Georgia–Vanderbilt Football Rivalry
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The Georgia–Vanderbilt football rivalry is an American
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
between the
Georgia Bulldogs The Georgia Bulldogs are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The offic ...
and
Vanderbilt Commodores The Vanderbilt Commodores are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt fields 16 varsity teams (6 men's teams and 10 women's teams), 14 of which compete at the National ...
. Both universities are founding members of the
Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
(SEC), and currently members of the SEC's Eastern Division with a total of 83 meetings. This rivalry is both Georgia and Vanderbilt's fourth longest football rivalry. Georgia leads the series 61–20–2.College Football Data Warehouse
Georgia vs Vanderbilt
. Retrieved July 15, 2014.


Notable games


1895: Vandy wins on a fumble

Georgia's Pomeroy fumbled and Vanderbilt's Elliott recovered the fumble and scored a touchdown. Georgia protested that Pomeroy was down, and coach
Pop Warner Glenn Scobey Warner (April 5, 1871 – September 7, 1954), most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American college football coach at various institutions who is responsible for several key aspects of the modern game. Included among his inn ...
took his team from the field in protest.


1898: Georgia's first win

Prior to the game, the bets were 2 to 1 that Georgia would not score. In front of 2,000 fans at
Piedmont Park Piedmont Park is an urban forest and park in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, located about northeast of Downtown, between the Midtown and Virginia Highland neighborhoods. Originally the land was owned by Dr. Benjamin Walker, who used it as ...
in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, the Bulldogs beat the Commodores for the first ever time, 4 to 0. The score came on a run by Georgia back F. K. McCutcheon. At one point Vanderbilt disputed a John Edgerton fumble, and threatened to leave the field until Georgia's captain Walden said he would withdraw his men from the game if the decision were reversed. Georgia quarterback Kid Huff saved a touchdown when he tackled and forced a fumble from the big Wallace Crutchfield of Vanderbilt. The punting of Georgia fullback A. Clarence Jones featured throughout.


1921: Onside Kick from Scrimmage ties SIAA Championship

The Georgia Bulldogs won the SIAA championship in the prior year of
1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...
. The toughest Southern opponent left for either school, both with undefeated conference records, the Georgia-Vanderbilt game would decide the SIAA title. Georgia was the favorite to win this first meeting of the two schools since
1912 This year is notable for Sinking of the Titanic, the sinking of the ''Titanic'', which occurred on April 15. In Albania, this leap year runs with only 353 days as the country achieved switching from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar by skippin ...
, in part because the Bulldogs may have outplayed
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...
and defeated Auburn earlier in 1921. Georgia had the greatest line in the
South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
,Russell, Fred, and Maxwell Edward Benson. Fifty Years of Vanderbilt Football. Nashville, TN, 1938 featuring four All-Southern linemen by the names of Puss Whelchel,
Bum Day Ashel Monroe "Bum" Day (August 3, 1898 – January 30, 1988), was an American college football player who was a center for both the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets of the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Georgia Bulldogs of the University ...
, Owen Reynolds, and Artie Pew. Not one team all year scored on Georgia through its line.Camp, Walter, ed
National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Rules: Official Intercollegiate Football Guide.
45 Rose St, New York: American Sports, 1922. Print. Spalding's Athletic Library.
Vanderbilt at this point was 6–1 against Georgia all time, the score all time was 184 to 4 in the Commodores' favor. The first score came after a punt from the Commodores was returned by Georgia some 15 yards to around Vanderbilt's 30-yard line. The Bulldogs would complete an 18-yard pass from Hartley to halfback Jim Tom Reynolds, to Vanderbilt's 12-yard line. Three punches at the line were stopped for short gains. Hartley gained five yards and Vanderbilt was penalized for offsides. Three line bucks netted three yards. Jim Reynolds, gaining a yard or so, went over for the touchdown with a counter on the following series. It was such a close call that it brought forth considerable argument. Pew kicked goal. The half ended with Georgia gaining 113 yards on offense to Vanderbilt's 9. Soon after the start of the fourth quarter,
Jess Neely Jesse Claiborne Neely (January 4, 1898 – April 9, 1983) was an American football player, a baseball and football coach. He was head football coach at Southwestern University (now Rhodes College) from 1924 to 1927, at Clemson University fr ...
intercepted a pass, weaving for a return of 25 yards to Georgia's 40-yard line before being brought down by Jim Reynolds. Two long pass attempts failed, and Thomas Ryan lined up to punt.
Rupert Smith General (United Kingdom), General Sir Rupert Anthony Smith, (born 13 December 1943) is a retired British Army officer and author of ''The Utility of Force''. He was a senior commander during the Gulf War, for which he was recognised with the aw ...
snuck in behind Ryan, and rushed to recover the 25-yard
onside kick In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff (under American and Canadian rules) or punt (under Canadian rules only) deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a t ...
, jumping up to get the ball off the bounce among a hoard of Bulldogs, after they had let it bounce, including the outstretched arms of the Bulldogs' Hartley, and raced for a 15-yard touchdown. Rupert added his own extra point and the game ended as a tie, 7–7. Georgia would go on to beat both
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
and Clemson handily in the following weeks, while the next week Vanderbilt handled Sewanee in the mud, giving both Vanderbilt and Georgia an equal right to the claim of a 1921 SIAA title. A freshman
Lynn Bomar Robert Lynn Bomar (January 21, 1901 – June 11, 1964) was an American football End (gridiron football), end in the National Football League (NFL). Bomar played college football, basketball and baseball for Vanderbilt University, following ...
's play at the linebacker position was especially noted, "Georgia would have trampled Vanderbilt to atoms but for Lynn Bomar," observed Nashville Tennessean sportswriter Blinkey Horn. It was said he stopped five Georgia touchdowns that day.Traughber, William L
Vanderbilt Football: Tales of Commodore Gridiron History
Charleston, SC: History, 2011.
One source credits this as the first successful onside kick in the history of football.


