GEORGIA MEMORABLE GAME
1997 (Georgia 27, Georgia Tech 24)
Things to know
1. The win was Georgia’s seventh consecutive in the series, though it seemed destined to go Tech’s way after the Yellow Jackets took a 22-21 lead on a touchdown run by Charles Wiley with 48 seconds left.
2. Tech’s Travares Tillman intercepted a Mike Bobo pass meant for Hines Ward in the Bulldogs’ game-winning drive, but the call was negated by a pass-interference penalty. The Bulldogs got a first down on the 8-yard line. “I’ve never seen an interference call on a guy who intercepted the ball,” Tech coach George O’Leary said. “But it was my responsibility to stop them. We had a chance to make a play, and I thought we made it.”
3. Bobo responded by throwing a touchdown pass to Corey Allen for the winning score. Bobo finished 30-of-39 for 415 yards and tied a school record with four touchdowns, outdueling Tech’s Joe Hamilton, who finished 19-for-34 for 276 yards.
What happened next for Georgia: The Bulldogs stifled Wisconsin's high-powered rushing offense in a 33-6 victory in the Outback Bowl. With a 10-2 record, Georgia finished No. 10 in the AP and coaches polls.
TECH MEMORABLE GAME
2000 (Tech 27, Georgia 15)
Things to know
1. The win was Tech’s third consecutive victory over Georgia. It was the first three-game streak for the Jackets since 1961-63. It was also the first time the Jackets won two consecutive in Athens since 1954 and ’56.
2. Tech scored all of its points in the first half, including two touchdowns on its first three possessions. One of the scores came on a 70-yard interception return by freshman linebacker Daryl Smith to give the Jackets a 24-point lead. The pass bounced off the elbow of defensive end Felipe Claybrooks. “When I caught it, I just saw a lot of red jerseys. I just took it up the sideline and that was it,” Smith said after the game.
3. George Godsey passed for 222 yards and a touchdown and rushed for a 33-yard touchdown, the longest of his career. He finished the regular season with the second-best statistics in school history at the time. He finished with 2,906 yards and 23 touchdowns passing. Godsey’s parents attended the game and rented a bus so that they could later watch his brother, who was a quarterback at Notre Dame, in the Fighting Irish’s game at USC.
What happened next for Tech: The Jackets were beaten by LSU 30-21 in the Peach Bowl to finish the season with a 9-3 record. Still, George O'Leary was named the ACC's coach of the year.
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