Best passing plays in Georgia football history: Greene to Johnson
DawgsHQ wants to take a look at the best passing plays in Georgia football history.
We all have our favorites, or at the very least, we all have a play that immediately comes to mind.
This time, we’ll take a look at the play that blew the lid off of Georgia football’s trajectory in the early 2000’s.
Georgia’s football trajectory hinged on the outcome at Auburn in 2002
The Dawgs’ football momentum – both as a program and within its season – hinged on the Georgia-Auburn game in 2002.
The Dawgs had to win to make it to their first SEC Championship game in league history. Mark Richt, in his second season, had tremendous momentum and a pressure-packed opportunity to capitalize with a win.
Former Georgia head football coach Vince Dooley opined that Mark Richt’s Dawgs were good, but they could ‘blow the lid off’ the program with a SEC Championship victory. At the time, Georgia hadn’t won a conference title since 1982.
Auburn jumped out to an early lead, setting up David Greene’s desperation heave to Michael Johnson
Auburn had a 14-3 lead at half, and a 21-17 lead in the fourth quarter.
The Dawgs’ lone loss was to Florida. A loss at Auburn not only knocked Georgia out of SEC Championship contention, it would send Florida to the title game.
A Georgia win would not only knock Auburn out of SEC title contention, it would send Arkansas to Atlanta.
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It just means more drama.
4th and 15 on the 19 yard line, 1:25 left, and a trip to the SEC Championship on the line. Larry Munson, take it away.
The space between ‘and we jump up’ to ‘TOUCHDOWN!’ felt like a Georgia football eternity
My family watched games with the TV muted and Larry Munson’s Georgia radio crew turned up to provide the play-by-play.
I’m not sure we ever heard his call live. My family created our own soundtrack to this Georgia-Auburn memory in the living room, and it frightened the dog.
Listening back, my favorite part is Munson’s uncertainty about who caught the ball. “We’re trying to put glasses on it.”
Scott Howard confirms that it’s Michael Johnson, and the moment is sealed in Georgia-Auburn, and SEC lore, forever.
“It was just the go-route, and coach called my number,” Michael Johnson told reporters. “The coaches had faith in me, I had faith in God, and God was good.”
Terrence Edwards and Damien Gary could only watch from the sideline with injuries. Mark Richt had no doubt 70X Takeoff would work.
“I felt like if anybody was going to win a jump ball, it was going to be him,” Richt said.
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