1966 Georgia vs Georgia Tech

by Kavin Caruso
(Georgia)

It was November 26 and these two teams were ranked in the top 10.

Georgia, who would win the SEC Conference and play SMU in the Cotton Bowl, will be facing a team who is undefeated. Georgia Bulldogs are 8-1 and Georgia Tech is 9-0. They were in the Southern Independents so they didn’t play all the SEC teams. This game was played at Sanford Stadium in a packed house. Georgia Tech would meet Florida in the Orange Bowl and would lose in what was a great season for the Yellow Jackets. Bobby Dodd and Vince Dooley were the main attractions in this annual matchup.

After a couple of punt exchange, Georgia made some noise in the 1st quarter when Kent Lawrence returned a 71 punt return touchdown. Georgia led 6-0 after a missed PAT, and then Georgia Tech came back and scored a touchdown. Kim King drove the Yellow Jackets 96 yards and 18 plays, Lenny Snow who was Georgia Tech’s running back ran for 53 yards. Kim King scored a running touchdown and now Tech leads 7-6 with the extra point being converted.

In the 2nd quarter, Georgia came back and with Kirby Moore’s passing arm. Brad Johnson scored a two yard run touchdown, and then Kirby Moore threw a pass for a 2 point conversion to Hardy King to make it a 14-7 Georgia lead. Late in the 2nd quarter, Georgia Tech was moving the ball down the field, Kim King was about to throw to his main receiver, then things went wrong! Kim King’s pass was deflected by George Patton, and then Larry Kohn caught the ball and ran to the Tech 27 yard line. Georgia’s offense was then stalled; Bobby Etter kicked a 27 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Georgia.

After no scoring in the 3rd quarter, Georgia got a field goal in the 4th quarter by Bobby Etter to make it 20-7 Georgia. Georgia Tech took the ball on the next series and managed NO POINTS! Lenny Snow who is one of the great Yellow Jackets running back got stopped at the goal line! Georgia stopped Tech big time. Georgia then took the ball and ran down the field. Bobby Etter then later kicked another field goal; Georgia now leads 23-7.

Georgia Tech would score a touchdown by backup quarterback Larry Good.

He scored a 4 yard run touchdown, now the score is 23-14. Georgia would win 23-14. Georgia is now 9-1; Georgia Tech is now 9-1 also. This was also Bobby Dodd’s last game coaching against Georgia. Bobby Dodd had a record of 165-64-8. He would be replaced by Bud Carson for the 1967 season. It was the third straight win over Georgia Tech for Vince Dooley since he took over at Georgia. Georgia finished the season at number 4, Georgia Tech would finished at number 8 in the top 10. This game had a lot of implications for a national championship. If Georgia Tech would’ve won this game, they would be playing for the National Championship game.

1966 was the last time when both these schools were in the top 10 when facing each other. Prior to the 1966 game, the last time these two schools met when both were in the top 10, was in 1946. Bobby Dodd would later become athletic director at Georgia Tech, died in 1988. Kim King who was the quarterback for Georgia Tech became a radio announcer for the Yellow Jackets. He died of cancer in 2004; he also holds the record for total offense in Yellow Jackets history. Kirby Moore, Georgia’s quarterback is now a lawyer in Macon. Vince Dooley only won 1 national championship while coaching for Georgia. In 1966, he got his first SEC Championship as head coach; he would also achieve it again in 1968.

I am hoping for Georgia and Georgia Tech to be in the top 10 at the same time when they face each in the near future.