Our Most Fun Rival
I value our rivalry against South Carolina. I don't want to under estimate or under value the importance of our in-state rivalry. Your in-state rival is the biggest and most important rival and that should never change.
Since joining the ACC, Florida State has emerged as our biggest conference rival. The Atlantic Division title usually comes from the winner of our game with the Seminoles. These are the two biggest football schools in the division and the division winner should come from the winner of that game annually.
Our cross-division rival is Georgia Tech. Clemson fans have bought into that rivalry and seem to enjoy beating the Yellow Jackets.
We used to refer to the rivalry with N.C. State as the Textile Bowl. The textile industry has changed in the Carolinas and so has that rivalry.
Many Clemson fans just simply don't care for North Carolina (there is a waiver for that rule this Thursday night).
But I think our rivalry with Georgia is the most fun rivalry we have. I enjoy Clemson-Georgia games more than any of our other rivalries.
In my formative years following Clemson football, it was the Georgia game that I looked forward to more than any other. In many ways, during the stretch from 1977 to 1991, the Georgia game was the most important game of the year.
The 7-6 win over Georgia in 1977 was one of the most important wins in Clemson history. The Tigers came into that game 0-1, but the win over 17th-ranked Georgia was the first in a 7-game winning streak that saw the Tigers go to a bowl game for the first time since 1959. This was the first game where Charley Pell had the buses pull over and the Tigers celebrated with victory cigars.
The 12-0 loss in 1978 was Clemson’s only loss of the season. The Tigers went 11-1 in that season and finished sixth in the nation. Who knows what would have happened if the Tigers had won in Athens that season.
Clemson dominated Georgia in 1980, but Scott Woerner saved the Dawgs with a punt return and an interception return. The 20-16 win over Clemson propelled Georgia to an undefeated season and a national title.
Clemson returned the favor the following season and a 13-3 win helped push the Tigers into the polls the following week. As you know by now, the Tigers went undefeated and won the national title that season.
Clemson and Georgia usually played in September during those years. It was usually the second or third game of the season and the winner usually went on to a great season, while the loser often struggled.
Starting in 1980, here's a look at how the winners and losers faired the rest of the season:
1980: Georgia wins and goes 12-0. Clemson loses and goes 6-5.
1981: Clemson wins and goes 12-0. Georgia loses and goes 10-2.
1982: Georgia wins and goes 11-1. Clemson loses and goes 9-1-1.
1983: The teams tied. Clemson went 9-1-1. Georgia went 10-1-1.
1984: Georgia wins and goes 7-4-1. Clemson loses and goes 7-4.
1985: Georgia wins and goes 7-3-2. Clemson loses and goes 6-6.
1986: Clemson wins and goes 8-2-2. Georgia loses and goes 8-4.
1987: Clemson wins and goes 10-2. Georgia loses and goes 9-3.
1990: Clemson wins and goes 10-2. Georgia loses and goes 4-7.
1991: Georgia wins and goes 9-3. Clemson loses and goes 9-2-1
So 1991 was the only time where the winner of the game ended the season with more losses than the loser.
From 1980 to 1991 the winner of the Clemson-Georgia game went 86-17-5. The loser went 68-34-2. The winner averaged 9.5 wins per season. The loser averaged 7.5.
This is the rivalry that gave us Scott Woerner, Herschel Walker, Terry Hogue, Kevin Butler and Eric Zeier. It gave us Steve Fuller, Jeff Davis, Perry Tuttle, David Treadwell, Terry Allen and Ronald Williams.
This was Vince Dooley and
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at their best. This was the rivalry that matched defensive coordinators like Erk Russell and Bill Oliver. This rivalry was turnovers and field goals. Heck, this was the rivalry that saw a game end with both teams trying to break a tie with 60-plus yard field goals on the last two plays of the game in 1983. This is the rivalry where the Butler did it, but Treadwell did it twice. This is the rivalry where the lights came on in Georgia for the first time. This is the rivalry where John Johnson ripped out the hearts of Dawg Nation.
In my opinion, this is our most fun rival. I am looking forward to adding two new chapters to the rivalry in the next 375 days.
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Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
If you would like to add someone to the list please email me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list.
Those who need our prayers include: Finn Brookover, Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got Igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S., Daniel Rosborough, the Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L., Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs, Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, F.L. guys," Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers, Julie Locke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr., Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Lillian, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Jim Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Mr. and Mrs. Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jake David family, Angie Crowley, Ira, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jefford Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum, Pat James, Cortney Moore, William Moore, Angelia and Savannah Anderson, William Ross, Meredith Legg, Scott Johns, Frank Carroll,
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, Alvin Sammons, Georgine McAlhaney, Glen Davis, Mike Price, Clay Childers, Aaron Knight, Danielle Johnston and family, Nicholas Abrams, Lana Kuykendall, Gary, Gary G., William Huggins, Jim Bennett, Chantz Fowler, Ethel McElveen, Michele Gurganus, William Gentry, Lewis Usher and Tanya Sanders, Shon Cooper, Nick Collins, Amanda Peake, Danny Hammond, Chip Turner, Nick Collins, Allen Steen, The Sturkey family, the Lance family, Marcus Lattimore, Nick Chrisley's family, Allison Williams, Lt. Kyle Walker, Summer and Joel Johnson, Nicole O'Donnell, James O. Johnson, Joy Pruett and family, Bill Schmidt, Jack Bailey, the Gardner family, Charles Turner, Kathy Bartholomew, Ray Sanders, David and Robin Blocker, J.R. Ray, Kenneth Kowe, Lauren Sielicki, Doug Bailey and family, Jenna Phipps, Mark Lawrence, Harlan Sullins, Peter Laboy, Kat and Carlisle Jones, Elizabeth Galloway and family, Anita McDonald, Willard Harryman, Liz Surratt, Molly Senn, Jackie Shearer, Richard Sellers, Tim Drisdelle, Edward Easterling, Dawson Bourne, Susan and Mike Brown, Julie Goodman Marshall, Willard and Dorothy Harryman, Justin Jernigan, Jack Cunningham, Mia Daughtery, and our great country and the men and women in uniform that protect and serve it every day, plus their families.
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