1980 Georgia Team 3rd Best of Herschel Era?

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1980 Georgia Team 3rd Best of Herschel Era?

Herschel Walker 1980 black and white photo
Photo: Georgia Sports Communications

 
 
Bill Connelly pens words that are sure to be seen as heresy by many Georgia faithful. By his reckoning, the 1980 Georgia team rivaled BYU for the “least likely/deserving/good national champion of the 1980s.”
 
 
Revisionist history? At least, there are backhanded compliments:
 
 

…I marvel at how mediocre this Georgia team may have been, I also marvel at the season the Dawgs had. There’s a reason they’re ending up in my book. Herschel Walker ran over Bill Bates, and UGA beat Tennessee by 1. Scott Woerner returned a punt and an interception for touchdowns, and the Dawgs beat Clemson, 20-16. Walker was hurt against Ole Miss, so Carnie Norris and Buck Belue combined to rush for 250+ in a 28-21 win. Walker outrushed eventual Heisman winner George Rogers, 225-174, and Rogers lost a late fumble in a 13-10 UGA victory. Lindsay Scott’s famous 92-yard catch and run beat Florida, 26-21. And Walker separated his shoulder against Notre Dame, then rushed for 150 yards anyway.

 
 
Explore Connelly’s reasoning in via the link below:
 
 
http://www.footballstudyhall.com/2016/5/31/11817802/1980-college-football-season-georgia-penn-state-pitt-nebraska-florida-state
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Greg is closing in on 15 years writing about and photographing UGA sports. While often wrong and/or out of focus, it has been a long, strange trip full of fun and new friends.

3 responses on “1980 Georgia Team 3rd Best of Herschel Era?

  1. cjnewbury

    BD_illustrated I could argue that even the ’83 team without #34 was better than the ’80 team… except in the stat that counts most (W/L).