| First meeting | November 19, 1892 Vanderbilt, 20–10 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | December 27, 2024 Vanderbilt, 35–27 |
| Trophy | Gold Cowbell (1924–present) |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 39 |
| All-time series | Georgia Tech leads, 20–16–3[1] |
| Largest victory | Georgia Tech, 83–0 (1917) |
| Longest win streak | Vanderbilt, 7 (1929–1935) |
| Current win streak | Vanderbilt, 1 (2024–present) |
TheGeorgia Tech–Vanderbilt football rivalry is an Americancollege footballrivalry[2][3][4] between theGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets andVanderbilt Commodores. Both universities are founding members of theSoutheastern Conference (SEC) andSouthern Conference (SoCon), andSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). Georgia Tech leads the series all time 20–16–3.
In the 1910s, both programs were coached by men inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame: Dan McGugin and John Heisman. In 2016, a trophy for the contest, the Gold Cowbell, was unearthed after almost 70 years of dormancy. The trophy began in 1924.
The schools first meeting was on November 19, 1892. In 1896, both teams joined theSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA).
The rivalry was played as a postseason matchup in 2024, as both teams were invited to the2024 Birmingham Bowl.[5] Vanderbilt won the game, 35-27.
In 1904, Hall of Fame coaches were hired at each school:Dan McGugin at Vanderbilt andJohn Heisman at Georgia Tech.[a]
Heisman was already of repute, having won a claim to the 1903 SIAA championship atClemson the previous season. McGugin was new on the job, but is still the only coach in college football history to win the first three games he ever coached each by 60 points.[6] McGugin would coach at Vanderbilt (with the exception of the 1918 season due to World War I) until the 1930s. Heisman would coach at Georgia Tech until after the 1919 season.William Alexander was hired to succeed Heisman, and he continued to produce strong teams utilizing theHeisman shift. Alexander coached until the 1940s, when he was replaced byBobby Dodd.
Vanderbilt's oldestrival was Sewanee. One publication claims "The first scouting done in the South was in 1905," before the upcoming Sewanee game, "when Dan McGugin and CaptainInnis Brown, of Vanderbilt went toAtlanta to seeSewanee playGeorgia Tech."[7]
Both Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech claim a Southern title in1915. Seven out of eight newspapers voted the SIAA championship to the "point a minute"Vanderbilt Commodores. TheAtlanta Constitution declared it a tie between Vanderbilt andGeorgia Tech, which was then independent. However, Tech challenged Vandy's championship.[8]
McGugin would win 11 Southern championships in his first 20 seasons coaching the Commodores, including 4 straight from 1904 to 1907, 3 straight from 1910 to 1912, and 3 straight again from 1921 to 1923, as well as the one in 1915. Heisman would win four straight from 1915 to 1918, including a Southern team's first undisputed national title in 1917. McGugin's 1907 team gave Heisman his worst loss at Tech, and Heisman's 1917 team gave McGugin and the Commodores their worst loss ever.
In 2016, a trophy for the contest, the Gold Cowbell,[9] was unearthed after almost 70 years of dormancy.[2][10][11] The winner of the contest was awarded the cowbell trophy tradition starting in 1924, and it was still awarded to the winner of the contest up until the 1960s.[12]
The first matchup was in 1892, a 20–10 Vanderbilt win. It was Georgia Tech's inaugural season (their second-ever game) and Vanderbilt's third season. The 1892 Vanderbilt team was the oldest in the memory ofGrantland Rice. He claimedPhil Connell would be a good player in any era.[13]
The1906 Vanderbilt team was one of the strongest in its history.[b]Owsley Manier rushed for five touchdowns on Tech. Sportswriter Alex Lynn wrote after the game that Manier was: "the greatest fullback and all round man ever seen in Atlanta."[15]Lob Brown scored for Tech.
The following season, Vanderbilt beat Georgia Tech 54–0. "The rooters stridently called: "We wantsixty! We wantsixty!"[16] The highlight of the first half came on atriple pass.Sam Costen passed the ball toHonus Craig, Craig passed it to Morton and Morton passed it toBob Blake, who ran to the side and passed it 25 yards back to Costen. Costen ran the remaining 20 yards for a touchdown.[17]
In 1910, Vanderbilt won a close game overMississippi 9–2. Late in the first quarter,Ray Morrison returned apunt 90 yards for Vanderbilt's onlytouchdown.[18][19]John Heisman was the game'sfield judge, and McGugin did not want to show too much, playing Heisman'sGeorgia Tech in two weeks.[20] Morrison was the star of the Georgia Tech game too, scoring two touchdowns on road to a 23–0 victory for Vanderbilt.[21]
The1917 Georgia Tech team was the South's first national champion. Despite Vanderbilt having a respectable team, Tech beat Vanderbilt 83–0, the worst loss they have ever suffered. "It was not until 1917 that a Southern team really avenged long-time torment at McGugin's hands. And it took one of history's top backfields–Joe Guyon,Ev Strupper,Al Hill, andJudy Harlan of Georgia Tech–to do it," wroteEdwin Pope.[22] Guyon was the game's star; according toMorgan Blake, "Guyon has been great in all games this year. But Saturday he was the superman".[23]
Vanderbilt captainAlf Adams praised the Tech team: "Tech's magnificent machine won easily over Vanderbilt. It was simply the matter of a splendid eleven winning over an unseasoned, inexperienced team. Tech played hard, clean football, and we were somewhat surprised to meet such a fair, aggressive team, after the reports we had heard. I think that Vanderbilt could have broken thatTech shift if we had had last year's eleven. Being outweighed, Vanderbilt could not check the heavy forwards, or open up the line. Thereby hangs the tale."[24]
In Heisman's final year at Georgia Tech, both teams were undefeated entering the game. Vanderbilt suffered its only loss on the year in the mud, 20–0. HalfbackBuck Flowers and fullbackBill Giaver starred.[25] Flowers had a 78-yard touchdown run. Vanderbilt's captain wasJosh Cody.
