University of Tennessee Athletics
Great Games & Moments in Tennessee-Georgia Series
October 09, 2003 | Football
Oct. 9, 2003
Great Games & Moments in Tennessee-Georgia Series
Tennessee and Georgia will be meeting for just the 33rd time Saturday at Neyland Stadium renewing one of the SEC's most colorful and exciting rivalries.
Although the schools are relatively close geographically, the teams met sparingly until the league went to divisional play in 1992 ensuring yearly home-and-home meetings. The Vols and Bulldogs did not meet for over 30 years after UT's 32-0 win in 1937. The two teams next met at Neyland Stadium in 1968 series in a historic 17-17 thriller when the Vols scored the game's final eight points after the clock ran out.
In recent years, the series has been one of streaks. The Vols reeled off nine straight wins over the Bulldogs from 1989-99, while Georgia has won the last three meetings.
2001 - Georgia 26, Tennessee 24 at Neyland Stadium
Trailing 20-17 with 1:21 remaining, Tennessee drives 78 yards for a go-ahead score when Travis Stephens turned a Casey Clausen screen pass into a 66-yard touchdown. Seconds later Georgia returned the favor with a dramatic TD of their own when David Greene finds Verron Haynes in the back of the UT endzone on a 6-yard pass to cap a 59-yard drive in just 37 seconds. The win was Georgia first at Neyland Stadium since 1980.
1998 - Tennessee 22, Georgia 3 at Athens
Just one week after losing star tailback Jamal Lewis to a knee injury at Auburn, Tennessee's tailback combo of Travis Stephens (107) and Travis Henry (53) combine for 160 yards helped lead the Vols to a convincing 22-3 win over No. 7 Georgia in a battle of unbeatens at Athens. UT's defense forced four turnovers and limited Bulldogs to just 195 total yards. The Vols went to record a perfect 13-0 mark and captured the National Championship.
1996 - Tennessee 29, Georgia 17 at Athens
After being stood up at the line of scrimmage on a quarterback sneak, UT's Peyton Manning sprints away from pressure to find Marcus Nash for an improbable 5-yard touchdown pass. Manning completed 31-of-41 passes for 371 yards and two scores as the Vols won their sixth straight game over the Bulldogs. Manning tied a then-UT record with 11 consecutive completions. Jeff Hall's three first-half field goals gave UT a 9-3 haltime advantage. Raymond Austin and Terry Fair each picked off Mike Bobo passes in the fourth quarter.
1995 - Tennessee 30, Georgia 27 at Neyland Stadium
Tennessee freshman placekicker Jeff Hall booted a game-winning 34-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining to lift the Vols to a dramatic 30-27 win over Georgia. Peyton Manning passed for 349 yards and two scores and tailback Jay Graham added 137 yards on the ground. UGA's Robert Edwards gained 156 yards and two TDs before leaving the game with injury in the fourth quarter.
1994 - Tennessee 41, Georgia 23 at Athens
Tennessee's James Stewart rushed for 211 yards and four touchdowns as the Vols' recorded a whopping 383 yards on the ground in defeating Georgia 41-23 at Athens. Aaron Hayden joined Stewart in passing the rushing century mark with 113 yards of his own. Future major league baseball star Todd Helton started his first game at quarterback for the Vols and completed a 9-yard scoring pass to Joey Kent in the first half as UT opened a 17-9 halftime advantage.
1992 - Tennessee 34, Georgia 31 at Athens
Sophomore quarterback Heath Shuler's running and throwing led the Vols to a 34-31 comeback victory at Athens. Shuler led a 14-play, 80-yard drive in the final minutes for the deciding touchdown that included a do-or-die 22-yard pass to Ron Davis on a fourth-and-14 at the UGA 40.
1980 - Georgia 16, Tennessee 15 at Neyland Stadium
Georgia rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit behind true freshman Hershel Walker to defeat Tennessee 16-15 in the 1980 season opener for both teams. Georgia went on to complete a perfect season and win the national title.
1973 - Georgia 35, Tennessee 31 at Neyland Stadium
Georgia won its first game in Knoxville since 1923 after the Bulldogs outscored the Vols 14-0 in the final stanza to win on Andy Johnson's 8-yard scoring run. Leading 31-28 with 2:27 remaining, the Vols ran an unsuccessful fake punt at their own 28 to set up UGA's final score.
1969 - Tennessee 17, Georgia 3 at Athens
Tennessee cleared a major hurdle on its way to the 1969 SEC title with a 17-3 win over Georgia in the rain at Sanford Stadium. UT fullback Curt Watson rushed for a then-school record 197 yards in the victory.
1968 - Tennessee 17, Georgia 17 at Neyland Stadium
Before a national television audience, Tennessee rallied to tie Georgia 17-17 at Neyland Stadium in college football's first game on Tartan Turf. Trailing 17-9, the Vols drove 80 yards in the final seconds, including a 20-yard touchdown pass on fourth down from Bubba Wyche to Gary Kreis on the game's final play. With no time showing on the clock, Wyche hit tight end Ken DeLong with a two-point conversion toss to secure the tie.
David Grim
