Georgia–Tennessee football rivalry

Georgia–Tennessee football rivalry

Teams	Georgia Bulldogs Tennessee Volunteers

The Georgia–Tennessee football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Georgia Bulldogs football team of the University of Georgia and Tennessee Volunteers football team of the University of Tennessee. The series is currently 22–21–2 Tennessee. Both teams are founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Tennessee and Georgia are the second and third winningest football programs in SEC history, behind only Alabama.

From 1899 to 1989, UT and UGA met only 21 times before the Southeastern Conference (SEC) expanded to twelve members and split into two divisions of six members each, West and East. (The conference expanded by 2 members (Texas A&M and Missouri) in 2012; therefore the SEC West and East divisions have currently seven members each.) Since 1992, the Dawgs and Vols have both been in the SEC's Eastern Division and have met annually on the football field. The largest margin of victory overall was Tennessee by 46 points in 1936 at Sanford Stadium in Athens in their 46–0 victory. The largest margin of victory for Georgia is by 44 points in 1981 at Sanford Stadium in their 44–0 victory. The longest win streak for Georgia is 5, twice, from 2010–14 and from 1909–24. The longest win streak for Tennessee is 9 from 1989–99.

Notable games

1973: In 1973, Georgia, who trailed 31–21, scored a touchdown in the final minutes as quarterback Andy Johnson ran into the end zone for an 8-yard score after the football bounced back into his hands after a botched handoff. The touchdown clinched the Georgia comeback 35–31.

1980:

File:Tennessee vs Georgia 1980.jpg

Herschel Walker 1980 game winning touchdown

In 1980, Georgia, who trailed early 15–0, rallied back behind Herschel Walker, who, on his first collegiate touchdown, ran right over Tennessee defender Bill Bates. Georgia would go onto win 16–15, their first victory of an undefeated national championship season.

1995: In 1995, Georgia had the ball with under two minutes to play in a tie game, 27–27. Georgia then missed a potential game-winning field goal with just over a minute and a half left. Peyton Manning then took the Volunteers to within 40 yards, and Tennessee kicked the game winning field goal with 10 seconds left to win their 5th game in a row against the Bulldogs, 30–27.

2000: In 2000, Georgia quarterback Quincy Carter beat the Volunteers 21–10 in Athens. The victory over Tennessee was Georgia's first win over the Vols since 1988, after 9 straight Tennessee wins. Fans stormed the field at Sanford Stadium in celebration for the only time in school history - taking down the goalposts. Larry Munson, Georgia's legendary radio announcer, said "The athletic department is about to lose about $11,000...we won by 11 points and a lot of praying up here!"

2001 The Hobnail Boot Game: In the 2001 game (the Hobnail Boot game), Tennessee was ranked #6 as it faced UGA coach Mark Richt for the first time. The lead was traded multiple times, but Tennessee had seemingly won the game on a 62-yard touchdown pass with only 44 seconds remaining to take a 24–20 lead. Georgia quarterback David Greene would take the Bulldogs down the field and threw a touchdown pass to Verron Haynes with 6 seconds left to upset Tennessee 26–24. Legendary Georgia radio announcer Larry Munson in an famous call exclaimed, "We just stepped on their face with a hobnail boot and broke their nose! We just crushed their face!".

2004: In 2004, #17 Tennessee ended the back to back SEC Eastern Division Champions 17 game home winning streak with a shocking upset, 19–14. The victory propelled the Volunteers to the SEC Eastern Division Championship, and knocked #3 UGA out of the national title picture.

2007: In 2007, unranked Tennessee ran all over #12 Georgia in Knoxville early, en route to a 35–14 victory. Georgia and Tennessee would finish the season tied for the SEC Eastern Division, but Tennessee's head-to-head victory allowed the Vols to advance to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game which they lost. The Bulldogs would finish the season ranked #2, the loss preventing them from advancing to the BCS National Championship Game, while Tennessee finished #14.

2013: In 2013, Georgia jumped to a 17–3 half time lead. In the third quarter of the game Tennessee came back by a block punt for a touchdown, and a couple of touchdowns. With 1:13 left in the game Tennessee scored a touchdown by Rajion Neal to make the score 31–24. With 5 seconds to go Georgia answered back, with Aaron Murray pass complete to Rantavious Wooten. In overtime Tennessee fumbled the football causing a touchback, turning the ball over to bulldogs. After the play Georgia took the 42 yard field goal by Marshall Morgan and was good to win the game 34–31.

2015: In 2015, the #19 Georgia Bulldogs made their way up to Knoxville riding a 5-year winning streak over the Volunteers. After the Bulldogs went up 24–3 before half, making it seemingly impossible for the Volunteers to come back, momentum would seem to switch hands quite fast. With just 3 minutes left in the half the Volunteers scored a touchdown and recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, propelling Tennessee to score again before half. The unranked Tennessee Volunteers would give Coach Butch Jones the second biggest win of his career and go on to beat the #19 Bulldogs 38–31, and snap the five game losing streak.

Game results

Rankings are from the AP Poll.

Georgia victories

Tennessee victories

Tie games

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
1	November 11, 1899	Knoxville, Tennessee	Tennessee	5–0
2	November 7, 1903	Knoxville, Tennessee	Georgia	5–0
3	November 21, 1906	Athens, Georgia	Tie	0–0
4	October 12, 1907	Athens, Georgia	Tennessee	15–0
5	October 24, 1908	Knoxville, Tennessee	Tennessee	10–0
6	October 23, 1909	Knoxville, Tennessee	Georgia	3–0
7	October 22, 1910	Athens, Georgia	Georgia	35–3
8	October 21, 1922	Athens, Georgia	Georgia	7–3
9	October 20, 1923	Knoxville, Tennessee	Georgia	17–0
10	November 1, 1924	Athens, Georgia	Georgia	33–3
11	October 31, 1925	Knoxville, Tennessee	Tennessee	12–7
12	October 31, 1936	Athens, Georgia	Tennessee	46–0
13	October 30, 1937	Knoxville, Tennessee	Tennessee	32–0
14	September 14, 1968	Knoxville, Tennessee	Tie	17–17
15	November 1, 1969	Athens, Georgia	#3 Tennessee	17–3
16	November 4, 1972	Athens, Georgia	#13 Tennessee	14–0
17	November 3, 1973	Knoxville, Tennessee	Georgia	35–31
18	September 6, 1980	Knoxville, Tennessee	#16 Georgia	16–15
19	September 5, 1981	Athens, Georgia	#10 Georgia	44–0
20	September 3, 1988	Athens, Georgia	#12 Georgia	28–17
21	October 7, 1989	Knoxville, Tennessee	#6 Tennessee	17–14
22	September 12, 1992	Athens, Georgia	#20 Tennessee	34–31
23	September 11, 1993	Knoxville, Tennessee	#8 Tennessee	38–6
24	September 10, 1994	Athens, Georgia	#19 Tennessee	41–23

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
25	September 9, 1995	Knoxville, Tennessee	#8 Tennessee	30–27
26	October 12, 1996	Athens, Georgia	#7 Tennessee	29–17
27	October 11, 1997	Knoxville, Tennessee	#10 Tennessee	38–13
28	October 10, 1998	Athens, Georgia	#4 Tennessee	22–3
29	October 9, 1999	Knoxville, Tennessee	#6 Tennessee	37–20
30	October 7, 2000	Athens, Georgia	#19 Georgia	21–10
31	October 6, 2001	Knoxville, Tennessee	Georgia	26–24
32	October 12, 2002	Athens, Georgia	#6 Georgia	18–13
33	October 11, 2003	Knoxville, Tennessee	#8 Georgia	41–14
34	October 9, 2004	Athens, Georgia	#17 Tennessee	19–14
35	October 8, 2005	Knoxville, Tennessee	#5 Georgia	27–14
36	October 7, 2006	Athens, Georgia	#14 Tennessee	51–33
37	October 6, 2007	Knoxville, Tennessee	Tennessee	35–14
38	October 11, 2008	Athens, Georgia	#10 Georgia	26–14
39	October 10, 2009	Knoxville, Tennessee	Tennessee	45–19
40	October 9, 2010	Athens, Georgia	Georgia	41–14
41	October 8, 2011	Knoxville, Tennessee	Georgia	20–12
42	September 29, 2012	Athens, Georgia	#5 Georgia	51–44
43	October 5, 2013	Knoxville, Tennessee	#6 Georgia	34–31OT
44	September 27, 2014	Athens, Georgia	#12 Georgia	35–32
45	October 10, 2015	Knoxville, Tennessee	Tennessee	38–31
Series: Tennessee leads 22–21–2
OT Game went into overtime.