Stranger Things Have Happened: WLOCP and Unexpected Upsets

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Hey, I was there!

I had just recently torn by ACL, and we were sitting in the end zone bleachers, which I believe, if my fuzzy memory serves me correctly, they were temporary. When Robert Edwards ran in a score in the 4th, I remember the entire section was shaking violently and I can recall looking at my buddy and saying “we need to get to stable ground, this thing’s about to come crashing to the ground”. It was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying in the same, and serves as one of the few WLOCPs I enjoyed from beginning to end (it was the 90s, most of them sucked).

We didn’t expect to win that day. At. All. So to say that strange things happen around the WLOCP is an understatement. Coaching changes, the unexpected, coupled with our propensity to not show up defensively until the third quarter, and we could have the perfect recipe for an upset in Jacksonville this weekend.

What’s your inner Munson telling you? Are we due for an upset, or is Kirby on the mother?

What’s the most upsetting upset in the series, and which upset was the most enjoyable?

33 thoughts on “Stranger Things Have Happened: WLOCP and Unexpected Upsets”

  1. Like someone said yesterday, we’ve had an extra week to scheme Gagway into a Heisman contender. My Inner Nolan Smith II We A 7 & 5 has ghosts in my head of all eleven defenders doing jumping jacks with their backs to the line and taking turns to see what one dude can miss a tackle in open space, lol.

    In Kirby I Trust. Until the clock reads 0:00 and we ain’t won, I ain’t believing we’ve lost.

  2. Growing up in the 90s and only having had any sustained success against these guys the last decade or so makes this a worrisome game for me no matter who the Gators have as a coach. But if we have any defensive momentum in the 1st half we should be able to overcome any extra fire they have coming into the game. This would be the Gators biggest win since they beat us in 2020.

  3. I was there, too. Sitting with Gator cousins it was glorious? The bitching! The moaning! Still feel my personal joy. But hey, it’s Halloween so who knows? Gotta be a little concerned about a new coach wanting to audition for a job.

  4. Given the old ball sack owned the 90’s, that place in time was golden, only to have FU get back on track with ass whippings of UGA football….Having a UGA grad navigating UGA football, CKS do not care for FU, new schemes and whut ever, FU is who FU is, big pile of B.S., hopeful the handbags are shown the exit turnstiles mid way third period, if that happens, turn, point at the scoreboard and smile….#FTMF!!

  5. We definitely *should* win. On paper, we’re probably better than them in every category on both sides of the ball, but I’m very wary of some interim HC voodoo coming into play. It’s Halloween weekend and knowing our luck it will probably be a full moon too. Crazy crap can happen in rivalry games.

    • We all seem to keep worrying that.
      But the interim HC could also do a face plant. Of the three scenarios..
      He’s golden..
      He’s vanilla,
      He’s a bust,
      …two out of three favor the Dawgs.

  6. I was there as well. It was GLORIOUS!! I want to say a memory that sticks out from that day is that it was ridiculous trying to get into the stadium and many of us missed most of the first quarter. I also remember the security guards basically saying the hell with it and let us in carrying alcohol openly.

  7. I wasn’t there for this game, but did see us beat #1 (for 4 whole days!) Florida in the mid 80’s. I hope Kirby reminds the team of these upsets and they attack from the opening kickoff.

  8. Well, my formidable years were spent in North Florida during the 90’s. No matter how bad I Munson for Alabama, I always assume we will lose this one. I was literally the kid running through the yard with excitement before everyone telling me there was a timeout.

    The turds I know are pumped. They say they are super talented and think getting rid of Napier has them poised for an upset. Man, they are intolerable.

    • Since the poll came out on Tuesday in those days and we beat them on Saturday, I only count 4 days. The crowd chanted the same.

  10. 1981 was my first in person and was glorious. 1984 sucked in every way imaginable. Gators suck, don’t have a HC, nothing to play for. They’ll come out pumped and then we’ll grind them down again.

    • You mean the Dos Equis Go For Dos? Careful before you get a letter from their lawyers 😉

  12. Watched this one at work– at the GA Center, hunkered down behind the front desk watching on a little tv. At least I think that’s how it went down. Lol. As for this week, I believe the defense shakes off the cobwebs, makes life miserable for Lagway, but my inner Munson says the offense is overconfident and makes it closer than it should be.

  13. Became a Georgia fan in early 70s so I had 2 decades of us being the top dawg before Spurrier arrived. Kirby has returned us to normalcy.

  14. I’m concerned because they have a good roster and now Billy’s stupid coaching decisions are gone. Unfortunately I think the defenses and special teams are pretty equal, so if we get another crazy offensive explosion because they go against tendencies, I have concerns. But if they’re distracted or the newly elevated assistant coaches can’t cut it, I see the Dawgs pull away for a 10 point win.

  16. This will be my 40th straight WLOCP, and I remember that 1997 game clearly (the aftermath, not as much). I was also sitting in those end zone seats.

    I still have PTSD from the Spurrier years, so I am an eternal pessimist with this game. Additionally, I have been wrong about this Georgia team all season (thought we would get scrubbed by UT; believed we would beat Bama, etc., etc.). So, hell, I don’t know – which is good.

  18. 1997 was pretty grand. Watched it from the hospital room after becoming a father the day before. Damn, I can’t believe that was 28 years ago. Wonderful surprise victory that nobody expected. FTMFs

    • Top shelf memory!!

      “surprise victory” it was the previous surprise losses I never figured out, lol. Congrats on having it be icing on the cake for your family!!!

  19. Somedays it seems like yesterday, other days it seems like forever ago…. That and beating Auburn in OT, were about the only high points between winning the Citrus Bowl and the Hobnail Boot! It was a long time in the wilderness!

  20. I remember all UGA fans being wild with victory but then the strange looks I got from several freshmen because of us fans from the 70s and 80s hugging, kissing, and crying to win again.

    • The 90s onward were tough to watch after growing up watching us dominate the 70s & 80s.

  21. My favorite memory of that trip was the wife refusing to go because we had no chance. Instead my 14 year old son went with me. Not claiming that cemented the decision to follow his older sister and attend Georgia. One great father son trip that we’ll both never forget.

    No idea what FU team shows up Saturday. It’s a dangerous game if we give them hope. Things weren’t looking good last year before Lagway went down. Hopefully we jump on them early and remove all hope. I love watching mass gator fan exits at halftime.

  22. Kirby has only lost to them 2x as a coach – his first year, & the COVID year. I’ll trust his intense hate for UF to have them ready for this challenge.

  23. 2 things about that video:

    1. I think that was the one year that we figured out that the way to beat Spurrier was to hammer his QB’s EVERY play. Doug Johnson was used to sitting in the pocket and throwing quick. Every time he dropped back, we hit him hard and after a few series he got a little nervous for this health. We may have even knocked him out of the game…shame, that…

    2. Gotta love the last line by Larry. We’re up by 7, just intercepted on they 27 yard line, and his reaction is “…look at clock. It hasn’t moved an inch…”.

    • I don’t think we knocked him out of the game – Spurrier pulled him, put in Jesse Palmer, then pulled Jesse for Noah Brandeis as I recall….
      And it was definitely Larry in all his glory – I think the VHS of the game with Larry’s call came out like 2 weeks later (“Finally”, maybe?), I fear ours has been loss to the sands of time but you can bet your life we had one….

  24. My engagement party was that night in Atlanta. Kids only, no parents. Hell of an evening.

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