Georgia Bulldogs 'remember 21st night of September,' Notre Dame game 2019

Do you remember the 21st night of September? Anybody that was in Sanford Stadium that night in 2019 certainly does as Georgia defeated Notre Dame in a top-10 matchup 23-17. Jake Fromm, D’Andre Swift and Lawrence Cager were the stars on offense with Swift scoring Georgia’s first touchdown of the night before his highlight reel hurdle and Fromm finding Cager to put UGA up two scores in the fourth quarter, one of five times that they connected for 82 yards. Defensively, Tae Crowder led the Bulldogs in tackles followed by Richard LeCounte, Monty Rice and J.R. Reed, but it was Reed’s interception – along with one from Divaad Wilson – that made the biggest impact in shutting down the Irish attack. And of course, the lights. How could anybody forget the lights? Looking back on that game three years later, it remains just as special in the Georgia community as it was then.

College GameDay was in town, so the day got started real early for fans that made the trip over to Myers Quad that morning. Several camped out overnight to get their spot up front to see Lee Corso and company. Once that was over, a long day of tailgating ensued with Georgia getting the 8:00 p.m. ET SEC on CBS night kickoff slot, a designation that had traditionally more often than not gone to Alabama and LSU. But the opportunity to get a national brand like Notre Dame making a road trip to Sanford Stadium was once in a lifetime. After all, the two teams had only played twice before in program history and never before in Athens.

“The biggest thing I remember was it being at night and the fourth quarter when all the lights went out in the stadium,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said as he looked back on the game three years later. “It was the first time that I can ever remember that happening, so it created a unique atmosphere and vibe. As far as it’s impact on recruiting, when you play on a national stage in front of a national audience against a national team like Notre Dame, it certainly helps you recruit nationwide.”

That it did. Georgia hosted several official visitors that weekend including current Bulldog tight end Darnell Washington. A senior at Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, Washington made the trip to Athens to be in the stands for the highly anticipated matchup. He too remembers the 21st night of September.

“That was the first night with the red lights. It was just a crazy atmosphere. And it was a good game,” Washington said. “I feel like watching that game I was like, ‘Dang, I could see myself out on that field, in that uniform, doing what these dudes are doing playing for this team and under this head coach.’ I was ‘Why not the G?'”

As for those that were a part of the team at the time, Kearis Jackson missed the game due to injury. He broke his hand in the season-opener that year against Vanderbilt. Still, being on the sidelines that night, it stands out in his mind as one of the most special nights at Sanford Stadium.

“It felt like the fourth quarter was starting in the first quarter because of how electrifying it was,” Jackson said. “The light show, the fans, I think we were ranking No. 3 at the time. It was exciting. I’m ready for another night game. I wish this was a night game, but whenever we do have a home, night game, we’ll be excited and I’m sure the fans will excited to get that atmosphere. You know how it is Saturday nights in Athens.”

Of course, since the Notre Dame game, Georgia has gone on to win a National Championship in 2021. That one, along with several of the games that got UGA into that position, hold spots at or near the top of the list when it comes to games that fans will remember. But in terms of battles that have gone down between the hedges, there aren’t many that can hold their own with Georgia-Notre Dame in 2019. That’s why Georgia fans will always remember the 21st night of September.