In 2003, Georgia had the chance to kick Alabama when it was down.
It took that chance in stride, blowing up a battle of field goals with a gigantic second-quarter where many things went well for the Bulldogs and poorly for the Crimson Tide. It all added up to a 37-23 win in a game where the Dawgs led 37-10 at halftime.
Even coming into that day at Sanford Stadium, the trajectory of each program was going toward opposite directions. Even though the Bulldogs were coming off a 17-10 loss at LSU the week before, this Georgia team was showing that the losses from the previous year’s SEC title team could easily be overcome.
Alabama meanwhile…had lost Dennis Franchione the year before and his replacement, Mike Price had a very unfortunate incident while in Florida, forcing him out and bringing in Mike Shula as head coach. Alabama, a team already in the midst of NCAA sanctions, was on tough times, to say the least. That span of time sets Crimson Tide fans apart – those who were fans then versus the PS era – Post-Saban.
As the two teams kicked off, Billy Bennett did what he usually did as a placekicker – got Georgia on the board. But a 9-3 lead early in the second quarter would explode not long afterward, and it started on special teams when Thomas Davis scooped up a punt blocked by Jarrett Berry, returning it for a touchdown. Georgia was just getting started. After a fourth-and-inches stop of Alabama quarterback Spencer Pennington, a 10-play, 44-yard scoring drive capped by a 10-yard pass from DJ Shockley to Jamario Smith extended the lead.
Georgia was glad to add to the Crimson Tide’s misery, jumping on a fumbled kickoff and scoring on a one-yard run by Kregg Lumpkin. Another Bama miscue, this time a fumbled snap led to yet another Georgia score, this time a three-yard pass from David Greene to Ben Watson en route to a 37-10 halftime lead.
Things got worse for the Crimson Tide other than the scoreboard. Starting quarterback Brodie Croyle came off the bench in a ploy to spark the offense, lasting two plays before reinjuring his shoulder. Spencer Pennington, who started the game, would also leave with a shoulder injury.
As for the second half, Georgia was not as crisp. The Bulldogs failed to score and Alabama got a pair of scores on a pick six and scoop and score and even drove past midfield three times, but Georgia did enough defensively to keep the Tide offense off the board.
As both teams left the field that day, the Crimson Tide’s struggles continued, going on to finish 4-9 while Georgia would end up as SEC Eastern Division champions.
Go Dawgs!
