, against overwhelming odds, and back in Atlanta, instead of a farewell Buick, Dodd was presented a congratulatory Buick.
It was the second game in a winning streak than Tech extended to eight games. Dodd totally re-structured his coaching staff, and not until 1957, when Theron Sapp crashed into the end zone, did Georgia win again, 7-0. Sapp’s score is described as a run, though it was more a collapse across the goal line. He had carried the ball six out of seven plays in a row. When an ancient alumnus knocked on the Butts’ hotel room door later that evening, a member of the family greeted him with, “Well, it has been eight years since we saw you the last time.”
Then there were the two seasons when John Dewberry found himself in the cross-hairs of the Bulldog nation. He had taken leave of Vince Dooley’s team in 1983 and transferred to Georgia Tech, where Bill Curry was trying to get a grip on things. Dewberry said he left because he wanted to play quarterback, not simply be Herschel Walker’s servant. Danged if he didn’t beat the Bulldogs twice, and to this day is held in high disregard in Athens.
Then there were the years the game was played under lights at Grant Field, beginning in 1971, four times on Thanksgiving Day, which had long been the date of an annual freshman game, by far the most notable freshman game in the nation. When freshmen became varsity eligible, this old charity classic died. Never did they play under lights in Athens, but they did kick off on a Friday afternoon in Sanford Stadium in 1994, a game that ran into the evening.
Neither team has matched Tech’s 8-game winning streak since, but twice the Bulldogs have won seven in a row, and has a streak alive now, built on the misfortunes of Chan Gailey. Odds favor them in Athens this weekend. In keeping with the times, both Mark Richt and Paul Johnson will be outfitted with headsets, and their offensive operations are something that would have looked like an invader from outer space when Dodd and Butts were at the wheel.
Permalink | Comments (29) | Post your comment | Categories: Tech/ACC, UGA/SEC
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
Comments
By william cranman
November 27, 2008 5:26 PM | Link to this
Excellent column Mr. Bisher. Thanks for all that you have done and will continue to do.
By Pi$$onaDawg
November 27, 2008 5:41 PM | Link to this
The NEW TRAIN is headed to ATHENS and it is a #21 DIESEL DWYER headed to the Septic Tank END-ZONE. T.Sapp runs slow but just enough to break the drought back then. DWYER runs faster and harder to BUST the drought wide-open. NOSHOW just hang-on to that bench and take a breather you BI**H.
By DenverDawg
November 27, 2008 5:50 PM | Link to this
The east end of Sanford Stadium was open until 1982, not 1991 — good thing years aren’t important
By natvatln
November 27, 2008 7:39 PM | Link to this
First off I have been fortunate enough to read such a fine columnist as yourself the majority of my 67 years.For this I am truly thankful.This is another of your well written pieces. Hope you and yours have ( had ) a great Thanksgiving. Please don’t retire anytime in the near future.
By nope
November 27, 2008 7:56 PM | Link to this
The east end was most definitely still open until ‘91. I remember when you could still sit on the hill, and I’m only 31. Wasn’t sitting on the hill when I was 5, thank you.
By OldSchoolDawg
November 27, 2008 8:01 PM | Link to this
I moved Nawth in 81, and haven’t made it back to Sanford since they closed in the East end. Dang, I wish I could be there Saturday…
If y’all have tickets, be thankful you’re where you are, and not in Maryland, where they treat college football like women’s field hockey and you’re endlessly forcefed the NFL game until you blow chunks.
By T
November 27, 2008 8:04 PM | Link to this
Thank you Mr. Bisher !! Great article
By Georgia by birth, Tech by the grace of God.
November 27, 2008 8:28 PM | Link to this
Don’t know how you came to do that “OldSchool”. Hope it’s beneficial to you. Anyways, great writing Mr. Furman. Reminds me of my late Grandaddy talking about those days. Unfortunatly this will be the year that the dogs tie the 8 streak. I don’t think it’s a given, but the Jackets need to be near full strength. Just to many injuries and not quite enough depth. It’ll be a great game, but I just don’t see matching up with the talent through the 4qtrs. Next year the Jackets take it. With PJ at the wheel, should be a rival reborn. Happy Thanksgiving to all, and God Bless the great state of Georgia.
By GATA
November 27, 2008 10:23 PM | Link to this
I guess even at ‘31 your mind can play tricks on you. “Nope” if you were sitting on the East end tracks you were only 5, because the stadium was expanded on the East in ‘81 and the West end (not double decked) in ‘91.
My memory, Georgia Football Media Guide and Georgiadogs.com (70 years in Sanford) confirms.
You’re Welcome
By Gene
November 27, 2008 11:01 PM | Link to this
If Wally Butts were coaching the game on Sat., Georgia would have a good chance, but some of those entitled, undisciplined pups would be watching from the bench or from a more distant location.
By Strange But True
November 27, 2008 11:37 PM | Link to this
Mr. Bisher,
You wrote a book decades ago that was a life-changer for me: Strange But True Baseball Stories, 1966.
Your book should be required reading for any true baseball fan. The stories of the Miracle Braves of 1914, The Midget from St. Louis, The One-Armed Big Leaguer, and more.
My parents gave me the book over 30 years ago, I and still refer to the stories even to this day to encourage friends to persevere when they see hard times.
One version of a successful life is when a person positively affects other people’s lives who they have never even met.
You are successful.
By "trestle gang"-- gone with the wind
November 28, 2008 12:05 AM | Link to this
Great article Furman,I watched UGA play games sitting on my motorcycle near the railroad trestle in the early 1970’s.
By Calvin
November 28, 2008 12:25 AM | Link to this
The streak should have been broken two years ago, but Tech somehow found a way to lose. This year feels different, but who knows what the gods have in store.
