From: ajj@zycor.lgc.com (Andrew Jackson)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.college
Subject: Team of the Eighties has been crowned (Bowl Bound)
Summary: Clemson rules.
Date: 30 Dec 92 17:15:21 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Landmark/Zycor   Austin, Texas


Clemson (1981) outlasts Georgia (1980) to claim title "Best of the
Eighties"


In an exciting game that went down to the last drive, the 1981 Clemson
Tigers held off a furious late drive by the 1980 Georgia Bulldogs to
stake their claim as the best team of the 1980s. The game was free of
turnovers, but plagues with penalites.

Clemson won the coin toss and elected to receive. Rex Robinson boomed
the ball deep into the endzone and Clemson took over on their 20 yard
line and the Bulldog defense came out pumped. Too pumped actually as
Georgia was flagged for personal fouls on the first two plays. The next
play, Clemson QB Homer Jordan connected with WR Perry Tuttle on a 40-
yard strike. Jordan then bootlegd and connected with Tuttle again for
the first score (7 - 0, CU).

Georgia came storming back. They returned a squibbed kickoff to their
35 yard line. Herschel for 12 on an end run. Herschel for 11 on a
counter. Herschel for 8 on another counter. From Clemson's 34 yard
line, Herschel broke through on an end run and HE JUST COULD GO ALL
THE WAY! (7 - 7)

Clemson returned the initial kickoff to their own 19 yard line. Two
incomplete pass and a completed pass behind the line of scrimmage,
which loss 7 yards, gave Georgia excellent field position on the
Tigers' 43 yard line. However, on 2nd & 9, Georgia was called for another
personal foul which killed the drive. Clemson and Georgia exchanged
futile possesions. Gerogia's died on a 1st down holding call. Faced
with 4th and 16, the snap was high and Clemson took over on the
Bulldog 5 yard line. On 2nd down, Cliff Austin scored the TD (14 -
7, CU).

Georgia was having problems with penalties. Another personal foul
killed another drive later in the half. They finally got some breaks
on the last drive of the first half. They began on their own 12 yard
line and marched 11 plays to the Clemson 42 aided by two defensive
holding calls and a defensive personal foul. Nevertheless, the drive
finally stalled and with time running out, Rex Robinson missed the
59-yard field goal. Georgia was flagged 9 times in the first half
for 105 yards.

Georgia received the second half kick and did nothing with the ball.
However the punt pinned Clemson on their own 2 yard line. Cliff Austin
promptly broke away for 17-yards, but the drive stalled afterwards
as the Bulldog defense stopped Austin for a 4-yard loss on 3rd & 5.
Georgia returned the ensuing punt to their own 45 yard line. On 2nd
& 7, Clemson was called for a personal foul. This combined with a
26-yard counter run by Walker set up a TD pass from Belue to Amp Arnold
(14 -14).

Clemson would answer right back. They had an excellent kickoff return
to their 45 yard line. Once again, they caught the Bulldogs in a run
defense and Jordan connected with Tuttle for 39 yards. Three plays
later, Austin ran in from the 5 yard line (21 - 14, CU). Clemson had
a chance to add another field goal on their next possesion. A Georgia
punt pinned the Tiger on the 1 yard line. On 2nd and 9, Austin broke
it for 14 yards on a counter. The next play, the Bulldogs run defense
was burned on a 61-yard strike from Jordan to Tuttle. A personal foul
against the Tigers killed the drive and Donald Igwebuike missed a
44-yard field goal.

With time running out, Georgia began their last drive on their own
20 yard line. Herschel for 4 on a line plunge. Herschel for 8 on a
counter. Herschel for 2 on a counter. Then Buck Belue connected with
Lindsay Scott for 15. Herschel for 1 on a line plunge. Belue pitched to
Herscel on the option for another 8 yards. Herschel was stuffed on the
next play, but William Perry administered a late hit and gave Georgia
first down on the Tiger 27. However, the Tiger defense stiffened and
the Bulldogs faced 4th & 5 on the Tiger 22 with 2:00 in the game. Vince
Dooley went for it. The Tigers came in with a blitz and sacked Herschel
for a 5-yard loss. The Tigers took over and ran out the clock.

Summary:
A close and exciting game. There were no turnovers, but the refs painted
the field yellow. The Bulldogs were plagued in the first half while the
Tigers' penalties were evenly distributed. There were two keys to the
game. The biggest one was the botched punt snap which gave the Tigers
the ball 5 yards from Georgia's goal line. The second was that the Bull-
dog defense was caught thinking run as Jordan hurled long strikes to
his WRs.

Thus the 1981 Clemson Tigers claims the title "Best of the Eighties".

BTW: Question for Clemson fans. What is the meaning of "Sons of Iptay"?

              1    2    3    4     Final
             ---  ---  ---  ---    -----
Clemson      14    0    7    0       21
Georgia       7    0    7    0       14



                      Clemson            Georgia
First downs:             14                 10
Rushing:               47-153             61-236
Passing:              9-15-168            3-6-26
Return yards:            38                 78
Penalties:             11-115             10-110
Sacks allowed:          0-0                0-0
Fumbles-lost:           0-0                2-0
Possession:            27:20              32:40

========================================================================
Andrew J. Jackson                     voice: 512-292-2323
Landmark/Zycor, Inc.                  fax  : 512-280-6731
220 Foremost Dr.                      email: ajackson@zycor.lgc.com
Austin, TX 78745
========================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.college