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Auburn–Georgia Tech football rivalry

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Auburn–Georgia Tech football rivalry
First meetingNovember 25, 1892
Auburn, 26–0
Latest meetingSeptember 3, 2005
Georgia Tech, 23–14
Next meetingTBD
Statistics
Meetings total92
All-time seriesAuburn leads, 47–41–4 (.533)[1]
Largest victoryAuburn, 94–0 (1894)
Longest win streakGeorgia Tech, 13 (1941–1954)
Current win streakGeorgia Tech, 2 (2003–present)
Locations of Auburn and Georgia Tech

The Auburn–Georgia Tech football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Auburn Tigers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.[2][3][4] Auburn leads the series 47–41–4.[1]

Series history

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The first game took place on November 25, 1892, in Atlanta, Georgia. They played in the SIAA until it was defunct in 1922, before joining the Southeastern Conference. Georgia Tech left the SEC in 1963, playing as an independent until joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1980. Despite no longer being conference opponents, they played annually until 1987. The rivalry was renewed for a home and home series played in 2003 and 2005. There are no future games currently scheduled.

In 1904, Auburn hired Mike Donahue and Tech hired former Auburn coach John Heisman. From 1915 to 1922, the game was pivotal in deciding the SIAA champion.

Sources: 2011 Auburn Football Media Guide [5]

Notable games

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1896: Wreck Tech Parade

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Georgia Tech traveled to Auburn for the first time and lost to Auburn 45–0. The night prior to the game, Auburn students greased the railroad tracks coming into Auburn. As a result, the train carrying the Georgia Tech team slid past the Auburn station and traveled 5 miles halfway toward Loachapoka. The Georgia Tech team had to walk the 5 miles back to Auburn. Auburn commemorated this event with the Wreck Tech Pajama Parade prior to playing Georgia Tech.[6]

1908: SIAA champion Auburn defeats Tech

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Auburn beat Georgia Tech 44–0. Lew Hardage had a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.[7]

1917: Tech's championship team wins easy

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Tech's great backfield.

The 1917 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado were the south's first national champion and for many years considered the greatest team the region ever produced.[8] Heisman considered the 1917 team the best one he ever coached,[9] It finished the season with 68–7 victory over Auburn. Auburn was usually considered second best in the south; the team had lost only to a strong Davidson squad, and held undefeated Big Ten champion Ohio State led by Chic Harley to a scoreless tie the week before the Tech game. Ohio State was favored in the betting booth 4 or 5 to 1.[10] Heisman and his players were at the game, rooting on the Tigers.[10] Moon Ducote starred for Auburn.

Moon Ducote.

In the game with Auburn, Tech piled up 472 yards on the ground in 84 rushes, and got 145 yards through the air. Joe Guyon racked up four touchdowns. Everett Strupper had a 65-yard touchdown run that drew the following praise from the Atlanta Journal:

"It was not the length of the run that featured it was the brilliance of it. After getting through the first line, Stroop was tackled squarely by two secondary men, and yet he squirmed and jerked loosed from them, only to face the safety man and another Tiger, coming at him from different angles. Without checking his speed Everett knifed the two men completely, running between them and dashing on to a touchdown."[11]

In the second quarter Ducote broke through the line for what seemed like a sure touchdown with the help of the blocking from Pete Bonner and William Donahue. Guyon dove at him and missed, and then raced him down from behind with a showcase of tremendous speed, bringing Ducote down at the 26-yard line.[12] The only Auburn score came when Ducote circled around end for 17 yards and lateraled to Donahue, who ran down the sideline for a 6-yard touchdown.[10] Auburn was considered a strong team despite the large score; Ducote and Bonner were the only players not from Georgia Tech to be selected unanimous All-Southern. Tech's Walker Carpenter and Strupper were the first two players from the Deep South ever selected All-American.[8]

1919: Warren waddles for a TD

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Auburn's Fatty Warren "waddled" for a 40-yard touchdown off a blocked punt,[13][14] netting the conference championship and giving Tech its first loss to an SIAA school in five years, since Auburn won in 1914.

Fatty Warren.

It was John Heisman's last game at Georgia Tech. Zelda Sayre sent All-Southern tackle Pete Bonner a telegram after the defeat of Georgia Tech, it read:[15]

"Shooting a seven, aren’t we awfully proud of the boys, give them my love—knew we could."

She signed it "Zelder Sayre." One account of Bonner's play that day reads, "The Jackets were unable to gain through the Auburn line because of Pete Bonner, giant tackle, who seemed to have a knack of being just where he should have for the best interests of his team."[16]

1920: Please omit Flowers

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Buck Flowers.