By Old Fart
November 28, 2008 7:13 AM | Link to this
Good article but lacks several small details. The east end zone was not closed in 1991 and there has been a night game in Athens-1992. It was our 100 yrs of football celebration and Tech covered up our super G at the 50 yrd line and were booed so loud that you couldn’t even hear their pitiful excuse of a band. Garrison Hearst ran wild and we won easily as usual.
By The Chief
November 28, 2008 7:16 AM | Link to this
FB, You are the gold standard of sports journalism! Your compadres at AJC are always good, but you are the Dean! I’m in my fifth decade and have read your annual Tech/GA column as long as I can remember. This reminds me of the 78 classic when it was back and forth all day until the Dawgs finally ran back that punt return right in front of us, or the mid 80s game when Jerry Mays kept running the sweep to the right and GA was powerless to stop it! BTW, in keeping with the Thanksgiving holiday, I also remember a column you wrote some years ago where you mentioned being thankful for long legs reaching out from short skirts-must’ve been the miniskirt era.
Thanks for your columns, memories, and THWG!
By Old Fart
November 28, 2008 7:17 AM | Link to this
I mean the east end zone was closed several yrs earlier
By WEBBL
November 28, 2008 8:33 AM | Link to this
Thanks for memories but as Daddy said go to Tech and be somebody…. To hell with Georgia!!!!
By Dawg77
November 28, 2008 8:38 AM | Link to this
Nice article. Tech plays the Dawgs close. The Dawgs have way too much talent and Tech fumbles way too much. Coach Johnson should be ACC coach of the year. Tech will be a tough foe for years to come. They should have hired Johnson in 2002 instead of Chan Gailey. Live and learn Jackets. Dawgs crush Ohio State again in the Citrus Bowl just like 1992.
By David
November 28, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this
Thinly veiled Tech homer … useless drivel just like its been for about 4 decades or so. Your boys get the snot beat out of ‘em yet again tomorrow, and you’ll be back to making the usual lame excuses for them. GT wins when they cheat, otherwise, they’re the same losers year in, year out.
By Villa Rica
November 28, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this
When will UGA will their second National Championship? It’s pitiful to think that the trade school on North Avenue has 4 times as many National Titles as we do. With the talent that has been through UGA we should be up to 8 or 10 by now. H-ll if Alabama has 12 we should have 16!!!!
By KC in Athens
November 28, 2008 9:31 AM | Link to this
Wow, Bisher’s writing about something other than Kentucky derby and golf? Yawn
By Brock
November 28, 2008 10:42 AM | Link to this
Thanks for another great article Mr Bisher. Great thinking back on all the great Tech-GA games, the ‘78 one, 29-28, was a game for the ages. The tracks were definitly lost in ‘82 as they offered low-priced season tix that year to recent grads, like me, to fill the east seats. I sat on the tracks but once just to say I did, in 78 also. With student tix for $1, it made no sense to do so though.
Don’t forget the ‘84(?) game at Sanford where Tech won 35-18. Tech’s QB John Dewberry got a DUI in Athens that night. So the headline was Tech 35, Dewberry, .18! Go Dogs!
By TechCrybaby
November 28, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bisher, your articles been the very best, to our great benefit. You have also had the privilege of presiding, journalistically, over the third and fourth of Georgia Tech’s four football national championships! As Bobby Dodd might say, “Ain’t it wunnerful!”
By Dan Cook
November 28, 2008 1:46 PM | Link to this
What year was it…during the Pepper Rodgers’ stint at Tech, I think, when it rained so hard at Sanford that about half of the crowd left at halftime? Seems to me the score was 14-0 Tech’s way. Likewise, I enjoyed your reminiscing, Mr. Bisher. Good column.
By SavTechIE
November 28, 2008 7:22 PM | Link to this
Link to Dan Cook
Later, while coaching QBs at Florida under TECH’s former coach Ray Graves, I suspect a lot of Rodgers call it self-confidence appears to have rubbed off on Spurrier. Bobby Dodd Jr. was sharing QB playing time down there at about the same time.
Coach Dodd loved sports and liked to gamble, but knew when the odds were in his favor. Some called it luck. When the odds were right he’d place it safe, kicking many times on 3rd down. His former coach Neyland at UT loved his style of play.
By SavTechIE
November 28, 2008 9:59 PM | Link to this
Dodd’s 1951 revamped coaching staff that revitalized TECH’s football supremacy with 2-platoon football included Ray Graves (later head coach Florida) Frank Broyles (later head coach and AD at Arkansas) and Bo Hagan (later head coach at Rice). That year provided the most enjoyable game I’ve ever watched when TECH demolished GA’s Butts 48-6.
By You got to be kidding me
November 28, 2008 10:16 PM | Link to this
Mr Bisher, the link is Wikepedia.com! try using it sometime to get your facts straight! I know you and all the AJC journalists want Tech to win this game so it makes it that much sweeter when UGA once again dashes the Jacket’s hopes! Don’t worry.. we all know they are a better team… but they are no Florida or Alabama!
By DAWGHATER
November 29, 2008 11:14 AM | Link to this
“TO HELL WITH GEORGIA” RAMBLE ON JACKETS!
By StongDoc n Spain
November 29, 2008 3:24 PM | Link to this
UNBELIEVABLE!!! I couldn’t find a satellite to watch here. All tv’s are on rugby for the Englanders. I got on the internet to learn Tech losing 28-12 at the half, with a missed extra point of all things, and retired to my room to drown my impending doom with my beloved Chevas Regals. Now I come down and see the Jackets with 26 points in the 3rd quarter!!! It still ain’t over, but I now have renewed hope!
GO YOU FANTASTIC YELLOW JACKETS