<strong>Georgia</strong>’s almost two decades of success over <strong>Auburn</strong> has shifted the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry series, however history shows the <strong>Tigers</strong>’ knack for hurting Dawgs’ special seasons JEFF DANTZLER @jeffdantzlerTV <strong>The</strong> <strong>Georgia</strong> Bulldogs are basking in the midst of the lengthiest run of glory in program history. Under the watch of native son Kirby Smart, the top-ranked reigning national champions are one of the undisputed kings of college football. <strong>The</strong>re have been many other magnificent stretches for the Bulldogs: 1941-42, 1945- 1946, 1948. <strong>The</strong>re are the Southeastern Conference titles of 1966 and 1968. Cast forever in <strong>Georgia</strong> lore, the Red and Black’s Golden Era of 1980 through 1983, with the 1980 national championship, three straight SEC crowns, four consecutive top five finishes and a cumulative 43-4-1 record. <strong>Georgia</strong> finished in the top ten for four straight seasons from 2002-2005, and then was ranked No. 2 in 2007. This is a first though, the five successive top ten finishes and five consecutive major bowls. <strong>The</strong> chrishindo, the 2021 national championship. Growing up in the 1980s - I was eight for the 1980 national championship and didn’t really know any different, and then crestfallen and heartbroken after Pitt and Penn State - those glory days and the heroes of so many unforgettable victores will forever hold a special place in my heart and memories. It’s a high the Bulldog faithful had been chasing ever since. <strong>The</strong> national championship of 1980 started the magical run through the early ‘80s. <strong>The</strong> national championship of 2021 was the fifth of five straight sensational seasons. Now the Bulldogs of <strong>2022</strong> try to extend this unprecedented run of greatness in Athens and make their own mark. So close so many times between 1980 and 2021. Now here we are again. En route to the mountaintop of college football, the Bulldogs have amassed an impressive record against the program’s longtime, historic rivals. Perhaps most notably, against <strong>Auburn</strong>. Since 2006, <strong>Georgia</strong> is 14-3 against the <strong>Tigers</strong>, including a 7-0 mark against <strong>Auburn</strong> at Sanford Stadium. During the middle and second half of the 1980s, this is something that would be hard to visualize and imagine. In one of the most important games in Sanford Stadium history, a top four national battle, 8-1 <strong>Auburn</strong> beat 8-0-1 <strong>Georgia</strong> 13-7 in 1983. That heartbreaker cost the Bulldogs a fourth straight SEC championship and shot at the national title. It also joined losses to <strong>Auburn</strong> in 1942 and 1971 as some of the most costly in <strong>Georgia</strong> history. From 1983-1990, <strong>Auburn</strong> went 7-1 against the Bulldogs, with <strong>Georgia</strong>’s win famously coming between the hoses at Jordan-Hare Stadium 20-16 in 1986. <strong>Auburn</strong>’s campus is just across the state line, and the <strong>Tigers</strong> have always hit the Peach State hard on the recruiting trail. A lot of <strong>Auburn</strong> players from <strong>Georgia</strong> have dealt a plethora of punishment to the home state school. Especially in Athens. <strong>For</strong> years and years, this series was controlled by the road team. <strong>Auburn</strong> was particularly dominant at Sanford Stadium. From 1977-2001, the <strong>Tigers</strong> went 11-2 against <strong>Georgia</strong> in Athens. When the <strong>Tigers</strong> pulled off a fourth down final minute comeback - not the last time that would happen - to deal the Dogs a heartbreaking 31-30 loss Between the Hedges in 2005, <strong>Auburn</strong> led the all-time series 53-48-8. Now the Bulldogs lead the series 62-56-8, and <strong>Georgia</strong> aims for an eighth straight victory at Sanford Stadium over <strong>Auburn</strong> dating back to the mesmerizing Blackout triumph of 2007. Under Smart’s watch, the Bulldogs are 6-1 against <strong>Auburn</strong>, and that includes one of <strong>Georgia</strong>’s biggest wins ever. It was a victory that would ignite the <strong>Georgia</strong> program back into the elite. In 2017, Smart’s second season, <strong>Georgia</strong> had an 11-1 regular season. <strong>The</strong> lone loss came at <strong>Auburn</strong> by a big number, 40-17. <strong>Georgia</strong> entered that game ranked No. 1. <strong>The</strong> Bulldogs