Auburn had a powerful eleven which beat Vanderbilt 56 to 6 to counter Tech's 44 to 0. Some Auburn fans predicted a victory over Tech and the Southern title.[17] On November 25, 1920, Georgia Tech defeated Auburn at Grant Field by a score of 34 to 0 for a share of the SIAA title.[18] Buck Flowers, in his last game, scored three touchdowns, including punt returns of 82 and 65 yards and a 33-yard run from scrimmage, and also passed for a fourth touchdown.[19][20] Flowers also kicked a punt that went 65 yards in the air against Auburn.[18] Sportswriter Morgan Blake had this to say of Flowers' play against Auburn: "The Auburn Tiger came up with claws sharpened. As he writhed in death agony when the battle was over, he made one request, 'Please omit Flowers'".[19]

The Atlanta Journal wrote that Flowers was "flitting like a phantom, an undulating, rippling, chromatic phantom, over the whitewashed lines".[19] The yearbook remarked Bill Fincher "began his great work on the sand lots of Tech Hi here in Atlanta years ago and ended it up by smearing "Fatty" Warren of the Auburn Tigers all over the flats of Grant Field on Turkey Day last."[21]

1922

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The 1922 team is considered one of Auburn's greatest football teams,[22] and they had lost only to undefeated Army. Still Tech held the Tigers without a first down in the second and third periods.[23] Ed Sherling scored Auburn's touchdown on a 16-yard rush.

1987: Tillman, Tillman, Tillman

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Trailing 10–7 with 4:01 remaining, Auburn took over on its own 9-yard line, needing a touchdown to win the game. Quarterback Jeff Burger led a 14-play drive that he capped off with a four-yard pass to Lawyer Tillman. Aundray Bruce led Auburn's defensive effort with a forced fumble, a recovered fumble, three QB sacks and three interceptions, one that he returned 45 yards for a touchdown.

2003: Grand Reopening

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It would be 16 years before the Tigers and Yellow Jackets would meet again. Auburn was ranked as high as #3 in the preseason polls. After losing 23–0 at home week one to USC, they fell to #17. Georgia Tech on the other hand was also 0–1. They had lost at BYU 24–13. This game was the first in the expanded Bobby Dodd Stadium. Capacity had been lifted from 43,719 to 55,000. In front of a sold out crowd, Tech’s defense held Auburn to zero touchdowns and 226 yards of offense. Auburn QB Jason Campbell was sacked eight times. Reggie Ball was the first true freshman Quarterback ever to start an opener for Georgia Tech. In his first home start, Ball was 9–21 for 149 yards. The score was 10–3 at halftime. Late in the third quarter, Ball sealed the victory with a 26 yard touchdown pass to Mark Logan. Tech won 17–3. This was the Yellow Jackets first win against Auburn since 1978. After the game, Tech fans rushed the field and tore down the goalposts.

