| 1916Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football | |
|---|---|
 | |
National champion (Billingsley) SIAA co-champion | |
| Conference | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
| Record | 8–0–1 (5–0 SIAA) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive scheme | Jump shift |
| Captain | Talley Johnston |
| Home stadium | Grant Field |
Uniform | |
 | |
Seasons | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Tech + | 5 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 0 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee + | 6 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 8 | – | 0 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU | 3 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 1 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Citadel | 3 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane | 2 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 4 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 2 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 4 | – | 1 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sewanee | 2 | – | 2 | – | 2 | 5 | – | 2 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Centre | 1 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 1 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Howard (AL) | 1 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgetown (KY) | 1 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi A&M | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transylvania | 2 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 3 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi College | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clemson | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Carolina | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wofford | 1 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisville | 1 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 2 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Furman | 1 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chattanooga | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 0 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mercer | 0 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Miss | 0 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The1916 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented theGeorgia Tech Golden Tornado of theGeorgia Institute of Technology during the1916 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. Georgia Tech was a member of theSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). The Tornado was coached byJohn Heisman in his 13th year as head coach, compiling a record of 8–0–1 (5–0 SIAA) and outscoring their opponents 421 to 20.[1] Georgia Tech played its home games atGrant Field. One writer claimed the 1916 team "seemed to personify Heisman."[2] This was the first team to vault Georgia Tech to national prominence.[3]
The season featured the222–0 defeat of Cumberland, the largest margin of victory in football history. Tech scored the second-most points in the nation, behindGeorgetown.Everett Strupper was third in the nation in scoring, including 16 touchdowns.[4]
Several players received post-season honors.Pup Phillips was the first Tech center selectedAll-Southern, and was selected third-teamAll-America byWalter Camp. Along with Phillips and Strupper, tackleWalker Carpenter, guardBob Lang, and fullbackTommy Spence were also All-Southern.
In 1916 football used aone-platoon system, in which players played bothoffense anddefense. CoachJohn Heisman's backfield used the pre-snap movement of his "jump shift" offense.
The team's captain was halfback Talley Johnston. Leading the team was Tech's first great quarterbackFroggie Morrison, and providing the punch atfullback wasTommy Spence.
Star halfback Ev Strupper was partially deaf;[5] because of his deafness, he called the signals instead of the team's quarterback.[6] When "Strupe" tried out for the team, he noticed that the quarterback shouted the signals every time he was to carry the ball. Realizing that the loud signals would be a tip-off to the opposition, Strupper told Heisman: "Coach, those loud signals are absolutely unnecessary. You see when sickness in my kid days brought on this deafness my folks gave me the best instructors obtainable to teach me lip-reading."[7] Heisman recalled how Strupper overcame his deafness: "He couldn't hear anything but a regular shout. But he could read your lips like a flash. No lad that ever stepped on a football field had keener eyes than Everett had. The enemy found this out the minute he began looking for openings through which to run the ball."[7]
Tech rejoined theSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association.Joe Guyon, a transfer from Carlisle, had to sit out the 1916 season in accordance with conference transfer rules.[8]
