Georgia vs. Arkansas series history
Georgia football opens its 2020 season this Saturday in a cross-divisional matchup with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
This is the 15th meeting between the Bulldogs and Razorbacks, and the 10th since Arkansas began playing in the SEC in 1992. Arkansas officially joined the SEC in June of 1991, but spent one more year in the Southwest Conference. Georgia and Arkansas met in the Independence Bowl at the end of the 1991 season. Georgia leads the series 10-4.
Georgia/Arkansas matchups were scarce before the Razorbacks joined the SEC, and every meeting was on a neutral field. The first game between them was the 1969 Sugar Bowl, a game the Razorbacks won 16-2. Arkansas got the better of Georgia again in the 1976 Cotton Bowl. Georgia rebounded with victories in the 1987 Liberty Bowl and the aforementioned Independence Bowl.
The 1991 Independence Bowl started an odd stretch where Georgia and Arkansas met three times in only 23 months. The Bulldogs tied the all-time series at two wins apiece by beating the Razorbacks 24-15 in Shreveport, La.
Georgia has the longest winning streak in the series, claiming all six games played between 2000 and 2009, including the 2002 SEC Championship game. Georgia has also won the most recent matchup, a 45-32 win in the Razorbacks' second home in Little Rock, Ark.
Notable Games
1969 Sugar Bowl: Both teams were led by legendary college coaches Vince Dooley (Georgia) and Frank Broyles (Arkansas). The 9-1 Razorbacks defeated the 8-0-2 SEC Champion Bulldogs 16-2. Arkansas was known for creating turnovers that season, but Georgia's offense didn't do its team any favors by turning the ball over eight times. Arkansas also fielded a more efficient passing attack featuring end Chuck Dicus who earned the Outstanding Player award for catching 12 passes.
1976 Cotton Bowl Classic: The two schools met again on a neutral field seven years later, this time in the Cotton Bowl. Arkansas won again, this time by a more lopsided score of 31-10. The Bulldogs opened the game with a 10-3 but a blown "shoestring play" in the second quarter gave the Razorbacks possession at the UGA 13-yard-line. Arkansas tied the game moments later before dominating the fourth quarter with 21 unanswered points.
1987 Liberty Bowl: Georgia finally claimed the elusive victory over Arkansas by coming from behind to win 20-17 in the 1987 Liberty Bowl. The Razorbacks held a 17-7 lead entering the fourth quarter before John Kasey cut the margin to just seven points with a 24-yard field goal. Five minutes later, James Jackson ran into the end zone to tie the game. Carver Russaw intercepted an Arkansas pass with 46 seconds left on the clock and Kasey booted in a game-winner as time expired.
2002 SEC Championship Game: Arkansas honestly didn't belong in this game and it showed on the scoreboard. Alabama's postseason ban kept it from competing for the title. Georgia dominated every facet of the game and won 30-3. Arkansas only mustered 139 yards of total offense. The Bulldog offense was outstanding, passing for 237 yards, while Musa Smith scored two touchdowns with 106 yards.
September 19, 2009: By far, Joe Cox's finest game as Georgia's quarterback and it came against Ryan Mallet, who was arguably the SEC's best quarterback at the time. Cox's 375 yards and school record-tying five touchdowns led the Bulldogs to a 52-41 shootout victory. Arkansas led 21-10 after a highlight-packed first quarter, but the Bulldogs outscored the Razorbacks 42-20 over the last three quarters.
September 18, 2010: If you want to see how much SEC football changed in the 2010s, just watch the Georgia/Arkansas game of that season. The Razorbacks might have been the best team in the SEC that season, if not for Mallet's midseason injury. Georgia meanwhile, was mediocre and ended the year with a losing record. When the two squads met early in the season, Arkansas jumped out to a 24-10 lead after three quarters. Aaron Murray led a marvelous comeback to tie the game with just under four minutes to play, but Mallet threw a touchdown pass with 15 seconds left to win 31-24.
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