And with that understatement of the day, the Chan Gailey era got off to a bang with this game. It was the most lopsided result in the series, and the most points that Georgia Tech had ever allowed a Georgia team to score in a game.
I’ve seen Georgia-Georgia Tech games get out of hand, but I’d never seen a Yellow Jacket team quit before. Until this one.
The onslaught began in the second quarter, as Georgia scored 24 unanswered points to lead 34-0 at the half. To that point, Tech’s only brush at an offensive score came midway through the second quarter after a drive stalled and the Jackets attempted a 49 yard field goal. Attempted being the operative word here, as Boss Bailey flicked aside Luke Manget’s kick.
Take that weak stuff somewhere else, Manget.
Tech didn’t get on the scoreboard until early in the fourth quarter, narrowing the gap to thirty seven. The Dawgs answered that score two drives later to produce the final result. All in all, it was a helluva job by Chan Gailey. (You might wonder what was going through Michael Adams’ mind as he watched Dooley’s head coach choice rout the man who was Adams’ first pick.)
The box score in this case doesn’t lie. Everything you need to know about Georgia’s dominance that day is there:
| Team Statistics | Georgia Tech | Georgia |
| First downs | 12 | 24 |
| Rushes-Yards | 22 – 71 | 57 – 230 |
| Passing yards | 222 | 322 |
| Sacked-Yards lost | 2 – 20 | 3 – 18 |
| Return yards | 19 | 98 |
| Passes | 18 – 36 – 2 | 17 – 25 – 0 |
| Punts-Average | 6 – 37 | 3 – 37 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 6 – 3 | 0 – 0 |
| Penalties-Yards | 4 – 28 | 8 – 95 |
| Time of Possession | 23:06 | 36:54 |
Five hundred and fifty or so yards of offense and a +5 in turnover margin is a pretty good formula for a rout. And a rout it was. Even Cory Phillips contributed, going 2 for 3 passing and leading the Dawgs to their final score of the game.
51-7 has become a metaphor. That’s how glorious a day it was.
ESPN.com’s summary of the game, along with the play-by-play can be found here. Mark Schlabach’s recap can be read here.
Get The Picture 
That was indeed an awesome day. I remember sitting next to my friend Leslie in the stands as Georgia dropped touchdown after touchdown on the bugs, and every time we’d look at each other like, “Is this really happening?”
And boy, did we ever dodge a bullet by not hiring Gailey two years prior. All you Dawg fans who are grumbling about how Richt will be on the “hot seat” if he doesn’t win a national title next year, count your blessings, and then count them a few more times.
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I believe the correct admonition is: “Don’t bring that weak s(tuff) in here.”
At least, that’s the way I’ve always heard (or said) it. If you really want to be annoying, you look at the target with a mildly puzzled look on your face, as if you can’t believe their audacity in trying to score on you. What were you thinking, dude? Were you thinking? Obviously not.
Next, you deliver the line, but in a very helpful, matter of fact tone that implies your desire to help the target avoid humiliating himself in the future. Some of them will curse you. Some of them will glare at you. Some of them will ignore you. All of them will hear you and bristle. Your teammates will be amused at your ninja-like calm. His teammates will be annoyed, yet fearful.
It doesn’t get any better than that. Boss Bailey should have just had it printed on cards, so he could hand them out after every play.
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I remember trekking to Sanford to go to this game alone b/c my girlfriend (now my wife) couldn’t get back to town for the game. I sat there in complete happiness for the whole of the game, and I actually felt a shred of disappointment when Tech finally tacked on a touchdown. That went away, though, when the Dawgs went up 51-7.
To this day I tell my wife that was one of the greatest days of my life, and every year I hope it happens again.
If I remember correctly, the student section was chanting “Nerds, nerds, nerds” at the Tech-mites as they were heading out of the stadium.
I’ll tell ya, that chant was a helluva lot more fun than having to rely on “Flag Boy” from the previous visit.
Go Dawgs!
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I was in TN at my parents for Thanksgiving with the family. I can remember, before the game, getting an email from a close friend (GT Alum) that said the following:
“…think we’ll catch you looking ahead to the SEC Championship…”
“…If you give Jon Tenuta two weeks to prepare for anybody, I feel confident…”
Needless to say, I got a text from him around halftime that was less than complimentary (matched only by his rant on Reggie Ball back in 2004).
Good times, good times……
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Maybe I wasn’t as big with the intertubes then as I am now, but I have no recollection of Adams wanting to hire Gailey. How serious was the interest? What a bullet we dodged.
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Yellow, yellow….the color of piss!! That game was a perfect catharsis of the Donnan era finally being over. Even though we won in 2001, the sting of 2000 was still fresh in everyone’s mind going into the 2002 game. After that game, no one–not even Tech “fans”–could deny that the programs were headed in two different directions.
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222 passing yards???? WTH was Van Gorder doing??? Playing soft cover???
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Yeah, but LOOK AT ALL THOSE PENALTIES! Clearly the hallmark of an undisciplined effort.
