Best play of all time at Tech?

[Old South Stands]

This is more of an offseason-type question, but I was purusing the UGA blog on the AJC, and the pass Buck Belue made to Lindsey Scott to beat Florida in 1980 was being heralded as the best play in the entire history of UGA football -- presumably more important than the play that ended The Drought. This was because it preserved the undefeated season.

I was wondering if Tech had any such play... And I can't think of any. In 1990, there were dozens of pivotal plays. In fact, virtually every play of the Virginia game seemed pivotal, though some we more pivotal than others.

The play that comes to mind most is the goal line stand against Clemson in 1990. That game really set the stage for the Virginia game, and that particular play put the momentum solidly in Tech's favor. There was also that goal line stand in the Virginia game...

Other memorable plays that changed the game for Tech were Gary Lee's kickoff return against UGA in 1985 after they'd been dominating Tech for much of the evening (it was a much more difficult win than in 1984), the 4 TD catches by Calvin Johnson against Clemson and that final catch with time running out, the Miracle on North Avenue against FSU (fumble recovery in the end zone with seconds remaining), the Kick-Pick against UGA two years ago, Josh Nesbitt stripping the ball right after losing the fumble to help preserve the win...

 

[alentrekin]

sisson with 7s left to beat uva in'90..

 

[Skeptic]

This is more of an offseason-type question, but I was purusing the UGA blog on the AJC, and the pass Buck Belue made to Lindsey Scott to beat Florida in 1980 was being heralded as the best play in the entire history of UGA football -- presumably more important than the play that ended The Drought. This was because it preserved the undefeated season.

I was wondering if Tech had any such play... And I can't think of any. In 1990, there were dozens of pivotal plays. In fact, virtually every play of the Virginia game seemed pivotal, though some we more pivotal than others.

The play that comes to mind most is the goal line stand against Clemson in 1990. That game really set the stage for the Virginia game, and that particular play put the momentum solidly in Tech's favor. There was also that goal line stand in the Virginia game...

Other memorable plays that changed the game for Tech were Gary Lee's kickoff return against UGA in 1985 after they'd been dominating Tech for much of the evening (it was a much more difficult win than in 1984), the 4 TD catches by Calvin Johnson against Clemson and that final catch with time running out, the Miracle on North Avenue against FSU (fumble recovery in the end zone with seconds remaining), the Kick-Pick against UGA two years ago, Josh Nesbitt stripping the ball right after losing the fumble to help preserve the win...

Not very glamorous in the scheme of things -- and picking one out of, what, tens of thousands, is like buying out the store for a Cracker Jack prize, but how about that late field goal by a freshman to beat Baylor in the 1951 Orange Bowl, starting a then-record string of six straight bowl wins in an era that had only five-six bowl games a season, and ignited the Bobby Dodd legend? Pepper Rodgers went on to set numerous Sugar Bowl records before he graduated, but for Tech fans that was The Kick before the Kick.

 

[Boomergump]

"Roddy Jones stays in bounds!.....STILL IN BOUNDS!!!!........"

 

[Yoda]

First thing that popped into my mind was the William Bell run.

 

[91Wreck]

Jasper Sanks fumble. Might be my favorite play of all time. Mainly because we were robbed of a victory the year before with a phantom pass interference call.

 

[iceeater1969]

Not very glamorous in the scheme of things -- and picking one out of, what, tens of thousands, is like buying out the store for a Cracker Jack prize, but how about that late field goal by a freshman to beat Baylor in the 1951 Orange Bowl, starting a then-record string of six straight bowl wins in an era that had only five-six bowl games a season, and ignited the Bobby Dodd legend? Pepper Rodgers went on to set numerous Sugar Bowl records before he graduated, but for Tech fans that was The Kick before the Kick.

Heard people tall about that kick when we beat UT 6-3 on "the abc (?) game of week. I believe the kicker Kim King the all everything tech man .

 

[4shotB]

the first thought when I saw the thread title was the Gary Lee kickoff. I guess maybe it was the setting...night game at home, the fog, etc. Some of the readers might not believe this, but I am so old I have seen 4 GT wins in the series in Atlanta at BDS. I have heard rumours that there are still some surviving elders out there who have seen more but I am skeptical. I lump that into the same type of rumour that states there are still Japanese soldiers in the remote Pacific islands who are unaware that the war is over. There may be a few of these GT elders around but they probably are unaware of the internet and/or have lost control of their mental facilities so we probably won't hear from them (IF they even exist).

 

[mqpayne]

Stopping Namath at the one going for two in 1962 when Ala was #1 with 29 straight wins.

 

[collegeballfan]

Stopping Namath at the one going for two in 1962 when Ala was #1 with 29 straight wins.

Yep, this is the one.

Nov. 17, 1962: Georgia Tech vs. Alabama
This was another epic Grant Field win over Alabama, one Coach Bobby Dodd called “my greatest victory.” Mike McNames scored Tech's only touchdown and made a game-saving tackle to upset Bear Bryant's unbeaten, No. 1 defending national champs. Georgia Tech's 7-6 win lives on as a Legendary Moment in Georgia Tech Football History.

 

[Old South Stands]

the first thought when I saw the thread title was the Gary Lee kickoff. I guess maybe it was the setting...night game at home, the fog, etc. Some of the readers might not believe this, but I am so old I have seen 4 GT wins in the series in Atlanta at BDS. I have heard rumours that there are still some surviving elders out there who have seen more but I am skeptical. I lump that into the same type of rumour that states there are still Japanese soldiers in the remote Pacific islands who are unaware that the war is over. There may be a few of these GT elders around but they probably are unaware of the internet and/or have lost control of their mental facilities so we probably won't hear from them (IF they even exist).

Re: 4 GT wins... Was thinking the same thing earlier this week. We haven't beaten UGA at home in seventeen seasons. That's seventeen seasons. And without the Jasper Sanks fumble and the 3rd-down blocked FG recovery by Godsey, it would have been twenty-seven seasons since we got a win at home. Should have beaten UGA last year with the way the defense played (and in 2013, for that matter with the 20-point lead).

The first Tech win I remember at Grant Field was in '77. Was a fifth-grader at the time and had just attended the Pepper Rodgers football camp that summer. It would be another 8 years before Tech got another one at home, which was the Fog Bowl. Was in the Army at the time out in California and watched the game with a UGA fan in the day room. Hardly anyone else was interested in the game. Tech won again in '89 while I was a student at Tech, and then the one in 1999. So, I'm in almost the same boat as you... witnessed 4 Tech wins at Grant Field. That's just 4 wins over a nearly 40-year period. (At nearly 50, hopefully haven't lost control of mental faculties yet...! )