In 1980, the Georgia Bulldogs defeated Notre Dame, gaining the national champion title in college football. For 42 years, the Bulldogs fought to regain that title. Led by Coach Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs finally championed again in 2021.
Alabama, known as one of the best college football teams in the country, had always been a brick wall in Georgia's way. In the regular season, Georgia took their only loss to Alabama. That defeat did not let them down — instead, it made the team stronger. With their hard work in the regular season, the Bulldogs earned a second chance against Alabama in the national championship game.
The ups and downs of watching the Dawgs over the last few decades have been a wild ride. The delight and joy of winning it all makes it that much sweeter.
Although Alabama had already beaten Georgia this season, the Dawgs were the favored team. The game was suspenseful, and most of the action happened in the fourth quarter when the game started to feel real. The final score, 33-18, was shocking. Georgia's defense did not allow Alabama to score over twenty points. The Bulldogs made history in one of college football's greatest rivalries.
On Saturday, January 15th, downtown Athens was full of Dawgs fans. Roads in downtown Athens were covered with people, and red was the only color you could see.
Sanford Stadium was open, inviting around 90,000 fans to help congratulate the winning team. Free tickets were handed out, and a ceremony was held to honor the Bulldogs. Hosted by former UGA quarterback DJ Shockley, familiar alumni figures were all around during the commemoration. Former UGA running back D'Andre Swift opened the ceremony by calling the Dawgs onto the field — a tradition on Sundays in Athens.
Former UGA alumni Matthew Maddox graduated in 2002. At UGA, he spent many hours on the field with the team and coaches as a quarterback manager and the lead engineer for Georgia's main athletic website, Georgiadogs.com. He was only a year old when the Dawgs last won. "The ups and downs of watching the Dawgs over the last few decades have been a wild ride; I wouldn't trade it for any other fan base journey if I'm honest. The delight and joy of winning it all makes it that much sweeter, and getting to enjoy that experience with my family makes it even better," he said.
Sophomore Mackenzie Wilson had been a Georgia fan since she could remember. "Georgia's national championship win impacted my life in so many ways. I have been waiting my entire life for it to happen, and it finally did. I finally felt the joy from years of cheering them on."