“So we’ll try to kick it 100,000 miles,” said Larry Munson.

40 years ago, Kevin Butler lined up on the Dawgs’ 49 and half-yard line. No. 2 Clemson and Georgia were deadlocked late in the fourth quarter. It appeared there was no shot for a Dawgs’ victory, but the “Butthead” had other things in mind, drilling a 60-yard field goal to put the Dawgs up 26-23 and give them the eventual win.

This past Saturday, the same leg that kicked the game-winner so many years ago set foot on the gridiron of Mercedes-Benz Stadium as an honorary captain.

“I don’t want to make a bad call and start Kirby off in the wrong mood or anything,” said Butler. “But, it is a great honor to have this opportunity. It really is. I can’t believe it’s been 40 years since that Clemson game took place.”

The Wednesday prior to the Georgia-Clemson matchup, Butler was recognized by Folds of Honor, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising money for the families of wounded veterans and first responders or the families of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. At the Atlanta Athletic Club, friends and family gathered to help celebrate Butler, this prestigious honor and the kick that sent Sanford Stadium to “worse than bonkers,” as Munson lamented 40 years ago.

Jeff Dantzler, “the heart and soul of the Bulldog Nation,” alongside Butler’s son Drew, former Georgia punter and 2009 Ray Guy Award winner, MC’d the event. To kickoff the special luncheon, the two Damn Good Dawgs previewed the 2024 campaign and introduced their friend and father.

Laughter among stories from the 1980s was shared by the three on stage as well as the audience. Reminiscing about the kick, Coach Dooley, teammates and much more, Butler told the story of that epic day in 1984.

“Coach Dooley got so annoyed with me,” Butler remembered. “You can watch old games and see Coach pacing the sideline, and from out of frame, I would dart right in front of him and say, ‘I can kick it from here.’ Coach Dooley would get so mad and say, ‘it’s second down, we’re not kicking it!”

Furthermore, prior to opening it up for questions, the three on the panel played a UGA Vault video going through a few highlights in the ‘84 matchup and the moments leading up to Butler’s kick with Munson on the call. With loved ones surrounding Butler, the room at the AAC relived the 60-yarder with Butler commenting on his headspace before and after, his teammates and the scene in general.

Butler said his teammates were confident in him because they’d seen him hit a 70+ yard field goal in practice. His teammates in attendance chuckled to which Butler responded, “It’s true, I promise.” Whether the memory was exaggerated or not, Butler felt a sense of support from his teammates as they knew he could do it, and it gave himself the appropriate belief he could, in fact, do the unthinkable as he lined up in Clemson territory.

“It wasn’t about distance, it was just about putting it through the uprights,” said Butler.

While rewatching the kick, it sure does look like it was all about distance but we’ll take Butler’s firsthand word for it.

There was still time on the clock and Clemson almost took away Butler’s historic moment as many people forget. Butler stepped back out there to kick it off, and the Georgia coaching staff called for a squib kick. The Clemson return team fielded the bouncing ball, threw a lateral, and ran it all the way down the sideline. A hard hit out of bounds would stop the Tigers from a potential miracle, and the clock ticked out. Without instant replay, the refs called the game, and Clemson head coach Danny Ford threw a fit. He shoved Dooley’s hand away at midfield in all the confusion and commotion of the controversial call.

“For this, I hate a squib kick,” Butler said. “The best play in football is just kicking it out of the back of the end zone,” Dantzler added.

Butler’s kick stood to be the nail in the coffin despite the near pandemonium; however, Butler said, “The real MVP of the day was the clock manager. Without him killing the clock, I wouldn’t be standing here 40 years later.”

Despite the fits of Clemson’s sideline, the drama, the clock, the return and all other factors, Butler’s leg brought the Dawgs back from way behind, 20-6 at halftime, and delivered the points that would upset a top two team in all the land.

In last week’s game, Georgia didn’t need a 60-yard field goal to take down the Tigers (although Payton Woodring sure looked like he could do it), but the Dawgs will always need a little Kevin Butler to help claim victory. Whether on the coaching staff, as an honorary captain, a fan, or answering phone calls on the Sunday Brunch show from Hilltop, we always need Butler’s presence as a Damn Good Dawg!

Happy 40-year anniversary to the kick that took down the Tigers, and thank you, KB, for always providing when Dawg Nation needs you most! And please enjoy photos from the event on the next two pages.