University of North Carolina Athletics
Cedars History Report: Avoiding The Upset
September 26, 2002 | Football
Sept. 26, 2002
By Rick Brewer, SID Emeritus
If ever there was time for an upset, it was October 2, 1948.
Carolina, which had dismantled Texas, 34-7, the previous week, seemed as ripe as a George peach when the Tar Heels headed to Athens to play the Bulldogs "between the hedges" at Sanford Stadium.
It was an excellent Georgia team, one that would finish with a 9-1 record and ranked fifth in the country. But, the lone loss would come against Carolina, 21-14.
However, it was anything but an easy win for the Tar Heels. It took a second-half rally and a sensational individual performance by Charlie Justice.
Justice set one of his many school records that day when he compiled 304 yards of total offense, an all-time UNC high at the time. It was a mark that would not be surpassed until Danny Talbott finished with 318 against Georgia in 1965.
It was one of Justice's greatest all-around performances. He had 106 yards rushing on 21 carries and completed 13 of 22 passes without an interception, gaining another 198 yards. He also returned three punts for 125 yards and had a 20-yard kickoff return. He punted four times for a 42.5 average. He scored all three Carolina touchdowns.
The Tar Heels dominated the game defensively, but trailed at halftime, 7-0.
Georgia scored the only points of the first half in the opening quarter. Justice took a 65-yard punt by Joe Geri and followed great blocking to go 32 yards from his own 32 to the Bulldog 36. However, on first down Eli Maricich intercepted a Hosea Rodgers pass and ran 75 yards untouched for a 6-0 lead. Geri added the PAT with 7:45 to go in the quarter.
Carolina threatened several other times in the first half without scoring. Earlier in the game Bobby Weant and Bill Flamisch made a simultaneous hit on Geri, forcing a fumble. Len Szafaryn recovered at the Georgia 26.
Justice threw 14 yards to Mike Cooke at the 12. But, three downs later Art Weiner fumbled on an end-around and The Bulldogs recovered at the four.
Later Carolina drove back to the 24, but gave the ball up on downs. Then midway in the second period the Tar Heels put together another long drive which reached the Bulldog one-yard line. Billy Hayes had just come off the bench to replace an injured Rodgers when he fumbled into the end zone on fourth down.
On its last series of the half, Carolina began a march at its own 34. There were a number of big plays in this drive. Johnny Clements ran 25 yards on a reverse off the left side, following Chan Highsmith,s blocking. Justice went 10 yards the other way on another reverse as Sid Varney and Ted Hazelwood cleared a hole for him.
It was typical single-wing offense as devised by Coach Carl Snavely -- reverses, end-arounds, double-reverses and tremendous faking. Snavely had the players capable of running such an offense and never hesitated to call any play.
A 14-yard pass from Justice to Weiner got the ball to the six with 20 seconds left. But, on the final play of the half another Justice reverse was stopped at the one.
Carolina finally tied the game midway in the third quarter. The series began at the UNC 22. Two runs by Justice and passes to Flamisch and Bob Kennedy helped Carolina reach the Bulldog 37. The drive seemed to end when two passes fell incomplete and a run by Flamisch was stopped at the 35. But on fourth-and-eight, Justice fired over the middle to Ken Powell who made a nice catch in traffic at the Georgia nine-yard line.
On first down, faking by Justice opened up the right side and he ran a naked reverse untouched for six points. Bob Cox added the tying extra point.
In the closing moments of the third period Justice and Cooke teammed up on a 28-yard pass to the Bulldog 14. Justice then lined up in a short punt formation. A confused Bulldog defense saw him go straight up the middle for the go-ahead touchdown.
The biggest play of the game came with 11:35 remaining in the fourth quarter. Justice fielded a Geri punt at his own 16. He faked a reverse handoff to Fred Sherman and raced down the right sideline. He made one of his famous stop-on-a-dime cutbacks into the middle of the field to leave Jack Bush gasping at air and then faked past Geri, the last Georgia defender. Weiner finished Geri off with a crushing block and Justice had an 84-yard return. Cox made it 21-7 with his PAT.
Even today, the 84-yard return has been surpassed just five times in school history.
With Georgia constantly being throttled by Carolina's defense, the game was over. The Bulldogs finally scored again in the final minute when John Rauch threw 29 yards to Gene Lorendo.
The UNC defense was so good that Georgia managed just three first downs all day to Carolina's 19. The Bulldogs gained 28 yards rushing on 23 carries and added only 90 yards in the air for 118 yards of total offense. Carolina finished with 423.
Szafaryn was all over the field making plays from his defensive tackle spot. Among the other defensive standouts were Powell, Weant, Flamisch, Dan Stiegman, Irv Holdash and Don Klosterman.
This perfect day for a Georgia upset had ended in a brilliant Tar Heel performance.
Rick Brewer is in his fourth decade with the University of North Carolina athletic department and brings a unique historical perspective to TarHeelBlue.com. A native of North Carolina, Brewer served as UNC's Sports Information Director from 1975 until his retirement from full-time work in 2000. Email Rick Brewer at rbrewer@uncaa.unc.edu.