came back and beat Kentucky and the Yellow Jackets. <strong>Auburn</strong> beat Alabama, which had moved to No. 1 and the two would rematch in the SEC Championship Game. <strong>The</strong> conference crown and College Football Playoff berth were on the line. <strong>Georgia</strong> fell behind 7-0 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, but the Bulldogs would come storming back. Roquan Smith spearheaded the defensive performance and <strong>Georgia</strong>’s offense got clicking. <strong>The</strong> Bulldogs won 28-7 to clinch the program’s first SEC title since 2005 and earn one of those four coveted playoff spots. It was the Bulldogs most significant victory since the aforementioned early 80s. That 2017 SEC Championship Game triumph over the <strong>Tigers</strong> sits on the Mount Rushmore of <strong>Georgia</strong> victories in the Kirby Smart era. <strong>The</strong> others would be, and surely there’s not too much debate here, the 33-18 National Championship Game victory over Alabama on 1/10/22, the 34- 11 Orange Bowl College Football Playoff Semifinal win over Michigan that earned the berth in the big game in Indianapolis for the 2021 title, and the New Year’s Day Rose Bowl College Football Playoff 54-48 overtime victory over Oklahoma that vaulted the Bulldogs into the big game for the 2017 crown. If you wanted to go one for the thumb - a lot of lists are preferred to have five or ten - the 20-19 thriller that the Bulldogs pulled out to beat Notre Dame in 2017 was a launching point for Kirby’s Canines. It’s well known that in the grand annals of <strong>Georgia</strong>-<strong>Auburn</strong>, these two foes have ruined special seasons for the opposition, with the aforementioned numerous upsets on the road. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Tigers</strong> will try to do that again on Saturday, to make some new history. While the Bulldogs will attempt to continue this impressive and unprecedented string of success in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. MOVING DAWGS ACROSS GEORGIA SINCE 1972 Residential and Commercial Moving Local and Long Distance On-site Document Destruction Document Data Storage Go Mini’s Portable Storage Units Packing Materials DUKE LINDSAY dlindsay@thelindsaygroup.net 706.549.8902 • 180 Trade Street • Bogart, GA 30622 BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 12 ISSUE EIGHT • AUBURN
Saturday, October 8 th | 1pm – 3pm VINCE DOOLEY UGA All American, NFL Great, 3-time <strong>For</strong>mer UGA head coach, College Football Hall of Famer, UGA Field Honoree, and author. MALCOLM MITCHELL <strong>For</strong>mer UGA standout, Super Bowl Winner, Literacy Crusader, and author BUCK BELUE UGA National Championship Great and radio host. LINDSAY SCOTT UGA All American, NFL Great, 3-time UGA National Championship Great – “RUN LINDSAY RUN!”
- Page 1 and 2: BULLDAWG ILLUSTRATED years eye for
- Page 3: BULLDOGS GEORGIA GEORGIA BULLDOGS 2
- Page 7 and 8: #SUBARULOVESPETS ATHENS AREA HUMANE
- Page 9 and 10: GO DAWGS! AN AWARD WINNING STAY. HO
- Page 11: HILLTO BRINGING COASTAL Casual, CUI
- Page 15 and 16: FIVE KEYS PG. 20 | DAWG BONES PG. 2
- Page 17 and 18: JAMON DUMAS-JOHNSON (LB #10) - Jamo
- Page 19 and 20: NOW THIS IS THE WAY TO SEE THE DAWG
- Page 21 and 22: When You Need Care, Our Team Gets Y
- Page 23 and 24: Not a local branch. A local Bank. A
- Page 25: 105 Main St., Plantation Village St
- Page 28 and 29: GEORGIA GIRLS SOCIAL 3. Georgia Gir
- Page 30 and 31: SOCIAL FAN SHOTS Kim Speer, Stuart
- Page 32 and 33: SOCIAL FAN SHOTS (front) Eric Davis
- Page 34 and 35: SOCIAL FAN SHOTS David Rossman, Wil
- Page 36 and 37: SOCIAL FAN SHOTS Cassie Baker, Eric
- Page 38 and 39: SOCIAL FAN SHOTS Jennifer Miller, R
- Page 40 and 41: 40 Under 40 CANDACE ALYNN HILL DUVE
- Page 42: 40 Under 40 SHAYLA HILL CHRISTIE JO
- Page 45 and 46: We are proud of Coach Kirby Smart a
- Page 48 and 49: SOCIAL FAN SHOTS Suzanne Griffeth,
- Page 50 and 51: SOCIAL FAN SHOTS Trevor Santos, Rac
- Page 52 and 53: GUIDE2ATHENS SOCIAL a Bulldawg’s
- Page 54 and 55: PROUST Q&A BY: CAROLINE CHAMPION TO
- Page 56 and 57: SOCIAL FAN SHOTS Pat Dye, Jr., Lora
- Page 58 and 59: SOCIAL FAN SHOTS Phil Blount, Larry
- Page 60 and 61: SOCIAL FAN SHOTS Emily Dantzler, Je
- Page 62:
MORE SPORTS FOOTBALL WHADDAYA GOT L
- Page 66 and 67:
MORE SPORTS FOOTBALL FROM THE FIELD
- Page 68 and 69:
STATS THAT MATTER Get Loud Stand Pr
- Page 70 and 71:
JD’S TOP 15 — Jeff Dantzler FOO
- Page 72:
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY. Crown Roy