Georgia versus Georgia Tech is the state's Super Bowl. The winner of the Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate rivalry not only has bragging rights but also receives a huge spread of peaches. (This is unconfirmed. If it's untrue, here is my official pitch.)
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Traditionally, the University of Georgia has dominated the heated college football matchup. In 1978, it looked like the Yellow Jackets were finally going to pull off a victory.
GT held a 20-0 lead into the second quarter. Their hopes and dreams were crushed by a series of wild plays capped by heroics from UGA flanker Anthony "Amp" Arnold.
Anthony Arnold's 2-Point Conversion vs. Georgia Tech
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Let's rewind to Georgia Tech's 20-0 lead. UGA responded with two short touchdown runs from running back Willie McClendon followed by an incredible 72-yard punt return by All-American safety Scott Woerner.
Tech answered with a 101-yard kickoff return of their own to go up 28-21 heading into the fourth quarter.
Bulldogs quarterback Buck Belue finds a wide open Arnold for a 42-yard touchdown pass.
"When I saw Buck was in trouble, I turned upfield. Buck pulled up and threw a perfect pass to me. All I had to do was catch it and cruise," Arnold recalled to the Athens Banner-Herald.
Buck Belue's 42-Yard TD to Arnold
Head coach Vince Dooley has a decision to make: go for the tie or go for the win.
What is this? The Mickey Mouse Bowl? Of course he was going for the win.
Dooley's offense heads onto the field. Belue fakes a handoff and runs an option to his left. A Yellow Jacket defender is there to meet him. Belue pitches it to Arnold who goes untouched into the end zone for the two-point conversion.
Georgia led, 29-28.
The crowd in Athens went bonkers. Georgia Tech had them in the first half, I'm not going to lie, but Dooley's Dawgs were a second half team. The Bulldogs hung on to win as freshman defensive back David Archer intercepted a Mike Kelley pass to seal the game. The comeback win avenged the 7-16 loss the previous year. Nature was healing.
It's pretty incredible to erase a 20-point deficit against any team. Doing it against an in-state rival is icing on the cake.
