When Georgia Broke the Streak: My UGA Fan Origin Story
by Keegan Shinall
Dawgs OTL Writer/ Bleeds Red and Black
I didn’t become a Georgia fan on a winning streak. Nor dId I join the red and black wearers following two back to back National Championships. All fair reasons to support UGA. No, for me it was quite the opposite. I became a fan on the precipice of Dawgnation staring down the barrel of a tenth straight loss to the Vols. The University of Georgia had already dropped nine in a row. At the mature age of seven (lol) - I began to slowly become more consciously aware of this thing called “Georgia Football”. While not a top priority at the time I couldn’t help but notice all week the Georgia fans I saw and witnessed my Dad interact with, at grocery stores and otherwise, were talking up this upcoming game with a new level of anticipation.
Saturday finally arrived and a smorgasbord of finger foods laid the backdrop for a bunch of rowdy Georgia fans. Now, I must say.. I have a confession. Normally, in my former years (1-6) I’d have likely been in the back room watching Willy Wonka or Scooby Doo, (from the 70’s not that new bs) but that Saturday I decided to sit with the adults. I wanted to see why this game mattered so much. Everyone gathered in a living room of a log cabin house and seemingly the optimism started to become more “realistic”. As soon as what I would later know as the CBS intro music cranked up, the hope that had lasted all 5 days prior seemed to be at an inaudible murmur. They knew what was coming. You could feel it in the air. My dad was quiet in a way I hadn’t seen before. In hindsight, he was bracing himself for another UGA letdown. The neighbors and family friends wore that mix of nervous energy and beaten-down acceptance — the kind you only get after years of heartbreak. The kind of sentiment so prevalent currently in the Tennessee fanbase, ironically enough.
It didn’t take long to confirm the collective anxiety. Georgia punted right away, and the groans were loud and heavy — not just disappointment, but that “here we go again” kind of pain. “Damnit Donnan” echoed down the hall as I took liberties stuffing my chubby face with more buffalo chicken dip and sugar laden fixings. Welp, Tennessee drove down the field, and you could see my parents friends sinking into their chairs, muttering about the offensive deficiencies, and about Fulmer having our number- number ten to be exact. It felt like we were about to live through the same nightmare AGAIN. Normally, I’d have to turn the volume knob on the wood panel tv to drown out the yelling coming from a distant room. Not this time though, I was invested too! I wanted to be a part of this thing called Georgia Football, and in my small ego centric mind I was thinking maybe I- yes me a 7 year old- was the spark Georgia needed.
And then — a fumble! Georgia recovered, scored, and hope flickered. Still, by right after halftime, Tennessee took back the lead, and that optimism was gone just as fast. The room was dead quiet, except for the frustration spilling out — people cussing, shaking their heads, talking about how cursed we were. It felt inevitable. Another loss, another scar.
Finally, out of nowhere, Georgia fought back. Like Rocky portrayed by Sylvester Stallone calls out to his opponent, “I didn’t hear no bell.” Quincy Carter and Terrence Edwards delivered big plays that lit the room up again. Then came Musa Smith, running angry, running fearless, with Vernon Haynes clearing the way like a bulldozer. The adults all said “MOOOOOSAAA” every time Quincy handed off the football. Suddenly Georgia wasn’t cursed — they were dominant. The Vols had no answer for our burly backfield busting through the layers of the defense. Georgia drove it all the way down the fields 99 yards in one of the most important drives in UGA history. We punched it in, sealed the game 21–10, and the place exploded. Adults were on their feet, hugging, screaming, dancing- and I was too! Was our celebration short lived? With plenty of time on the clock UGA had to punt the ball back Tennesee from deep in our own territory. Georgia would need one last stop! Luckily for us future NFL Hall of Fame and Super Bowl winner Richard Seymour led the defense with a glorious pass rush. The UT QB panicked and threw an interception towards the sideline to Tim Wansley. That was it! That was game! Well all the adults jumped up and down and I jumped up and down- a third of Sanford Stadium was already on the field with a whole minute still on the clock! It was chaos of epic proportions. (It’s on YouTube- worth the rewatch. )
I loved that moment. I’ll never forget it. For the very first time “they” didn’t win— “WE” won. That was my first time thinking that and the rest is truly history.
That night, when the goalposts came down in Athens, it wasn’t just the end of a streak — it was the start of something for me. I finally understood what these people around me had carried, why it mattered so much. The heartbreak, the hope, the joy when it finally breaks your way. That was the night I stopped being a kid on the sidelines and became a Georgia fan.
That said, the hell with Tennessee!
Go Dawgs.