Game results

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Auburn victoriesGeorgia Tech victoriesTie games
No.DateLocationWinning teamLosing team
1 November 25, 1892 Atlanta, GA Auburn 26 Georgia Tech 0
2 December 7, 1893 Atlanta, GA Tie0Tie0
3 November 17, 1894 Atlanta, GA Auburn 94 Georgia Tech 0
4 November 7, 1896 Auburn, AL Auburn 45 Georgia Tech 0
5 November 5, 1898 Auburn, AL Auburn 29 Georgia Tech 6
6 October 14, 1899 Auburn, AL Auburn 63 Georgia Tech 0
7 October 11, 1902 Atlanta, GA Auburn 18 Georgia Tech 6
8 November 14, 1903 Atlanta, GA Auburn 10 Georgia Tech 5
9 October 29, 1904 Auburn, AL Auburn 12 Georgia Tech 0
10 November 3, 1906 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 11 Auburn 0
11 October 26, 1907 Atlanta, GA Auburn 12 Georgia Tech 6
12 November 7, 1908 Atlanta, GA Auburn 44 Georgia Tech 0
13 November 6, 1909 Atlanta, GA Auburn 8 Georgia Tech 0
14 November 5, 1910 Atlanta, GA Auburn 16 Georgia Tech 0
15 November 4, 1911 Atlanta, GA Auburn 11 Georgia Tech 6
16 November 2, 1912 Atlanta, GA Auburn 27 Georgia Tech 7
17 November 8, 1913 Atlanta, GA Auburn 20 Georgia Tech 0
18 November 7, 1914 Atlanta, GA Auburn 14 Georgia Tech 0
19 November 25, 1915 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 7 Auburn 0
20 November 30, 1916 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 33 Auburn 7
21 November 29, 1917 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 68 Auburn 7
22 November 28, 1918 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 7 Auburn 0
23 November 27, 1919 Atlanta, GA Auburn 14 Georgia Tech 7
24 November 25, 1920 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 34 Auburn 0
25 November 24, 1921 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 14 Auburn 0
26 November 30, 1922 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 14 Auburn 6
27 November 29, 1923 Atlanta, GA Tie0Tie0
28 November 27, 1924 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 7 Auburn 0
29 November 26, 1925 Atlanta, GA Tie7Tie7
30 November 25, 1926 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 20 Auburn 7
31 November 24, 1927 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 18 Auburn 0
32 November 29, 1928 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 51 Auburn 0
33 November 28, 1929 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 19 Auburn 6
34 October 18, 1930 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 14 Auburn 12
35 October 17, 1931 Atlanta, GA Auburn 13 Georgia Tech 0
36 October 15, 1932 Atlanta, GA Auburn 6 Georgia Tech 0
37 October 14, 1933 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 16 Auburn 6
38 November 10, 1934 Atlanta, GA Auburn 18 Georgia Tech 6
39 November 9, 1935 Atlanta, GA Auburn 33 Georgia Tech 7
40 November 7, 1936 Atlanta, GA #20 Auburn 13 Georgia Tech 12
41 October 23, 1937 Atlanta, GA #20 Auburn 21 Georgia Tech 0
42 October 22, 1938 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 7 Auburn 6
43 October 28, 1939 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 7 Auburn 6
44 October 26, 1940 Atlanta, GA Auburn 16 Georgia Tech 7
45 October 25, 1941 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 28 Auburn 14
46 September 26, 1942 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 15 Auburn 0
47 October 14, 1944 Atlanta, GA #10 Georgia Tech 27 Auburn 0
No.DateLocationWinning teamLosing team
48 October 27, 1945 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 20 Auburn 7
49 October 26, 1946 Atlanta, GA #15 Georgia Tech 27 Auburn 6
50 October 18, 1947 Atlanta, GA #5 Georgia Tech 27 Auburn 7
51 October 16, 1948 Atlanta, GA #7 Georgia Tech 27 Auburn 0
52 October 15, 1949 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 35 Auburn 21
53 October 21, 1950 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 20 Auburn 0
54 October 20, 1951 Atlanta, GA #5 Georgia Tech 27 Auburn 7
55 October 18, 1952 Atlanta, GA #4 Georgia Tech 33 Auburn 0
56 October 17, 1953 Atlanta, GA #6 Georgia Tech 36 #19 Auburn 6
57 October 16, 1954 Atlanta, GA #19 Georgia Tech 28 Auburn 7
58 October 15, 1955 Atlanta, GA #17 Auburn 14 #5 Georgia Tech 12
59 October 20, 1956 Atlanta, GA #3 Georgia Tech 28 Auburn 7
60 October 19, 1957 Atlanta, GA #9 Auburn 3 Georgia Tech 0
61 October 18, 1958 Atlanta, GA Tie7Tie7
62 October 17, 1959 Atlanta, GA #11 Auburn 7 #4 Georgia Tech 6
63 October 15, 1960 Birmingham, AL Auburn 9 #19 Georgia Tech 7
64 October 21, 1961 Atlanta, GA #8 Georgia Tech 7 Auburn 6
65 October 20, 1962 Birmingham, AL Auburn 17 Georgia Tech 14
66 October 19, 1963 Atlanta, GA Auburn 29 #8 Georgia Tech 21
67 October 17, 1964 Birmingham, AL Georgia Tech 7 Auburn 3
68 October 16, 1965 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 23 Auburn 14
69 October 15, 1966 Birmingham, AL #7 Georgia Tech 17 Auburn 3
70 October 21, 1967 Atlanta, GA Auburn 28 Georgia Tech 10
71 October 19, 1968 Birmingham, AL Georgia Tech 21 Auburn 20
72 October 18, 1969 Atlanta, GA #15 Auburn 28 Georgia Tech 10
73 October 17, 1970 Auburn, AL #8 Auburn 31 #16 Georgia Tech 7
74 October 16, 1971 Atlanta, GA #5 Auburn 31 Georgia Tech 14
