The Sideline View
By Loran Smith

The Georgia teams of 1948, sixty years ago, and 1968, forty years ago, won Southeastern Conference titles. The Bulldogs had to defeat Georgia Tech in Athens to win the championship in the last game of the ’48 season, but by the time Tech came to town in 1968, the championship had been settled.

Georgia Tech got out of the SEC in 196__which meant that the Bulldogs, in championship years, had to confirm its conference titles against Auburn.

Both the ’48 and ’68 teams were honored with prestigious bowl opportunities, but the bowl trips were disappointing, the ’48 team losing to Texas 41-28 in the Orange Bowl and the ’68 team falling to Arkansas 16-2 in the Sugar Bowl.

Following are the recollections of the championship seasons by the late John Rauch (’48) and Mike Cavan (’68).

John Rauch: In 1948, more changes surfaced in collegiate sports. Until then rules were generally policed by conference officials. All conferences were flourishing with bigger and better facilities and more athletes. Competition was stronger than ever. To control programs, rules were set and enforced to regulate off- season practice, recruiting and financial aid.

It was an eerie feeling for those who were freshmen in 1945. Over four years we saw a lot of players come and go. We saw a lot of changes in football rules and the style of play. The players had more free time in the spring and summer instead of practicing football year round.

John Donaldson was earmarked to be the next Georgia All-American but injuries his junior and senior years slowed him down. He did make a noteworthy contribution to the Wally Butts era and later had a very successful high school coaching career in his hometown of Jesup.

Weyman Sellers had four outstanding years with the Bulldogs. He later coached the Athens High Trojans, winning state championships and coach of the year honors. Tommy Pope was small but a very respected guard. He later became a successful in business. Jerry Deleski and Hamp Tanner also joined the high school teaching and coaching ranks upon graduation. I would say at least 75% of the players who played under Coach Butts at this period of time became successful coaches, teachers, or professional football players. They had embraced the concept of paying the price. By late summer 1948, we had a collection of outstanding players. We were tuned into Coach Butts’ platoon style of football and were ready for action. The result was a 9-1 record, good enough to present Coach Butts with his third SEC championship and sixth bowl team.

Without a so-called star player we managed to defeat nine opponents. Coach Butts had us working harmoniously. It was a team that shared great respect. Everybody wanted to contribute, to do their part to win a championship.

We could never forget the embarrassment Kentucky laid on us in 1947. There were no vows of revenge, just long silent practices in preparation. Weeping Wally would have sent us packing if we ever gave an opponent a propaganda edge. We never gave out interviews before or after games back then.

On Thursday before the Florida game, Coach Butts was missing, and the assistants were not giving out any information about him. We boarded the train for Jacksonville after dinner and arrived the next day around noon. The team bused south of Jacksonville to a plush resort club, Ponte Vedra Inn, where we lunched and afterward dressed in sweat clothes for a light workout on the golf course.

Hundreds of people were there to watch us work. Most of them were Georgia alumni or fans. They all wore bright, expensive, golf attire. I made a vow. “Someday I will belong to a club like this.” Later in life I realized that was not so important, but I was quite impressed with the plush amenities at Ponte Vedra.

At the evening meal the assistants told us Coach Butts had been ill. They didn’t know how serious his illness was, but he would make every effort to be with us for the game the next day.

If the rest of the players were thinking like me they were thinking we had a problem. We had never gone into a game before without Coach Butts. We began to adjust mentally to the crisis but were still hopeful he would get well enough to join us. The next day we bused to the stadium, dressed, and warmed up. Still no Wally.

We were all seated on stools in front of our locker. No one moving, complete silence, when the door opened. Coaches Whitworth and Sikes held Coach Butts by his arms and cautiously helped him to the middle of the room.

There was pure emotion flowing from every person in the locker room. Coach Butts in a very weak voice said, “Fellows, I’m thankful to be able to get here for the game but I will not be much help to you in this condition. You have everything it takes to win this game. Do it in true Georgia tradition.”

Tears filled most players’ eyes and Coach Whit was unshamefully crying. It was very warm inside the stadium, yet Coach Butts wore a long, heavy, winter coat. He also had his traditional felt hat pulled snug to his head. He truly looked like a very sick man. The team sat silently until an overly emotional reserve jumped off his stool and shouted, “Let’s beat the hell out of them for Wally.”

Before he could say another word a senior next to him gave him a shove that sent him into a locker and then said loudly, “let’s go.”

It was a very tough game but the spirit of Wally Butts prevailed, Georgia 20, Florida 12. In the locker room after the game Coach Butts had shed the coat and hat. He happily moved around the locker room shaking hands. That victory must have been a medical miracle, or was it an emotional act, that kept us from being upset that day? Thanksgiving came and there was one game left on the schedule, and it was a big one. Georgia Tech was having a banner year by winning its first seven games. The experts predicted Tech would win the SEC title for sure. Some thought they could be national champions. However, the engineers’ express ran out of steam in the eighth and ninth games.

For the Bulldogs of 1948 and their platoon of warriors, this game was an opportunity to regain state superiority. Tech had squeezed out a narrow 7-0 victory in 1947 and the Bulldogs were treated like second-rate citizens for the whole year. We also were eager to keep the Bowlmaster’s string going. Four bowls in four years would certainly make Coach Butts happy. To say nothing about the countless Bulldog fans over the state. The game was played in Sanford Stadium, witnessed by more than those who were in possession of a ticket. The train was parked on the trestle and those without seats found standing room somewhere. In some cases, they were hanging from trees outside the stadium.

It was a hard fought game with many unusual plays. The kicking game was instrumental in the outcome. Georgia used its infantry of running backs early in the game to establish a 14-0 lead. Joe Geri, John Tillitski, Floyd “Breezy” Reid, and others were hammering the Techs while captain Bernie Reid, Jack Bush, Howard Johnson, Joe Jackura and Porter Payne were winning the battle up front.

Gene Lorendo, Bobby Walston and Weyman Sellers were catching timely passes and defending the defensive flanks with superiority. But the Tech players wouldn’t roll over and quit. Tech’s George Matthews broke through to block a punt deep in the Dogs territory and George Broadnax, an outstanding player for the Black and Gold, picked the pigskin up and raced into the end zone to narrow the gap 14-7.

The defenses took control of the game. Georgia’s Al Bodine and Gene Chandler were plugging holes and knocking down passes from their linebacker posts. Ken McCall, Buck Bradberry and Spafford Taylor threw a blanket over the secondary. Tech had little success through the air.

The Tech defense had found a way, however, to stop the hard charging Georgia backs in the second half. They shut the door at their own three-yard line to stop a Bulldog drive as the fourth quarter began. The two teams were battling on even terms now.

Then Red and Black lightning struck. Tech punted from its own end zone. It was a lengthy kick that spiraled into the arms of return specialist Ken McCall at the Bulldog 46. Ken gave a couple Charley Trippi type fakes then headed for his right sideline. The wall of blockers had formed.

With a burst of speed Ken utilized his blockers and sped all the way into the end zone. It was a great run enhanced by beautiful blocking. Geri kicked his third extra point of the day and the score read Georgia 21, Tech 7. Tech came back to score a touchdown with five minutes remaining but the point after was blocked. It was all over. The Dogs ran the clock out and the Georgia alums claimed state superiority once again 21-13.

It was a glorious ending for the seniors of 1948. The Bulldogs were SEC champions for the second time in their careers. The Orange Bowl invitation would be their fourth consecutive bowl appearance.