ATHENS – Missy Parker can’t remember a time when she wasn’t a die-hard Georgia Bulldogs fan. The Athens native attended games with her father when tickets were $12 a pop, and now she lives down the street from Kirby Smart, she’s pleased to report.
So the Dawgs’ down-to-the-wire win over Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl Monday was just as exciting for Parker as when Georgia won the national championship in 1980.
“It’s unbelievable,” she said, tearing up, moments after Georgia won. “Today was a 10. This is awesome for Athens, Georgia.”
Raucous crowds throughout Athens rallied for the Bulldogs during the roller-coaster Rose Bowl game on Monday – and they can't wait to do it again next Sunday, when Georgia plays in the College Football Playoff National Championship in Atlanta.
“We drove all the way from Orlando, Florida, to catch the game in Athens,” said alumna Diane O’Dell, at the UGA Alumni Association viewing party at Live Wire Athens.
O’Dell, who also became emotional after the game, could only describe her mood as “ecstatic.”
Fans of all ages, including O’Dell and Parker, attended the viewing party as families and groups of friends took up entire tables to watch the game.
The crowds at Live Wire were fixated on the several television screens and projections, cheering at every Georgia first down, and yelling if Oklahoma made a good play. They clapped when Georgia's iconic mascot "Uga" graced the screen.
As the game went into overtime, fans at the alumni event seemed anxious, many sitting in silence until the game restarted.
They later chanted “Block that kick! Block that kick!” as Oklahoma attempted a field goal in the second period of overtime. The Dawgs’ wishes came true as the kick was blocked, opening the door for Georgia to score the winning touchdown.
The alumni donned their finest red, black and white – including scarves, hats, dog-ear headbands and beads. Even the room was tinted with red and white lights.
The mood during the game swung back and forth as the home team led and then fell behind at various points. By the end, though, high-fives and “Go Dawgs” cheers echoed throughout the venue.
Younger crowds gathered at downtown bars like Cutter's Pub, Boar’s Head Lounge and Hedges on Broad. The famous Georgia Theater hosted a free viewing on the game on a big screen.
Matthew Quirey, who watched the game with his girlfriend at Cutter’s, just finished his first semester of grad school at UGA.
“We love it here. We came here because we know it’s a great experience to watch the game,” the landscape architecture student said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better time to be a Dawgs fan.
Ironically, Quirey grew up in Oklahoma, but went to Oklahoma State – not Oklahoma University – “so go Dawgs,” he said.
Scott McCall, who is from from Buford, said a win in the Rose Bowl dictates “the next five years for us.
“We’re changing the landscape of what UGA means, I think in terms of football, and in terms of Athens,” he said while watching the game at the alumni event. “Athens is becoming a different place because of this.”
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