Georgia Tech continued its success with new coachWilliam Alexander. With Flowers andRed Barron in the backfield, SIAA champion Tech defeated Vanderbilt 44–0. During the scoring barrage, Flowers converted a 44-yarddrop kickfield goal. In the fourth quarter, a fight broke out between Vanderbilt'sGink Hendrick, and some Tech players and fans. No ejections could be made since too many players were involved.
All-AmericanHek Wakefield scored on a 37-yarddrop kick field goal for Vanderbilt's first win in Atlanta since 1906.[26] Wakefield was considered the greatest drop kicker in Vanderbilt history.[27] The Gold Cowbell trophy was introduced after this game.[12]
Vanderbilt elected to start the game with the wind at its back, hoping for an edge in punts which would lead to good field position early.Gil Reese caught one of these punts in the first quarter on the fly and, noticing both of Tech's ends blocked to the ground, raced to within striking distance of the end zone. From there,Hek Wakefield made a drop kick.[28] Wakefield was the star of the game; "He was death on returning punts and when he started around the ends the Tech stars groaned", recalls one account.[29]
Tech's one chance to score came when fullbackDouglas Wycoff missed a kick low, partially blocked by Vanderbilt. Hendrix attempted to recover but missed, and Georgia Tech retained possession at the 4-yard line. On first down, a snap from center missed Wycoff, and Vanderbilt fullbackTom Ryan recovered the ball at the 15-yard line, and later punted it away to safety.[30]
Describing the most spectacular play he ever saw, coach Alexander cites one from the 1925 game against Vanderbilt.Doug Wycoff was hurt, and his substitute Dick Wright was sent in with only minutes to go in the game. On a muddy field, Wright ran off tackle and dodged Vanderbilt'ssafetyGil Reese, "usually a sure tackler," to get the touchdown that gave Tech a 7–0 victory.[31] The yearbook remarked, Wright "should have run for governor of Georgia right after he ran 56 yards against Vandy."
in 1926,Vanderbilt beat Georgia Tech 13–7. Tech scored on an off-tackle play whenCarter Barron got loose for a 50-yard run.Bill Spears faked a pass and ran for 24 yards to spark a drive to tie the game at 7, and added two field goals to win the game for Vanderbilt.[32][33]
On a wet field, Tech's strong defense held the high scoring Vanderbilt team, including Hall of FamerBill Spears and high scorerJimmy Armistead, to a scoreless tie.[34]
Georgia Tech ended theJimmy Armistead-ledVanderbilt Commodores' hopes of a southern title with a 19–7 victory.[35] Tech went on to win theRose Bowl and a national title.
Georgia Tech's first touchdown came on a 45-yard (41 m) pass from Tom Jones toWarner Mizell on atriple pass play.[36] Georgia Tech's next score came on anend run from Mizell. Vanderbilt's lone score came on an 85-yard (78 m) run by linemanBull Brown after picking up aStumpy Thomason fumble.[37]
The game has also been credited as the first Vanderbilt football game on the radio.[38]
Vanderbilt's All-American centerPete Gracey once said "In myfirst varsity year, the night before we played Georgia Tech, Coach McGugin casually walked up to me in the lobby of our hotel, put his arm around my shoulder and sorta whispered, "I was with some Atlanta newspapermen this afternoon and I told them you were the finest sophomore center I had ever coached. I hope that I haven't made it embarrassing for you" We beat Tech, 49 to 7. Afterward I talked to seven other players and you know, Coach McGugin told them all the same thing he told me."[39]
In 1933, Vanderbilt won a close game 9–6. In the closing minutes, a tipped pass was caught by Vanderbilt's Lang Wroton for a score.[40][41]
In the fourth quarter,Willie Geny intercepted a pass and raced 67 yards for a touchdown to win the game for Vanderbilt 14–13.[42] This is the last win for Vanderbilt in Atlanta to date, and the season had Vanderbilt's best SEC record.
Georgia Tech beat a previously undefeated Vanderbilt 14–0, and the Golden Cowbell trophy had been recovered after previously being stolen.[12]
Vanderbilt's last victory in the rivalry came in 1941 with a 14–7 win in Nashville. Vanderbilt remained the only untied and unbeaten team in the SEC, with SEC Player of the YearJack Jenkins scoring two touchdowns. Georgia Tech scored with a minute left in the game.[43]
With just over a minute left and undefeated Georgia Tech up 8–0, Vanderbilt quarterbackBill Wade threw a touchdown pass to Ted Kirkland. Vanderbilt tried an onside kick, but was unsuccessful, and lost 8–7.[44]
The1952 Georgia Tech team were to be national champions and played Vanderbilt for its homecoming. Vanderbilt was coming off its first win of the season, over a strongFlorida team. The first quarter was scoreless, and the score at the half was 6 to 0. After a Vanderbilt fumble, it was 13 to 0, and in the fourth quarter Tech ran away with the game 30 to 0.[45]
Georgia Tech beat Vanderbilt in overtime.Jay Cutler led Vanderbilt in rushing.[46]
On December 27, 2024, Vanderbilt defeated Georgia Tech 35–27 in the2024 Birmingham Bowl.[47] The game featured plenty of chippiness between the two old rivals and there were many controversial calls by the officials. There was a prolonged weather delay forlightning in the fourth quarter and Georgia Tech rallied to a one-possession loss. Vanderbilt claimed the Gold Cowbell Trophy for the first time since 1941.[48]
| Georgia Tech victories | Vanderbilt victories | Tie games |
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