100 Days of Georgia’s Greatest Plays—Day 100

UGASports begins its 100-day countdown to the Bulldogs’ 2026 season opener with the “100 Days of Georgia’s Greatest Plays” series. Today, on Day 100, we examine and relive one of Georgia’s greatest plays in its football history, relating to that specific number.

The Game: No. 12 Georgia vs. No. 16 Clemson at Sanford Stadium for the teams’ season opener on August 30, 2014.

“Get the Picture”: After scoring a touchdown with 7:28 remaining in the second quarter to take the lead, Clemson kicked off to Georgia, holding a 21-14 advantage, while having taken control of the game—or so it seemed.

The Play

Junior tailback Todd Gurley received Clemson kicker Bradley Pinion’s kickoff halfway into his own end zone and began running straight upfield. After nudging teammate Taylor Maxey in the back to make a block around his own 30-yard line, Gurley made a slight cut to his left and then outraced everyone, nearly untouched, for a 100-yard return for a touchdown.

What might have seemed at the time as simply a game-tying touchdown with two-and-a-half quarters of play remaining would prove to be arguably the most impactful play executed by a Bulldog in several years, and the catalyst for perhaps the biggest swing in momentum witnessed in Sanford Stadium in decades.

Gurley’s 100-yard score was the beginning of 31 unanswered points for the Bulldogs in what resulted in a 45-21 victory. At the time, it was also a rare win for Georgia over a top-20-ranked opponent.

For Gurley, who had also returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in the 2012 season opener against Buffalo, it was his second 100-yard kickoff return in just eight career returns at that point during his legendary Georgia career.