1922 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football team

The 1922 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football team[note 1] represented the Georgia Tech Golden Tornado of the Georgia Institute of Technology during the 1922 Southern Conference football season. The Tornado was coached by William Alexander in his third year as head coach, compiling a record of 7–2 (4–0 SoCon) and outscoring opponents 157 to 59.

1922 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football
SoCon co-champion
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Record7–2 (4–0 SoCon)
Head coach
Offensive schemeJump shift
CaptainRed Barron
Home stadiumGrant Field
Uniform
Seasons
← 1921
1923 →
1922 Southern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
North Carolina + 5 0 0 9 1 0
Georgia Tech + 4 0 0 7 2 0
Vanderbilt * + 3 0 0 8 0 1
VPI 3 0 0 8 1 1
Florida 2 0 0 7 2 0
Auburn 2 1 0 8 2 0
Tennessee 3 2 0 8 2 0
Alabama 3 2 1 6 3 1
Virginia 1 1 1 4 4 1
Mississippi A&M 2 3 0 3 4 2
Kentucky 1 2 0 6 3 0
Clemson 1 2 0 5 4 0
Washington and Lee 1 2 0 5 3 1
Maryland 1 2 0 4 5 1
LSU 1 2 0 3 7 0
Georgia 1 3 1 5 4 1
Tulane 1 4 0 4 4 0
South Carolina 0 2 0 5 4 0
Ole Miss 0 2 0 4 5 1
NC State 0 5 0 4 6 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • * – co-member of SIAA

Red Barron made Walter Camp's second-team All-America.

Before the season

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1922 is the first season of the new Southern Conference, and freshmen were barred from play.[3][4]

In the line, at either end one finds brothers John and Al Staton. At guard was Oscar Davis, who with Barron was later named to an All-Tech Alexander era team.[5]

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 30Oglethorpe*W 31–6[6]
October 7Davidson*
  • Grant Field
  • Atlanta, GA
W 19–0[7]
October 14Alabama
W 33–7[8]
October 21at Navy*L 13–020,000[9]
October 28Notre Dame*
L 13–318,000–20,000[10]
November 4Clemson
W 21–7[11]
November 11Georgetown*
  • Grant Field
  • Atlanta, GA
W 19–7[12]
November 18NC State
  • Grant Field
  • Atlanta, GA
W 17–0[13]
November 30Auburn
W 14–626,000[14]
  • *Non-conference game

[15]

Game summaries

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Oglethorpe

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Oglethorpe at Georgia Tech
1 234Total
Oglethorpe 0 006 6
Ga. Tech 6 7612 31

Sources:[16]

The season opened with a 31–6 defeat over the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels.[16] Red Barron scored two touchdowns, and Oglethorpe's Adrian Maurer had a 90-yard touchdown run.[16]

The starting lineup was J. Staton (left end), Johnson (left tackle), McIntyre (left guard), Frye (center), Davis (right guard), Lyman (right tackle), A. Staton (right end), McDonough (quarterback), Barron (left halfback), Brewster (right halfback), Hunt (fullback).[16][17]

Davidson

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In the second week of play, Tech beat the Davidson Wildcats 19–0. Red Barron ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns despite playing for only part of the contest.[18]

The starting lineup was J. Staton (left end), Johnson (left tackle), McIntyre (left guard), Frye (center), Davis (right guard), A. Staton (right tackle), Mitchel(right end), McDonough (quarterback), Barron (left halfback), Rather (right halfback), Hunt (fullback).[18]

Alabama

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Alabama at Georgia Tech
1 234Total
Alabama 0 070 7
Ga. Tech 21 1200 33

Sources:

Tech defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 33–7. Alabama's score came when Country Oliver returned a kickoff 95 yards.[19]

The starting lineup was J. Staton (left end), Cornell (left tackle), McIntyre (left guard), Frye (center), Davis (right guard), A. Staton (right tackle), Mitchell (right end), McDonough (quarterback), Barron (left halfback), McWhorter (right halfback), Hunt (fullback).[20]

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Red Barron played well in the 13–0 loss to the Navy Midshipmen.[21]

The starting lineup was J. Staton (left end), Connell (left tackle), McIntyre (left guard), Frye (center), Davis (right guard), A. Staton (right tackle), Mitchell (right end), McDonough (quarterback), Barron (left halfback), McWhorter (right halfback), Hunt (fullback).[21]

Notre Dame

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Tech played Knute Rockne's Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the first time. The Four Horsemen were sophomores playing their first year on the varsity, and beat Tech 13–3.[22][23] The Irish stopped Red Barron.[24]

 
McDonough running interference for Brewster

The starting lineup was J. Staton (left end), Usry (left tackle), McConnel (left guard), Frye (center), Davis (right guard), Lyman (right tackle), A. Staton (right end), McDonough (quarterback), Barron (left halfback), Brewster (right halfback), Hunt (fullback)[25]

Clemson

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The Clemson Tigers were defeated 21–7. Coach Alexander used a different platoon each quarter.[26]

The starting lineup was J. Staton (left end), Usery (left tackle), McConell (left guard), Frye (center), Davis (right guard), Lyman (right tackle), A. Staton (right end), McDonough (quarterback), Barron (left halfback), Brewster (right halfback), Hunt (fullback).[26]

Georgetown

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Georgetown at Georgia Tech
1 234Total
Georgetown 0 060 6
Ga. Tech 6 670 19

Sources:[27]

Tech's backfield starred in a 19–7 defeat of the Georgetown Blue and Gray. Jack McDonough scored two touchdowns and Brewster another.[28] Flavin scored for Georgetown.[28]