I was there for this one, too. There was about a 7-10 minute swing where Tech just plain dropped a kickoff, Georgia recovered, and then rode the eighth option on offense (JT Wall, the Protosoutherland) in for 6 with Techies all over his back. Then it was halftime, and Tech’s band came out on the field, heralded by an over-caffeinated PA announcer. The student section, still excited about the taste of first half blood, came down on the band hard. I bet those kids wanted to die.
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8 penalties for nearly 100 yards? Obviously an undisciplined team with no leadership. Hope they ran gassers immediately after the game!
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I remember Chan Gailey’s name being one of the ones bandied about during the 2000 coaching search (along with Ray Sherman and Jeff Bower, and weren’t some people even talking about Pat Dye?!). But Richt was considered one of the favorites from the beginning.
My impression was that the final decision on the hire was always going to be Dooley’s. I honestly don’t remember Michael Adams’ role in the search or whom Adams personally preferred. Maybe some old newspaper articles are archived somewhere that shed light on the situation.
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I got one of my favorite Tshirts while tailgating that day. The front says TECH SUCKS in their font and on the back AUBURN SWALLOWS in their font. I love that shirt. I remember the mass exodus of Techies at Half Time. I was yelling at them “WE PLAY 4 QUARTERS HERE IN ATHENS, WHERE ARE YOU GUYS GOING !!!” The beatdown was epic and I only hope I live to see it happen again, and again, and again.
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“And boy, did we ever dodge a bullet by not hiring Gailey two years prior.”
Yeah, Adams could have yoked the Dawgs with both Chan Gailey *and* Jim Harrick. World of awesome that would have been.
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your description of the game sounds familiar? where have i seen this movie? oh i know uf vs uga circa de 2008!
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It’s strange but of all the UGA games I’ve been to at Sanford Stadium, this still remains in my Top 2. It was my last game as a student and we had gotten into the bourbon pretty hard before the game. We settled into our seats behind the band in Section 112 and commenced the days activities.
Before the game even started Tech dorks in beanies sitting in the 315ish sections were throwing things down on the student section from the upper deck and inviting anyone to come up and fight. At about 24-0 I took their offer up and trekked upstairs only to find their section barren.
The rest of the day was spent in jubilation at the utter ass kicking we gave those losers. It’s one of the best feelings of my life and I want to have it every year. There is not a team on earth I like beating more than the North Avenue Trade School.
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Man, I just can’t figure out why everyone thinks Florida fans are assholes….what could it be?
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“oh i know uf vs uga circa de 2008!”
Halftime, Georgia/Georgia Tech 2002:
Georgia- 34
Georgia Tech- 0
Halftime, Georgia/Florida 2008:
Georgia- 3
Florida- 14
Yep, exactly the same.
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For some reason I doubt BJ is a gator fan. He/she or both seem like yet another tech fan trying to talk smack using Florida as their weapon. Nice try. You’re better off trying to complete level 70 on World of Warcraft. At least you’re better at that.
I was at the game as well and was somewhat worried the players were more concerned with finally making it to the SECC game and that they would half ass-it and let tech hang around. Oh how wonderfully wrong I was. My buddy and I just kept looking at each other in amazement because we couldn’t believe what was going on. We carried this momentum on into the SECC game where we punished Arkansas and into the much hyped “Student vs the Teacher” Sugar Bowl. Again dominating an over matched FSU team. Just a thought but I wonder who the gator fans were pulling for in that one?
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What about Michael Adam’s coach pick (Richt) vs. Dooley’s preference to keep Donnan?
Do you really think Gailey would have been worse than Goff? I find that unlikely.
Seriously. Dooley won us a title, and that’s nice, but he was an absolutely horrible AD – especially when it came to football.
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Just to clarify: please remember that Dooley didn’t want to get a new coach at all. He wanted to keep Donnan. The fact that Adams signed off on Richt means that credit is at least 50% his.
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Muck, are you related to Michael Adams or something?
Seriously, I’ve never heard another UGA alum nor fan skew facts & kiss MA’s ass like this ever.
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You’ve actually just given me a great idea for a post next week. I’ve been having a block this week concerning my blog. Now I finally have some inspiration – a post on just how big of an embarrassing douchebag Michael Adams is to the University.
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@ally
every time i think about ma being the president of my uga i throw up a little in my mouth. hurry up with your post so we can celebrate ma’s douchieness
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6 Fumbles? Goodness
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I watched the 2002 game from my parents mountain house in Cashiers, NC. I drove back to the ATL the next day. Right around the Ga-SC border, Atlanta radio came back in signal. I listened to the 790thezone Georgia Tech-post-mortum on the way back from Cashiers-Steak Shapiro and friends whining about how awful of a loss it was and how embarrassing and devasting it was. I believe the German phrase is Schaten Freuden(JOY IN THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS). I have never enjoyed people whine, cry, bitch, and pity themselves than that morning after. I was Schaten Freuden after that bulldog win.
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