When I arrived on campus at the University of Georgia in the mid-fifties, hard times had enveloped the Bulldog football program.  The decade of the fifties was not good to the “Little Round Man,” as Butts was often referred to.

He was the toast of the state in the forties and had brought about bowl invitations to the Athens community, which the town had passionately hoped and begged for.   Butts made it happen, and he could probably have run for governor without any competition if he had had a hankering to transcend into politics.  He was that popular.

When I walked into Dan Magill’s office in old Stegeman Hall for the first time in the sprng of 1957, I saw a framed photo of Coach Butts on the wall.  Underneath, there was a caption, “Bowlmaster.”  Like the Georgia football team, that pseudonym was out of focus.  The ‘Dogs had not been to a bowl in eight years.  

After winning three conference championships in the forties and taking Georgia to a bowl game almost annually—except for the war years of 1943-44, Butts not only won big games consistently, but he also played a brand of football that endeared him to the populace.  Nobody in the Southeastern Conference appreciated the forward pass like Wallace Butts.  He became a competent recruiter accumulating flourishing talent from Ohio and Pennsylvania in particular—players with names like Sinkwich and Trippi.  Rauch and Geri.   The Bulldogs were always “dressed to the nines,” in their sparkling silver britches and bright red jerseys.  

Things began to deteriorate following the 1949 season with Tech winning close games 7-6 in 1949 in Atlanta, 7-0 in Athens in 1950.  The drought had begun.   Tech dominated the series through 1956.

One of the most debilitating losses came in 1954 between the hedges when monsoon-like downpours drenched the northern part of the state leading up to kickoff.  Conditions for a football game have never been more intolerable.  Even in the quagmire, the Bulldogs pushed Tech all over the field in the first half and led 3-0 at intermission.

Georgia had kicked off to start the game and had the option at the start of the third quarter.   The percentage decision, given the conditions, was to kick off and play for a break.   However, the team lobbied hard with Coach Butts to receive, based on the way things had gone in the first half.  They succeeded.

It turned out to be a bad decision.  Tech kicked to Georgia and on the Bulldogs’ first offensive snap, halfback Wendell Tarleton ran the wrong way, colliding with quarterback Jimmy Harper who fumbled.  Tech recovered and threw a 19-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage, winning the game 7-3.  Had Georgia kicked off to start the second half, likely there would have been no streak.

Georgia would break the drought in 1957 on Grant Field when Theron Sapp scored the only touchdown of the game, ending the futility which had come to pass.   In the years that followed that milestone victory, Georgia has dominated the series, winning 75% of the time.  There have been three seven-year streaks during this period with the current Bulldog team having an opportunity to make it eight Friday.  That would please Bulldog partisans, but as has been said about such in state rivalries, you can throw the record books out the window when the two teams meet.

However, as Bill Cromartie who wrote his book, “Clean Old Fashioned Hate,” reminded us, the favored team in this historic matchup, usually wins.  If you wear Red and Black, you might take heart from Cromartie’s research.

The big question for this game has to be the emotional state of the Georgia team.  Will the Bulldogs be emotionally ready for this rivalry game?   They obviously were not last year but miraculously survived, winning in eight overtimes.

A lot of interesting developments take place in rivalry games.   This Georgia teams seems more focused that it was a year ago.  Georgia has a lot of weapons.  

As you might expect, Coach Kirby Smart has reminded his team that Tech is dangerous and competent.  He has never taken any opponent for granted.