The starting lineup was J. Staton (left end), Usry (left tackle), McIntyre (left guard), Frye (center), Davis (right guard), A. Staton (right tackle), Mitchell (right end), McDonough (quarterback), Barron (left halfback), Brewster (right halfback), Hunt (fullback).[28]

NC State

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NC State at Georgia Tech
1 234Total
NCST 0 000 0
Ga. Tech 7 703 17

Sources:

The Tornado shutout the NC State Wolfpack 17–0. Henry Reeves made a 40-yard drop kick.[29]

The starting lineup was Gardner (left end), Johnson (left tackle), McConnell (left guard), Fleetwood (center), Borum (right guard), Lyman (right tackle), Mitchell (right end), McDonough (quarterback), Barron (left halfback), Brewster (right halfback), Hunt (fullback)[29]

Auburn

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Auburn at Georgia Tech
1 234Total
Auburn 0 006 6
Ga. Tech 0 770 14

Sources:[27]

Tech beat coach Mike Donahue's rival Auburn Tigers to secure a share of the SoCon championship. The 1922 team is considered one of Auburn's greatest football teams,[30] and they had lost only to undefeated Army. Still Tech held the Tigers without a first down in the second and third periods.[27] Ed Sherling scored Auburn's touchdown on a 16-yard rush.[27]

The starting lineup was J. Staton (left end), Usry (left tackle), McIntyre (left guard), Frye (center), Davis (right guard), Lyman (right tackle), A. Staton (right end), McDonough (quarterback), Barron (left halfback), Brewster (right halfback), Hunt (fullback).[27][31]

Postseason

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Red Barron and Vanderbilt's Lynn Bomar were the only unanimous All-Southern selections.[32]

Personnel

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Depth chart

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The following chart provides a visual depiction of Tech's lineup during the 1922 season with games started at the position reflected in parentheses. The chart mimics the offense after the jump shift has taken place.

LE
John Staton (8)
Gardner (1)
 
LT LG C RG RT
Usry (4) John McIntyre (6) Claire Frye (8) Oscar Davis (8) W. P. Lyman (6)
Johnson (3) McConnell (3) Fleetwood (1) Borum (1) Albert Staton (3)
Connell (2)
RE
Albert Staton (7)
Mitchell (2)
 
QB
Jack McDonough (9)
RHB
Jimmy Brewster (6)
McWhorter (2)
Rather (1)
FB
Pinkey Hunt (9)
LHB
Red Barron (9)

Notes

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  1. ^ 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

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  1. ^ Van Brimmer & Rice 2011, p. 147
  2. ^ "Golden Tornadoes". Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  3. ^ "Drastic Rules Are Adopted By New Southern Conference To Keep College Sports Clean". The Atlanta Constitution. February 27, 1921. p. 2. Retrieved August 16, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  4. ^ "Vanderbilt to Pick Grid Team From 23 Candidates". Atlanta Constitution. July 18, 1922. p. 13. Retrieved March 22, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  5. ^ "2007 Georgia Tech Football" (PDF). p. 155. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 8, 2018.
  6. ^ "Georgia Tech beats Oglethorpe's eleven". Greensboro Daily News. October 1, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Davidson holds Yellow Jackets to 19-to-0 score". The Atlanta Constitution. October 8, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Tech victorious over Alabama". The Birmingham News. October 15, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Navy trims Golden Tornadoes". The Baltimore Sun. October 22, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Passes prove too much for Georgia Tech". Fort Worth Record-Telegram. October 29, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Georgia Tech beats Clemson team, 21–7". Greensboro Daily News. November 5, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Georgia Tech gives whipping to Georgetown". The Selma Times-Journal. November 12, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "North Carolina State glorious in defeat". The State. November 19, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Auburn's championship hopes wrecked by mighty Tech machine in 14–6 battle". Birmingham Age-Herald. December 1, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "1922 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Schedule and Results".
  16. ^ a b c d "Golden Tornado Sweeps Thru Oglethorpe; Wins". The Tennessean. October 1, 1922. p. 13. Retrieved June 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  17. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 186
  18. ^ a b Woodruff 1928, p. 190
  19. ^ "1922 Season" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 12, 2018.
  20. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 195
  21. ^ a b "Georgia Tech Is Beaten By Middies, 13-0, Before 20,000". The Washington Times. October 22, 1922. p. 1. Retrieved June 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  22. ^ "Epic defines Georgia Tech-Notre Dame series". savannahnow.com.
  23. ^ "Irish Insider: ND-GT series history is rich in tradition // The Observer". The Observer.
  24. ^ "Scholastic Football Number" (PDF). The Notre Dame Scholastic. Vol. LVI, no. 10. p. 301.
  25. ^ Woodruff 1928, p. 205
  26. ^ a b Woodruff 1928, pp. 212–213
  27. ^ a b c d e "Plainsmen Bow Before Tech Eleven By Score of 14 to 6 In Annual Turkey Day Game". Asheville Citizen-Times. December 1, 1922. p. 10. Retrieved May 6, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  28. ^ a b c "Golden Tornado Rips The Georgetown Line". Greensboro Daily News. November 12, 1922. p. 29. Retrieved June 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  29. ^ a b Woodruff 1928, pp. 218–219
  30. ^ cf. "Auburn's Gator Bowl Champs Rated Among Top Tiger Teams". Ocala Star-Banner. January 16, 1955.
  31. ^ Woodruff 1928, pp. 225–227
  32. ^ "All-Southern Grid Warriors Chosen By Dixie Coaches". The Spartanburg Herald. December 9, 1922.

References

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