Run Lindsay run!

In 1980, the University of Georgia football team won the national championship.  The pivotal game that placed them first in the polls was a come from behind victory over Florida in Jacksonville.  Georgia, trailing 21 to 19 with less than 2-minutes left in the game and facing a third down situation, was backed up on its own eight-yard line.   

Beverly, sitting beside me in the stands, was one of the few Georgia faithful’s who had not given up.  She was expecting a miracle and got it, except she was expecting Herschel Walker to score a touchdown, but it didn’t happen that way. Instead, Buck Belue connected with Lindsay Scott for the miraculous ending.

My son, Bill, got to talk to Lindsay in September prior to the Alabama game this year.  Bill provided me the actual play-by-play account by the incomparable Larry Munson from that classic game in 1980.

“Third down on the eight.  Buck (Belue) rolls back, he gets a block on the right.  He fires and it is complete to Lindsay Scott on about the 35.  He (Scott) turns and the defender slips down, Lindsay is at the 45, the 50, the 45 the 40.  Run Lindsey Run!…  He’s on the 30, the 25, the 15 the 10…Run Lindsay, Run, Lindsay……Lindsay Scott, Lindsay Scott, Lindsay Scott!!!” (Wooooooowwww, crash, bang, and a long silence,) 

Phil Schaeffer : “Well Larry if you wanted a miracle, well you just got one. Lindsay Scott just caught a pass… Lindsay caught it and had a long sprint to go to the goal line after the defender slipped down.” 

Larry returns: “Lindsay really got into a foot race.  Well I broke my chair, a metal steel chair with about a five-inch cushion.  I broke my chair, the booth fell apart, the stadium fell down.  They’ll have to rebuild it now, the girders are bending.  Twenty-six to 21 with a passing attack that wasn’t working all day and Lindsay caught it, where did he catch it Phil?” 

Phil: “I believe it was on the 34”

Munson again: “Yeah near the hashmark and Lindsay then had a long sprint to go. Do you realize what is going to happen here tonight with all those DAWG fans at Jekyll Island and Brunswick, in condominiums for four days…Man is there going to be some property destroyed tonight.  This is incredible, I gave up, you did too. Miracle!”  

So concludes one of the greatest moments in Georgia football history.

The Bible also contains a memorable play-by play, er, account.  It involves possibly the most dramatic event in New Testament history.

Acts 9.1-8 recounts it: “But Saul, breathing out threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the High Priest and requested letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that if he found any belonging to the Way (of Christ), he would bring them bound to Jerusalem.  As he approached Damascus, suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him, ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?’  And he said, ‘Who art thou Lord?’  The Lord said, ‘ I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.’  And Saul trembling said, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me do?’  The Lord said, ‘Arise and go into the city, and it shall be told thee.’  And the men, which journeyed with him, stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.  Saul rose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man, but was led by the hand to Damascus.”  

And you know the rest of the story—the course of history was irreversibly changed.