1923: "Dixie's top team" licked by Commodores

On November 17, the
Vanderbilt Commodores The Vanderbilt Commodores are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt fields 16 varsity teams (6 men's teams and 10 women's teams), 14 of which compete at the National ...
beat the
Georgia Bulldogs The Georgia Bulldogs are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The offic ...
at Dudley Field by a lopsided score of 35 to 7.
Fred Russell Fred Russell (August 27, 1906 – January 26, 2003) was an American sportswriter from Tennessee who served as sports editor for the ''Nashville Banner'' newspaper for 68 years (1930–1998). He was a member of the Heisman Trophy Committee, presi ...
would say this was when "the Gold and Black hit the season's peak."
Morgan Blake William Morgan Blake (February, 1889 – July 26, 1953) was an early 20th-century American sportswriter in the South who in his 24 years on the job covered seven Rose Bowl games. He also taught the south's largest Sunday School class. Early ye ...
, sportswriter in the ''Atlanta Journal'', wrote "No southern team has given the Georgia Bulldogs such a licking in a decade." Georgia was labeled "Dixie's top team;" its only loss coming against traditional powerhouse
Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
. Georgia's defense had previously shut out all its Southern Conference opponents, with no southern team crossing the Bulldogs' 20 or 25 yard line. Vanderbilt halfback
Gil Reese David Argillus "Gil" Reese (January 14, 1901 – May 30, 1993) nicknamed "the Tupelo Flash" was an American football, basketball, and baseball player for the Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University. He was captain of all three his senior ...
would star in this game, including two punt returns for touchdowns and two more touchdowns on the ground. Reese ran for over 200 yards for the second week in a row, with 232 yards on his five largest plays and over 300 total yards. Former Vanderbilt coach
Wallace Wade William Wallace Wade (June 15, 1892 – October 6, 1986) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the University of Alabama fr ...
, who was at the game scouting Georgia, said the Commodores that day were "the smartest I ever saw."