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 30 | Mercer | W 61–0 | ||
| October 7 | Cumberland (TN)* |
| W222–0 | |
| October 14 | Davidson* |
| W 9–0 | |
| October 21 | North Carolina* |
| W 10–6 | |
| October 28 | Washington & Lee* |
| T 7–7 | |
| November 4 | Tulane |
| W 45–0 | |
| November 11 | Alabama |
| W 13–0 | |
| November 18 | atGeorgia | W 21–0 | 10,000 | |
| November 30 | Auburn |
| W 33–7 | |
| ||||
Tech opened the season with a 61–0 defeat ofMercer using conventional football.[9] Strupper had a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown.[10]
The222–0 defeat ofCumberland was the largest margin of victory in football history. Cumberland, a Presbyterian school inLebanon, Tennessee, had discontinued its football program before the season but was not allowed to cancel its game against the Engineers.[11][12] The fact that Cumberland's baseball team had crushed Georgia Tech earlier that year 22–0 (amidst allegations that Cumberland used professionals asringers) probably accounted for Georgia Tech coach John Heisman'srunning up the score on the Bulldogs. (Heisman was also the Engineers' baseball coach.)[11][12] Another possible reason for Heisman's plan to run up the score was the practice among the sportswriters of the time to rank teams based on how many points they scored. Since this statistic did not account for the strength or weakness of a team's opponent, Heisman disagreed with the amount of weight the writers tended to assign to it, and he may have unleashed his players on Cumberland to make his point.[13]
Cumberland received the opening kickoff and failed to make a first down. After a punt, the Engineers scored on their first play.[11][14] Cumberland then fumbled on their next play from scrimmage, and a Tech player returned the fumble for a touchdown.[11][14] The Bulldogs fumbled again on their next play, and it took Tech two runs to score its third touchdown.[11][14] Cumberland lost nine yards on its next possession, then gave up a fourth touchdown on another two-play Tech drive.[12][14]
With a 42–0 lead midway through the first quarter, Strupper broke clear and could have scored easily, but he intentionally grounded the ball at the one-yard line to allow Georgia Tech tackle J. Cantey Alexander to score the first touchdown of his career.[15] A teammate later recalled the play as follows:
Strupper swapped positions with Alexander ... The team didn't want to make it too easy for Cantey, though. The other boys wouldn't block for him or help in any way. As soon as the ball was snapped, they ran away from the line and out of the play completely. Leaving poor Cantey to go it alone. Finally, on fourth down, a bruised and weary Alexander got the ball across while his teammates howled with laughter.[15]
As a general rule, the only thing necessary for a touchdown was to give a Tech back the ball and holler, 'Here he comes' and 'There he goes.'
— The Atlanta Journal, 1916
The Engineers led 63–0 after the first quarter and 126–0 at halftime. Tech added 54 more points in the third quarter and 42 in the final period.[12][14] Cumberland's only effective defense was an extra point blocked with a sort of human pyramid.[12]
SportswriterGrantland Rice wrote, "Cumberland's greatest individual play of the game occurred when fullback Allen circled right end for a 6–yard loss."[16][17][n 1] At halftime, Heisman reportedly told his players, "You're doing all right, team, we're ahead. But you just can't tell what those Cumberland players have up their sleeves. They may spring a surprise. Be alert, men! Hit 'em clean, but hit 'em hard!"[17][18] However, even Heisman relented, and shortened the quarters in the second half to 12 minutes each instead of 15.[18]
The starting lineup was: Preas (left end), Bell (left tackle), West (left guard), Phillips (center), Alexander (right guard), Carpenter (right tackle), Puckett (right end), Guill (quarterback), Strupper (left halfback), Shaver (right halfback), and Spence (fullback).[19]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| •Ga. Tech | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
Tech had a tough game withDavidson, winning 9–0. Davidson had one touchdown brought back by penalty. Tech scored with a touchdown, and a safety on a punt fumbled in theend zone.[20]
The starting lineup was: Dunwoody (left end), Bell (left tackle), Lang (left guard), Phillips (center), Fincher (right guard), Carpenter (right tackle), Senter (right end), Morrison (quarterback), Strupper (left halfback), Johnston (right halfback), and Spence (fullback).[20]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| •Ga. Tech | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Tech beatNorth Carolina 10–6 in a hard-fought contest.[21]Bill Folger starred for the Tar Heels.
