1923 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football team

1923 Southern Conference football standings
	+ – Conference co-champions; * co-member of SIAA ;

1923 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football
1923 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado 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
	Seasons ← 1922 1924 →

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*	Cartier Field 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	10,000
November 17		Kentucky	Grant Field Atlanta, GA	T 3–3
November 29		Auburn	Grant Field Atlanta, GA (rivalry)	T 0–0
*Non-conference game

^[3]

Season summary[]

Week 1: Oglethorpe[]

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[]

Week 3: Florida at Georgia Tech

	1	2	3	4	Total
Florida	7	0	0	0	7
Ga. Tech	0	0	0	7	7

Date: October 13
Location: Grant Field
Atlanta, GA
Game attendance: 12,000

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[]

Week 4: Georgetown at Georgia Tech

	1	2	3	4	Total
Georgetown	7	3	0	0	10
• Ga. Tech	0	0	14	6	20

Date: October 20
Location: Grant Field
Atlanta, GA

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[]

Week 5: Georgia Tech at Notre Dame

	1	2	3	4	Total
Ga. Tech	0	0	7	0	7
• Notre Dame	7	7	14	7	35

Location: South Bend, IN
Game attendance: 20,000+

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[]

Week 6: Alabama at Georgia Tech

	1	2	3	4	Total
Alabama	0	0	0	0	0
Ga. Tech	0	0	0	0	0

Location: Grant Field
Atlanta, GA
Game attendance: 10,000

In a driving rain, Tech and Alabama under first year coach Wallace Wade played to a scoreless tie.^[13]

Week 7: at Penn State[]

Week 7: Georgia Tech at Penn State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Ga. Tech	0	0	0	0	0
• Penn State	7	0	0	0	7

Date: November 10
Location: State College, PA
Game start: 2:30 p. m.

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[]

Week 9: Auburn at Georgia Tech

	1	2	3	4	Total
Auburn	0	0	0	0	0
Ga. Tech	0	0	0	0	0

Location: Grant Field
Atlanta, GA

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.

LE
John Staton (6)

LT	LG	C	RG	RT
Gus Merkle (3)	John McIntyre (5)	Claire Frye (6)	F. McConnell (5)	Usry (3)
Merrin (1)	F. McConnell (1)		John McIntyre (1)	Huffines(3)
Six Carpenter (1)
Usry (1)

RE
Gardner (6)

QB
Pinkey Hunt (2)
Carter (2)
Davis (1)
Ike Williams (1)

RHB
Reeves (5)
Bip Farnsworth (1)

FB
Doug Wycoff (6)

LHB
Pinkey Hunt (3)
Ike Williams (2)
Jerry Albright (1)

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". Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
^ "1923 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Schedule and Results". Archived from the original on 2018-12-11. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
^ 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. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Woodruff 1928, p. 243
^ ^a ^b Woodruff 1928, pp. 246–247
^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-10-18. Retrieved 2016-05-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ Heisler, Karen Croake (1 January 2006). Fighting Irish: Legends, Lists, and Lore. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 66 – via Internet Archive.
^ "How the Irish Whipped the South". The Fort Wayne Sentinel. October 29, 1923. p. 10. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2016-05-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "1923-11-10 – Georgia Tech at Penn State - Georgia Tech Ticket Stubs". Archived from the original on 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
^ 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. ISBN 9780807864036 – via Google Books.
^ "Penn State Grid Teams Wins Over Georgia, 7 to 0". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 11, 1923. p. 44. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Woodruff 1928, pp. 266–267
^ "1923-11-29 – Georgia Tech vs. Auburn - Georgia Tech Ticket Stubs". Archived from the original on 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
^ "Georgia Tech Suffers Worst Season In Years". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. December 3, 1923. p. 7. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. 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. Vol. 2.

[3] 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]

[1] Van Brimmer & Rice 2011, p. 147

[2] "Golden Tornadoes". Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2015.

[4] "1923 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Schedule and Results". Archived from the original on 2018-12-11. Retrieved 2019-10-15.

[5] Woodruff 1928, pp. 232–233

[6] Woodruff 1928, p. 234

[7] Woodruff 1928, p. 238

[8] Lawrence Perry (October 12, 1934). "Game's For The Sake". Harrisburg Telegraph. p. 19. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.

[9] Woodruff 1928, p. 243

[woodr246-10] Woodruff 1928, pp. 246–247

[11] "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-10-18. Retrieved 2016-05-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[12] Heisler, Karen Croake (1 January 2006). Fighting Irish: Legends, Lists, and Lore. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 66 – via Internet Archive.

[13] "How the Irish Whipped the South". The Fort Wayne Sentinel. October 29, 1923. p. 10. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[14] "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2016-05-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[15] "1923-11-10 – Georgia Tech at Penn State - Georgia Tech Ticket Stubs". Archived from the original on 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2017-01-02.

[16] 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. ISBN 9780807864036 – via Google Books.

[17] "Penn State Grid Teams Wins Over Georgia, 7 to 0". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 11, 1923. p. 44. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[18] Woodruff 1928, pp. 266–267

[19] "1923-11-29 – Georgia Tech vs. Auburn - Georgia Tech Ticket Stubs". Archived from the original on 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2016-05-06.

[20] "Georgia Tech Suffers Worst Season In Years". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. December 3, 1923. p. 7. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[note 1]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[1]

[2]

v t Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
Venues	Piedmont Park (1899–1901; 1903–1904) Brisbane Park (1902) The Flats (1905–1906, 1912) Ponce de Leon Park (1907–1911) Grant Field (1913–1987) Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field (1988–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Auburn Clemson Georgia: Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate Tennessee Vanderbilt Virginia Tech
Culture & lore	Buzz Ramblin' Wreck "Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech" "Up with the White and Gold" Marching band Heisman shift 1916 Cumberland game 1990 game at Virginia
People	Head coaches Starting quarterbacks NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
National championship seasons in bold

1923 Southern Conference football standings
v t	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
Washington & Lee +	4	–	0	–	1	6	–	3	–	1
Vanderbilt * +	3	–	0	–	1	5	–	2	–	1
VPI	4	–	1	–	0	6	–	3	–	0
Alabama	4	–	1	–	1	7	–	2	–	1
Maryland	2	–	1	–	0	7	–	2	–	1
Florida	1	–	0	–	2	6	–	1	–	2
North Carolina	2	–	1	–	1	5	–	3	–	1
Georgia	3	–	2	–	0	5	–	3	–	1
Mississippi A&M	2	–	1	–	2	5	–	2	–	2
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

+ – Conference co-champions * co-member of SIAA