The 1959 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. Led by 21st-year head coach Wally Butts, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 10–1 with a mark of 7–0 in conference play, and finished as SEC champion.
The Bulldogs won nine games in the regular season and lost only once, an early-season non-conference loss to South Carolina. Georgia's perfect conference record of 7–0, combined with conference losses by pre-season favorites LSU and Ole Miss, was enough to give the Bulldogs the Southeastern Conference championship. They also earned a trip to the Orange Bowl, where they defeated Missouri 14–0.
The highlight of the regular season was a come-from-behind win over Auburn to clinch the championship. Trailing the Tigers 13–7 with less than 40 seconds left in the game, The Bulldogs scored on a fourth-down fourteen-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Fran Tarkenton to End Bill Herron. Kicker Durward Pennington converted the extra point and Georgia won the game by a score of 14–13.
Schedule
Roster
QB Fran Tarkenton, Jr. G Pat Dye Jr. HB Fred Brown Jr. HB/P Bobby Walden Jr.- K Durward Pennington Soph. FB Bill Godfrey Soph. E Jimmy Vickers E Aaron Box E Bill Herron QB Charley Britt Sr. C 'Dude' Thompson Sr. Fred Farah Sr. G Billy Roland HB Don Soberdash Sr. (Team Captain)