UGA games decided by the refs (before instant replay)

[Old South Stands]

There have been a couple games against UGA where bad calls by the refs helped them win. However, UGA fans always talk about how the '98 & '99 contests were basically handed to us by the refs and that the Bulldogs should have won both games. Quite a few of us thought Tech got away with a fumble in the '98 game when Joe Hamilton put the ball on the ground and was called down by contact. It was a critical play that pretty much decided the game. It was also such a bam-bam call by the refs at full speed that it could have gone either way. Some friends of mine from my time at Tech were talking about the fumble about a year later. They had the game recorded on VHS, so we decided to look at the play again. In slow motion it looked like Hamilton fumbled, but when slowed down to frame-by-frame speed, his knee actually touched the turf a frame before the ball popped out. So, it tuned out to be the right call. It was so close, had they ruled it a fumble on the field and instant replay existed back then, it might not have been overturned.

The Jasper Sanks fumble definitely would have been overturned by instant replay. But there was another critical call by the refs in the '99 game. At about the 7:00 mark in the 4th quarter, UGA makes what looks like a touchdown on a pass from Quincy Carter. The receiver (Parker) corralled the ball, but the ref was right on top of it and ruled him out of bounds. UGA had to settle for a tying field goal. It looked like Parker's knee touched before he went out, and two UGA fans who were there within about three feet of the play could be seen going apoplectic. The first replay looked like Parker's knee touched inbounds, but on the second replay you could see a sliver of air between his knee and the turf. So that was the right call.

 

[augustabuzz]

In 1998, the referee correctly called a fumble which was quickly touched by one of the red players while he was out of bounds. The correct call is fumble with possession reverting to the offense. In 1999, there were so many calls in that game, if replay was used, UG would not have been close enough at the end to worry about.

 

[bobongo]

In 1998, the referee correctly called a fumble which was quickly touched by one of the red players while he was out of bounds. The correct call is fumble with possession reverting to the offense. In 1999, there were so many calls in that game, if replay was used, UG would not have been close enough at the end to worry about.

On the '99 game: You are exactly correct. The Georgia player who recovered the fumble had one leg out of bounds from the knee down. The ref never called Hamilton down, but waited until the ball was recovered and then signaled Tech's ball.

As for '98: Jasper, thanks.

 

[SolicitorJacket]

On the '99 game: You are exactly correct. The Georgia player who recovered the fumble had one leg out of bounds from the knee down. The ref never called Hamilton down, but waited until the ball was recovered and then signaled Tech's ball.

As for '98: Jasper, thanks.

 

[bobongo]

View attachment 3402

Tried to, but couldn't get the "edit" button to come up.

 

[Old South Stands]

In 1998, the referee correctly called a fumble which was quickly touched by one of the red players while he was out of bounds. The correct call is fumble with possession reverting to the offense. In 1999, there were so many calls in that game, if replay was used, UG would not have been close enough at the end to worry about.

Thanks for the clarification...!

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

I don't remember the year (late 60's, maybe) that the chain broke and Georgia was awarded a first down simply based on a guess. It ended up making the difference in the game, which Tech lost.

 

[knoxjacket]

Pass interference in 97 was BS.

 

[GTJoeBrew]

How about the year that Reggie had the ball yanked out of his hands after the pole had stopped for what seemed like 10 seconds? I need to go back and watch it to see if my Tech colored glasses were on but I remember that changing the game.

 

[augustabuzz]

I don't remember the year (late 60's, maybe) that the chain broke and Georgia was awarded a first down simply based on a guess. It ended up making the difference in the game, which Tech lost.

That was 1967 and Kim King would still get irritated about that call thirty years afterward because he knew he made the first down inside the five yard line.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

That was 1967 and Kim King would still get irritated about that call thirty years afterward because he knew he made the first down inside the five yard line.

I actually thought it was a little later than 1967, but I checked, and you are correct. It was a TERRIBLE call, and Kim had every right to continue to be irritated about it.

 

[TheSilasSonRising]

I don't remember the year (late 60's, maybe) that the chain broke and Georgia was awarded a first down simply based on a guess. It ended up making the difference in the game, which Tech lost.

1967 game. Chain broke ( our fault for not having equipment checked before game) but the ref crew used a paper clip to fix the chain which made it just long enough for us not to get a first down. (I believe it was GT trying to get the 1st down, but long time ago)

No guarantee we would have won, but one of the refs was a prominent Atlanta auto dealership owner who lost a lot of business over the incident.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

1967 game. Chain broke ( our fault for not having equipment checked before game) but the ref crew used a paper clip to fix the chain which made it just long enough for us not to get a first down. (I believe it was GT trying to get the 1st down, but long time ago)

No guarantee we would have won, but one of the refs was a prominent Atlanta auto dealership owner who lost a lot of business over the incident.

Kim King wrote in his book that it was inside the 1 yard line, that the refs used a pencil to connect the broken links, thus changing the length of the chain, and depriving him of a first down which would have in all likelihood have resulted in Tech scoring the winning TD. He also wrote that when he complained to the ref, he was threatened with a personal foul.

 

[augustabuzz]

Kim King wrote in his book that it was inside the 1 yard line, that the refs used a pencil to connect the broken links, thus changing the length of the chain, and depriving him of a first down which would have in all likelihood have resulted in Tech scoring the winning TD. He also wrote that when he complained to the ref, he was threatened with a personal foul.

He told me that it was the pin that held the chain to the marker that broke. this pin was oblong as well as the last chain link. And, as you stated when they used the pencil instead of the pin, it almost doubled the length of the last link which changed the call from first and goal, Tech. to first and ten, UG.

 

[deeeznutz]

How about the year that Reggie had the ball yanked out of his hands after the pole had stopped for what seemed like 10 seconds? I need to go back and watch it to see if my Tech colored glasses were on but I remember that changing the game.

No gold-colored glasses needed to see that screw job...the refs were literally in there pulling bodies off the pile when the uga player pulled out the ball and ran back a TD. It was so blatant that I don’t think any GT players even reacted because they were so sure it wouldn’t stand. But, alas, we got jobbed again.

 

[presjacket]

There have been bad calls since there was replay that stood. I'm not sure what makes us think replay would have reversed the ones brought up here.

 

[GTJoeBrew]

No gold-colored glasses needed to see that screw job...the refs were literally in there pulling bodies off the pile when the uga player pulled out the ball and ran back a TD. It was so blatant that I don’t think any GT players even reacted because they were so sure it wouldn’t stand. But, alas, we got jobbed again.

That's right, I forgot about that. Also the same year when a ugag fan threw ice at me so hard that it cut the back of my head. One of the many reasons that I will never take my kids to a game there.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

Well, there are 2 entire games that georgia acts like didn't even happen and doesn't count them as losses in the series record. With over 30 arrests in the last several years and a 41% graduation rate, nobody really cares much about what they think. They live and die based on football and have sold their university off to win games.

 

[Coloradojacket]

1971, the mysterious TV time out that was called with 2 minutes to go, helping UGA to a winning drive.
1978 the intentional injuring of Eddie Lee
1997 the phantom interference call
1999 yep Sanks did not fumble
2014 the un called TD by JT5 and subsequent late whistle resulting in a TD for UGA. Same late whistle causing the Smelter injury.

 

[MWBATL]

Pass interference in 97 was BS.

That was the one that pi**ed me off the most of them all. It was a late flag, as if the SEC official realized it was the last chance to save the game after the interception (?) so he threw the flag.