1924: Lynn Bomar injured

1924 brought the first victory for Georgia over Vanderbilt in twenty-seven "long years," having failed to win the last seven matches. The Commodores did well in the first quarter, but never threatened again after that. Georgia had 12 first downs to Vandy's 7, and the Bulldogs gained 284 yards to the Commodores' 128. The furthest the Commodores penetrated was to Georgia's 31-yard line. Thrice the Bulldogs got to within Vanderbilt's 10-yard line, but all three times the Vanderbilt defense stiffened and prevented a score. Bulldog quarterback "Scrappy" Moore made the 32-yard drop-kick which broke the scoreless tie in the fourth quarter. It was the last field goal kicked by a Bulldog until seventeen years later when
Frank Sinkwich Frank Francis Sinkwich Sr. (October 10, 1920 – October 22, 1990) was a Croatian American football player and coach. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1942 while playing for the Georgia Bulldogs, making him the first recipient from the Southeastern ...
did so against
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
with a
broken jaw Mandibular fracture, also known as fracture of the jaw, is a break through the mandibular bone. In about 60% of cases the break occurs in two places. It may result in a decreased ability to fully open the mouth. Often the teeth will not feel ...
in
1941 The Correlates of War project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 3.49 million. However, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program estimates that the subsequent year, 1942, wa ...
.
1923 In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...
consensus
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
Lynn Bomar Robert Lynn Bomar (January 21, 1901 – June 11, 1964) was an American football End (gridiron football), end in the National Football League (NFL). Bomar played college football, basketball and baseball for Vanderbilt University, following ...
suffered an injury this day which would tragically end his career with Vanderbilt football. A kick to the chin from a cleat gave him a severe
brain hemorrhage The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...
, leaving him with half of his body paralyzed for two days. It was figured he would never play football again. "Not a player on the team could talk of Bomar's injury without tears coming to his eyes." The next year, he would defy the odds and play professional football in the inaugural season for the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, leaving after
1926 In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...
from a different injury.


1926: Spears beats Georgia by a point

In "one of the most hectic games ever played" the crowd saw "a succession of climaxes that left the spectators trembling with exhaustion". With two minutes left, Vanderbilt blocked Georgia's punt.
Bull Brown John Neil "Bull" Brown was an American football and baseball player for the Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University. He was said by coach Dan McGugin to be one of his six best players ever coached. He was selected All-Southern in 1928 and ...
blocked Georgia's
safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
man on a run, and a pass from Bill Spears to Peck Owen got a touchdown. Spears calmly kicked the extra point for the win.


1931: Smith beats Vanderbilt

"In a closely fought battle," Vernon Smith rushed Vanderbilt quarterback Tommy Henderson, who always played without a helmet, and made him step out of bounds for a safety. In the third quarter it was still 2-0, and Georgia went for it on fourth down at the 8-yard line. Austin Downes tossed a pass and Smith leaped above several Vanderbilt players to catch the touchdown. Smith also intercepted a pass deep in Georgia territory to end a Vanderbilt drive.


1985: Commodores Settle For Tie

Vanderbilt tied 16th ranked Georgia 13 to 13.


2006: Vanderbilt Upsets Georgia On Homecoming

A 33-yard field goal with 10 seconds to play upset the 16th ranked Georgia Bulldogs.


2011

Georgia held off Vanderbilt 33 to 28.
Aaron Murray Aaron William Murray (born November 10, 1990) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL) in the fifth round of the ...
threw for a career-high 326 yards and three touchdowns, and
Blair Walsh Blair Richard Walsh (born January 8, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. Walsh played college football for t ...
kicked four field goals.
Bacarri Rambo Bacarri Jamon Rambo (born June 27, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, earning first-team All-American honors in 2 ...
deflected the game's final pass with one second left. There was a post game confrontation between coach James Franklin and assistant Todd Grantham causing an SEC investigation.


2013

In 2013, under coach James Franklin, Vanderbilt upset #15 Georgia 31 to 27, after trailing 27 to 14 and with an injured quarterback.


2016

Vanderbilt defeated Georgia on a 2-yard run by
Khari Blasingame Khari Thomas Blasingame (born July 1, 1996) is an American professional football fullback. He played college football for the Vanderbilt Commodores and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Vikings in 2019. Early life Blasin ...
.


Game results

Series record sources: College Football Data Warehouse.


See also

*
List of NCAA college football rivalry games This is a list of List of sports rivalries, rivalry games in college football. The list also shows any trophy awarded to the winner of the rivalry between the teams. NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Georgia-Vanderbilt football rivalry College football rivalries in the United States Georgia Bulldogs football Vanderbilt Commodores football