75 October 21, 1972 Auburn, AL #14 Auburn 24 Georgia Tech 14
76 October 20, 1973 Atlanta, GA Auburn 24 Georgia Tech 10
77 October 19, 1974 Auburn, AL #5 Auburn 31 Georgia Tech 22
78 October 18, 1975 Atlanta, GA Auburn 31 Georgia Tech 27
79 October 16, 1976 Auburn, AL Georgia Tech 28 Auburn 10
80 October 15, 1977 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 38 Auburn 10
81 October 21, 1978 Auburn, AL Georgia Tech 24 Auburn 10
82 October 20, 1979 Atlanta, GA #14 Auburn 31 Georgia Tech 27
83 October 18, 1980 Auburn, AL Auburn 38 Georgia Tech 14
84 October 17, 1981 Atlanta, GA Auburn 31 Georgia Tech 7
85 October 16, 1982 Auburn, AL Auburn 24 Georgia Tech 0
86 October 15, 1983 Atlanta, GA #5 Auburn 31 Georgia Tech 13
87 October 20, 1984 Auburn, AL #13 Auburn 48 Georgia Tech 34
88 October 19, 1985 Atlanta, GA #8 Auburn 17 Georgia Tech 14
89 October 18, 1986 Auburn, AL #7 Auburn 31 Georgia Tech 10
90 October 17, 1987 Atlanta, GA #5 Auburn 20 Georgia Tech 10
91 September 6, 2003 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech 17 #17 Auburn 3
92 September 3, 2005 Auburn, AL Georgia Tech 23 #16 Auburn 14
Series: Auburn leads 47–41–4[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Winsipedia – Auburn Tigers vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football series history". Winsipedia.
  2. ^ HOUSEL, DAVID (October 13, 1966). "Tigers Are Out To Wreck Tech - Newspapers.com". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 50. The Auburn-Georgia Tech rivalry has always been considered a Southern football classic and a trip to the Auburn campus Wednesday afternoon would have left little doubt that a big football game was on tap.
  3. ^ SMITH, GEORGE (October 19, 1963). "Auburn's Unbeaten Tigers Battle Mighty Tech Today - Newspapers.com". The Anniston Star. p. 10. Series history of the Auburn-Georgia Tech rivalry shows it to be one of the oldest in the country
  4. ^ HICKS, TOMMY (October 18, 1980). "Tigers face traditional rival today - Newspapers.com". The Montgomery Advertiser. p. 15. The Auburn-Georgia Tech rivalry was at its height prior to 1966, when the Yellow Jackets were members of the SEC, and dates back to 1892 when the game was a club sport at both schools.
  5. ^ 2011 Auburn Tigers Football Media Guide Archived November 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Auburn University Athletic Department, Auburn, Alabama, pp. 178–189, 191 (2011). Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  6. ^ "USA Today: 1896 Auburn prank on Georgia Tech second best in college sports history". www.thewareaglereader.com. March 8, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  7. ^ "Auburn Beats Yellow Jackets". Atlanta Constitution. November 8, 1908. p. 4. Retrieved September 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  8. ^ a b Wiley Lee Umphlett (1992). Creating the Big Game: John W. Heisman and the Invention of American Football. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 141–142. ISBN 0313284040.
  9. ^ Adam Van Brimmer (2011). 100 Things Yellow Jackets Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die. Triumph Books. ISBN 9781617495748.
  10. ^ a b c Heisman, John M. (2012). Heisman: The Man Behind The Trophy. Simon & Schuster. pp. 160, 164. ISBN 978-1451682915.
  11. ^ Bernie McCarty (February 1988). "Georgia Tech's 1917 backfield, better than the Four Horsemen Part 1". College Football Historical Society. 1 (3). Part 1 Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Part 2 Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Golden Tornado Wins Great Victory" (PDF). The Technique. December 4, 1917. p. 4.
  13. ^ "1920 Glomerata: Individual pdfs for printing :: Auburn University Glomeratas 1897 to 1932". content.lib.auburn.edu.
  14. ^ John Staton (November 17, 1921). "Golden Tornado Spends Day Studying Auburn Formations". Atlanta Constitution. p. 12. Retrieved April 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  15. ^ Jeremy Henderson (October 27, 2014). "Zelda Fitzgerald, Auburn fan".
  16. ^ "Jackets Hold Stiff Drills". The Evening Independent. October 17, 1925. p. 30.
  17. ^ "Dixie Football is Given Praise". The Charlotte News. October 26, 1920. p. 2. Retrieved March 27, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  18. ^ a b "Golden Tornado Sweeps Through Auburn Team 34–0: "Buck" Flowers in Final Game of Career Plays Spectacular Football, Makes Two Eighty-Yard Runs". The Spartanburg Herald. November 26, 1920. p. 14.
  19. ^ a b c "Buck Flowers Member Biography". College Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  20. ^ "Golden Tornado Wins: Georgia Tech Crushes Alabama Poly by Score of 34 to 0" (PDF). The New York Times. November 26, 1920. p. 19.
  21. ^ "The Blueprint".
  22. ^ "Auburn's Gator Bowl Champs Rated Among Top Tiger Teams". Ocala Star-Banner. January 16, 1955.
  23. ^ "Plainsmen Bow Before Tech Eleven By Score of 14 to 6 In Annual Turkey Day Game". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 10. Retrieved May 6, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon