Georgia and Clemson should
play each other in football every year.
What am I saying?
This is the most nerve-racking game of any season for me. I live in the land of “Red & Black” and I proudly sport my orange and purple of the Clemson Tigers despite a hard time from my friends.
For that reason, I fear the meetings between the two. If the Tigers lose, I am forced to search for that “Ocean front property in Arizona” that George Strait speaks of in his song. In other words, I have to get out of Dodge. A Saturday afternoon loss to Georgia could take place in three hours of a four-quarter contest, but the repercussions could last for years. On the other hand, a win for the Tigers would allow me to live in peace at least for a few months in this land that bleeds red and black.
The love/hate relationship between Georgia and Clemson always brings out the best between me and my barking friends. It’s all in good fun when we taunt each other and brag about our loyalties of our home state teams.
Despite my nerve racking moments thinking about this long rivalry, I think the Georgia/ Clemson game should continue on a yearly basis. Forget all the year-opening games versus Georgia Southern, Wofford, Buffalo and Furman. This rival game should kick off each season for the Dawgs and Tigers. This rivalry series started in 1897 when Georgia defeated Clemson 24-0 and it came to a halt in 2003 when Georgia won again by a 30-0 score.
In the 62 meetings, which extends seven years longer than Georgia has played Florida, the Dawgs have won the last five meetings. Prior to that, Clemson won three in a row aided by last second field goals by David Treadwell in 1986 and 1987 followed by a 1990 game that the Tigers won 34-3. Clemson won seven in a row dating back to the years between 1900 and 1907. Georgia reeled off 10 straight wins between the years of 1920 and 1954.
Oddly enough, I don’t remember any of those years of course. But it’s all in the rivalry and the years of the past that make this meeting such a great one. Now with the expansion of conferences and the cut back on non-conference games, the rivals like the border wars with Clemson and Georgia have suffered. I can well remember this rivalry series during the 80s. I remember well the days of David Treadwell’s game winning-kicks and Herschel Walker’s big-time runs, but this series stretches long before these two guys. It was a coach name Charley Pell who led Clemson to a 7-6 win in 1977 that helped push Georgia to their only losing season in 25 years under legendary coach Vince Dooley’s reign.
Georgia posted a 10-1 record against Clemson since 1964, but from 1977 to 1990, the Tigers bounced back with a 6-5-1 mark against the Dawgs.
Clemson’s only regular season losses in 1978, 1982 and 1991 came at the paws of the Bulldogs. Georgia legend Herschel Walker’s only regularseason loss in three years came in Death Valley during Danny Ford and Clemson’s 1981 national championship season.
And I can remember the day when Kevin Butler launched a 60-plus yard field goal to defeat a number 3 ranked Tiger squad in 1984 between the hedges. That one hurt!
Many of the younger Tiger and Dawg fans of today won’t even understand the significance behind this battle. Many of the younger generation may not even know that these two teams used to meet annually and have been a hot ticket each time. There have been just six meetings between the Bulldogs and Tigers in 25 seasons between 1988 and 2012. Georgia will face Clemson in Death Valley this fall and in 2014 they will play in Athens in what might be the final meeting for a long time of this old rivalry.
But for now, it’s what Brent Musburger calls the typical neighbor-hood war between Georgia and Clemson. Two high-powered offenses led by returning seniors Aaron Murray and Tajh Boyd. Clemson’s highly touted core of wide receivers and what Dawg fans call “Gurshall” the duo of running backs Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley.
It’s “game on” on August 31 in Death Valley — two more years of the hated neighborhood war. A win for the Tigers to me would mean peace in my valley of Dawg friends; a loss would mean I’m signing my lease to my “Ocean front property in Arizona” and getting out of Dodge.
Dallas Bordon writes for The Madison County Journal.
What am I saying?
This is the most nerve-racking game of any season for me. I live in the land of “Red & Black” and I proudly sport my orange and purple of the Clemson Tigers despite a hard time from my friends.
For that reason, I fear the meetings between the two. If the Tigers lose, I am forced to search for that “Ocean front property in Arizona” that George Strait speaks of in his song. In other words, I have to get out of Dodge. A Saturday afternoon loss to Georgia could take place in three hours of a four-quarter contest, but the repercussions could last for years. On the other hand, a win for the Tigers would allow me to live in peace at least for a few months in this land that bleeds red and black.
The love/hate relationship between Georgia and Clemson always brings out the best between me and my barking friends. It’s all in good fun when we taunt each other and brag about our loyalties of our home state teams.
Despite my nerve racking moments thinking about this long rivalry, I think the Georgia/ Clemson game should continue on a yearly basis. Forget all the year-opening games versus Georgia Southern, Wofford, Buffalo and Furman. This rival game should kick off each season for the Dawgs and Tigers. This rivalry series started in 1897 when Georgia defeated Clemson 24-0 and it came to a halt in 2003 when Georgia won again by a 30-0 score.
In the 62 meetings, which extends seven years longer than Georgia has played Florida, the Dawgs have won the last five meetings. Prior to that, Clemson won three in a row aided by last second field goals by David Treadwell in 1986 and 1987 followed by a 1990 game that the Tigers won 34-3. Clemson won seven in a row dating back to the years between 1900 and 1907. Georgia reeled off 10 straight wins between the years of 1920 and 1954.
Oddly enough, I don’t remember any of those years of course. But it’s all in the rivalry and the years of the past that make this meeting such a great one. Now with the expansion of conferences and the cut back on non-conference games, the rivals like the border wars with Clemson and Georgia have suffered. I can well remember this rivalry series during the 80s. I remember well the days of David Treadwell’s game winning-kicks and Herschel Walker’s big-time runs, but this series stretches long before these two guys. It was a coach name Charley Pell who led Clemson to a 7-6 win in 1977 that helped push Georgia to their only losing season in 25 years under legendary coach Vince Dooley’s reign.
Georgia posted a 10-1 record against Clemson since 1964, but from 1977 to 1990, the Tigers bounced back with a 6-5-1 mark against the Dawgs.
Clemson’s only regular season losses in 1978, 1982 and 1991 came at the paws of the Bulldogs. Georgia legend Herschel Walker’s only regularseason loss in three years came in Death Valley during Danny Ford and Clemson’s 1981 national championship season.
And I can remember the day when Kevin Butler launched a 60-plus yard field goal to defeat a number 3 ranked Tiger squad in 1984 between the hedges. That one hurt!
Many of the younger Tiger and Dawg fans of today won’t even understand the significance behind this battle. Many of the younger generation may not even know that these two teams used to meet annually and have been a hot ticket each time. There have been just six meetings between the Bulldogs and Tigers in 25 seasons between 1988 and 2012. Georgia will face Clemson in Death Valley this fall and in 2014 they will play in Athens in what might be the final meeting for a long time of this old rivalry.
But for now, it’s what Brent Musburger calls the typical neighbor-hood war between Georgia and Clemson. Two high-powered offenses led by returning seniors Aaron Murray and Tajh Boyd. Clemson’s highly touted core of wide receivers and what Dawg fans call “Gurshall” the duo of running backs Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley.
It’s “game on” on August 31 in Death Valley — two more years of the hated neighborhood war. A win for the Tigers to me would mean peace in my valley of Dawg friends; a loss would mean I’m signing my lease to my “Ocean front property in Arizona” and getting out of Dodge.
Dallas Bordon writes for The Madison County Journal.
