1923 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football team
| 1923 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Southern Conference |
| 1923 record | 3–2–4 (0–0–4 SoCon) |
| Head coach | William Alexander (4th season) |
| Offensive scheme | Jump shift |
| Home stadium | Grant Field |
Uniform | |
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| 1923 Southern Conference football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington & Lee + | 4 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt* + | 3 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 1 | – | 0 | – | 2 | 6 | – | 1 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VPI | 4 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maryland | 2 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi A&M | 2 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 5 | – | 2 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina | 2 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane | 2 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clemson | 1 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 0 | – | 0 | – | 4 | 3 | – | 2 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NC State | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 0 | – | 1 | – | 3 | 3 | – | 3 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 0 | – | 2 | – | 2 | 4 | – | 3 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Virginia | 0 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Miss | 0 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Carolina | 0 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1923 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football team[note 1] represented the Georgia Tech Golden Tornado of the Georgia Institute of Technology during the 1923 college football season. Tech had ties in every one of its conference games.
Before the season
Tech used a starting backfield, including sophomore Doug Wycoff, and a "pony backfield" full of smaller, fast substitutes such as Jerry Albright and Frank Harris.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 29 | Oglethorpe* | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA | W 28–13 | ||||||
| October 6 | VMI* | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA | W 10–7 | ||||||
| October 13 | Florida | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA | T 7–7 | 12,000 | |||||
| October 20 | Georgetown* | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA | W 20–10 | ||||||
| October 27 | at Notre Dame* | South Bend, IN | L 7–35 | 20,000+ | |||||
| November 3 | Alabama | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA | T 0–0 | 10,000 | |||||
| November 10 | 2:30 p. m. | at Penn State* | New Beaver Field • State College, PA | L 0–7 | |||||
| November 17 | Kentucky | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA | T 3–3 | ||||||
| November 29 | Auburn | Grant Field • Atlanta, GA (Rivalry) | T 0–0 | ||||||
| *Non-conference game. | |||||||||
Season summary
Week 1: Oglethorpe
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Oglethorpe led at the half on Tech, but Tech came back to win 28–13.[4]
The starting lineup was: Staton (left end), Carpenter (left tackle), McIntyre (left guard), Frye (center), McConnell (right guard), Usry (right tackle), Gardner (right end), Carter (quarterback), Hunt (left halfback), Reeves (right halfback), Wycoff (fullback).[5]
Week 2: VMI
Tech beat VMI 10–7. Both teams touchdowns came on interceptions. The starting lineup was: Staton (left end), Merkle (left tackle), McConnell (left guard), Frye (center), McIntyre (right guard), Usry (right tackle), Gardner (right end), I. Williams (quarterback), Hunt (left halfback), Reeves (right halfback), Wycoff (fullback).[6]
Week 3: Florida
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The game with the Florida Gators brought considerable interest.[7] In front of 12,000 at Grant Field, the Gators were up 7 to 0 until a rush of substitutes in the fourth quarter got the Yellow Jackets the tying score.
The starting lineup was: Staton (left end), Merkle (left tackle), McIntyre (left guard), Frye (center), McConnell (right guard), Usry (right tackle), Gardner (right end), Carter (quarterback), Hunt (left halfback), Farnsworth (right halfback), Wycoff (fullback).[8]
Week 4: Georgetown
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Georgetown led 10–0 at the half, but Tech won 20–10.[9] The starting lineup was: Staton (left end), Merkle (left tackle), McIntyre (left guard), Frye (center), McConnell (right guard), Huffines (right tackle), Gardner (right end), Hunt (quarterback), Williams (left halfback), Reeves (right halfback), Wycoff (fullback).[9]
Week 5: at Notre Dame
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Rockne's Notre Dame Fighting Irish subs ran up a 35–7 score.[10] Over 20,000 fans were in attendance.[11] The starting lineup was: Staton (left end), Merrin (left tackle), McIntyre (left guard), Frye (center), McConnell (right guard), Huffines (right tackle), Gardner (right end), Hunt (quarterback), Albright (left halfback), Reeves (right halfback), Wycoff (fullback)[12]
Week 6: Alabama
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In a driving rain, Tech and Alabama under first year coach Wallace Wade played to a scoreless tie.[13]
Week 7: at Penn State
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Penn State beat Georgia Tech 7–0.[14] The Atlanta Constitution's Paul Warwick protested "these eastern and western invasions."[15]
The starting lineup was: Staton (left end), Usry (left tackle), McIntyre (left guard), Frye (center), McConnell (right guard), Huffines (right tackle), Gardner (right end), Davis (quarterback), Williams (left halfback), Reeves (right halfback), Wycoff (fullback).[16]
Week 8: Kentucky
Tech used every backfield man in a 3–3 tie to Kentucky.[17]
Week 9: Auburn
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In awfully muddy conditions, Auburn and Tech fought to a scoreless tie.[18]
Postseason
Tech had its worst season in years.[19]
Personnel
Depth chart
The following chart provides a visual depiction of Tech's lineup during the 1923 season with games started at the position reflected in parenthesis. The chart mimics the offense after the jump shift has taken place.
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Notes
- ↑ Although Georgia Tech's teams are officially known as the "Yellow Jackets", northern writers called the team the "Golden Tornado" in 1917; the name was commonly used until 1928 and for many years afterwards as an alternate nickname.[1] It may have been coined by Morgan Blake.[2]
Endnotes
- ↑ Van Brimmer & Rice 2011, p. 147
- ↑ "Golden Tornadoes". Retrieved January 28, 2015.
- ↑ "1923 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Schedule and Results".
- ↑ Woodruff 1928, pp. 232–233
- ↑ Woodruff 1928, p. 234
- ↑ Woodruff 1928, p. 238
- ↑ Lawrence Perry (October 12, 1934). "Game's For The Sake". Harrisburg Telegraph. p. 19. Retrieved September 8, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Woodruff 1928, p. 243
- 1 2 Woodruff 1928, pp. 246–247
- ↑ http://www.archives.nd.edu/Alumnus/VOL_0002/VOL_0002_ISSUE_0002.pdf
- ↑ Heisler, Karen Croake (1 January 2006). "Fighting Irish: Legends, Lists, and Lore". Sports Publishing LLC – via Google Books.
- ↑ "How the Irish Whipped the South". The Fort Wayne Sentinel. October 29, 1923. p. 10. Retrieved January 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/alab/graphics/docs/23-m-footbl-recaps.pdf
- ↑ "1923-11-10 – Georgia Tech at Penn State - Georgia Tech Ticket Stubs".
- ↑ Oriard, Michael (15 December 2005). "King Football: Sport and Spectacle in the Golden Age of Radio and Newsreels, Movies and Magazines, the Weekly and the Daily Press". Univ of North Carolina Press – via Google Books.
- ↑ "Penn State Grid Teams Wins Over Georgia, 7 to 0". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 11, 1923. p. 44. Retrieved January 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Woodruff 1928, pp. 266–267
- ↑ "1923-11-29 – Georgia Tech vs. Auburn - Georgia Tech Ticket Stubs".
- ↑ "Georgia Tech Suffers Worst Season In Years". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. December 3, 1923. p. 7. Retrieved January 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
References
- Van Brimmer, Adam; Rice, Homer (2011). 100 Things Yellow Jackets Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die. Chicago: Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-61749-703-2.
- Woodruff, Fuzzy (1928). A History of Southern Football 1890–1928. 2.