After six minutes of play,Everett Strupper caught a punt and ran 55 yards for a touchdown.[21] Five minutes later, Tommy Spence kicked a goal from the 33–yard line.[21] In the fourth quarter, Carolina scored on a forward pass from Folger to Ramsey which set up a touchdown.[21]
Jim Senter broke a bone in his left ankle in the second period, and Spence was threatened with a concussion by game's end.[21]
The starting lineup was: Dunwoody (left end), Mauck (left tackle), Preas (left guard), Phillips (center), Lang (right guard), Carpenter (right tackle), Senter (right end), Morrison (quarterback), Strupper (left halfback), Johnston (right halfback), and Spence (fullback).[21]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W&L | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Ga. Tech | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
"In a game filled with thrills",[22]Washington and Lee tied Georgia Tech 7–7 in the season's lone blemish for Tech. Tech had to play without Senter or Spence. All the scoring was done in the first ten minutes. W&L's Hall of Fame captainHarry Young returned a punt to Tech's 37-yard line. After two runs brought the ball to the 30, Adams worked the ball to the score in three plays. Strupper threw a touchdown to Bell for Tech's score. The Generals threatened to score throughout the second period.[22]
The starting lineup was: Dunwoody (left end), Mauck (left tackle), Alexander (left guard), Phillips (center), Lang (right guard), Carpenter (right tackle), Bell (right end), Morrison (quarterback), Strupper (left halfback), Johnston (right halfback), and Glover (fullback).[22]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulane | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| •Ga. Tech | 14 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
Tech easily beatTulane 45–0, using its superior weight to advantage.[24] Everett Strupper scored first on a 70-yard touchdown.[23] After the half Tech used its substitutes.[24]
The starting lineup was: Dunwoody (left end), Mauck (left tackle), Alexander (left guard), Fincher (center), Lang (right guard), Carpenter (right tackle), Bell (right end), Morrison (quarterback), Strupper (left halfback), Shaver (right halfback), and Guill (fullback).[23]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| •Ga. Tech | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
Tech's line heldAlabama'sCecil Creen in check throughout as it won 13–0.[25] The Tide gained just 60 yards and two first downs, while Tech gained 20 first downs and 270 yards.[25]
After a competitive three quarters, Alabama's Gage fumbled a pass from center, recovered byBill Fincher, leading to a Guill score. Later, Glover scored on a short fourth down run.[25]
The starting lineup was: Dunwoody (left end), Alexander (left tackle), Fincher (left guard), Phillips (center), Lang (right guard), Carpenter (right tackle), Bell (right end), Guill (quarterback), Strupper (left halfback), Shaver (right halfback), and Spence (fullback).[25]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •Ga. Tech | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Georgia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tech easily beatGeorgia 21–0 in the season's only road game.[26] After a scoreless first quarter, Johnston ran for 25 yards around right end, and plunges from Spence soon got a touchdown.[26] In the third quarter, Spence scored again. Tech was then aided by a half-the-distance-to-the-goal penalty by Georgia.[26] The drive ended with a 15-yard touchdown run from Strupper.[26] The starting lineup was: Dunwoody (left end), Alexander (left tackle), Lang (left guard), Phillips (center), Fincher (right guard), Carpenter (right tackle), Bell (right end), Morrison (quarterback), Strupper (left halfback), Johnston (right halfback), and Spence (fullback).[26]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| •Ga. Tech | 0 | 20 | 13 | 0 | 33 |
Tech overwhelmed rivalAuburn 33–7 to clinch a share of the SIAA title.[27] Tech end Dunwoody scored a touchdown when he recovered a fumble and raced 20 yards. CenterPup Phillips also had a score, falling on a punt he blocked. Auburn's star wasMoon Ducote.[27]
The starting lineup was: Dunwoody (left end), Alexander (left tackle), Fincher (left guard), Phillips (center), Lang (right guard), Carpenter (right tackle), Bell (right end), Morrison (quarterback), Strupper (left halfback), Johnston (right halfback), and Spence (fullback).[27]
Tech scored the second-most points in the nation, behindGeorgetown. Everett Strupper was third in the nation in scoring, including 16 touchdowns.[4] The team was retroactively selected as the national champion for 1916 by theBillingsley Report.[28]
Center Pup Phillips was selected forWalter Camp's third-teamAll-America and was the first Tech center selectedAll-Southern.[29]TackleWalker Carpenter,guardBob Lang, fullback Tommy Spence, andhalfback Everett Strupper were selected All-Southern along with Phillips.[30] Spence got Camp's honorable mention.
Both Morrison and Spence served in theFirst World War. Spence was a casualty. He is the namesake ofSpence Air Base.[31]
The following chart provides a visual depiction of Tech's lineup during the 1916 season with games started at the position reflected in parentheses. The chart mimics the offense after the jump shift has taken place.
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"All-Southern Football Team As Picked By Sport Writers".Augusta Chronicle. December 3, 1916.