1918 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football team

1918 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
SIAA champion
Conference Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1918 record 6–1 (3–0 SIAA)
Head coach John Heisman (15th year)
Assistant coach Fay Wood
Offensive scheme Jump shift
Captain Bill Fincher
Home stadium Grant Field
Uniform
1918 SIAA football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Georgia Tech $ 3 0 0     6 1 0
Vanderbilt 2 0 0     4 2 0
Mississippi A&M 2 0 0     3 2 0
Clemson 3 1 0     5 2 0
South Carolina 1 1 1     2 1 1
Centre 0 0 0     4 0 0
Furman 1 3 0     3 5 1
The Citadel 0 1 1     0 2 1
Sewanee 0 1 0     3 2 0
Wofford 0 1 0     0 3 0
Auburn 0 2 0     2 5 0
Ole Miss 0 2 0     1 3 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • There were several SIAA schools that did not field a team due to World War I.

The 1918 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football team[note 1] represented the Georgia Tech Golden Tornado of the Georgia Institute of Technology during the 1918 college football season. The Tornado was coached by John Heisman in his 15th year as head coach, compiling a record of 6–1 (2–0 SIAA) and outscoring opponents 466 to 32. Georgia Tech played its home games at Grant Field.

Tech eclipsed 100 points three different times. Its only road game was its only loss, to national champion Pittsburgh at Forbes Field. Pittsburgh was the only team to score on Tech this year. The defeat ended Georgia Tech's 33-game streak without a loss.

Center Bum Day was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American. He was a first-team selection by Walter Camp.[3][4] Day's selection by Walter Camp as a first-team All-American was a historic first; he was the first Southerner to be chosen for Camp's annual All-America first team. Bill Fincher and Joe Guyon also made consensus All-America. Fincher and Buck Flowers made Camp's second-team.

Before the season

Bill Fincher

Because of the American entry into World War I in April 1917 and the ongoing war effort, several SIAA schools did not field football teams in 1918. Coming off the South's first national championship in 1917, Tech lost several players to the war effort and was heavily reliant on freshmen.[5] With captain-elect Everett Strupper lost to the war, tackle and placekicker Bill Fincher was left as captain.[6] Fincher had a glass eye which he would covertly pull out after feigning an injury, turn to his opponents and say: "So that's how you want to play!"[7]


Coach John Heisman used the pre-snap movement of his "jump shift" offense.[8] Former end and Notre Dame alumnus Fay Wood assisted Heisman as line coach.[9][note 2]

In the backfield was Buck Flowers, a small back in his first year on the team, since transferring from Davidson a year before, where he starred in a game against Tech. Flowers had grown to a weight of 150 pounds and was a backup until Heisman discovered Flowers' ability as an open-field runner on punt returns.[11] "Heisman's eyes bulged. And bulged again. On the first punt, Buck ran through the entire first team. Same thing again..and again. Heisman had uncovered one of the greatest broken-field runners."[11]

Schedule

Date Time Opponent Site Result Attendance
October 5 Clemson Grant FieldAtlanta, GA (Rivalry) W 28–0    
October 12 Furman Grant Field • Atlanta, GA W 118–0    
October 19 11th Cavalry* Grant Field • Atlanta, GA W 123–0    
October 26 Camp Gordon* Grant Field • Atlanta, GA W 28–0   12,000
November 10 North Carolina State* Grant Field • Atlanta, GA W 128–0    
November 23 at Pittsburgh* Forbes FieldPittsburgh, PA L 0–32   30,000
November 28 Auburn Grant Field • Atlanta, GA W 41–0    
*Non-conference game.

Season summary

Clemson

Clemson at Georgia Tech
1 234Total
Clemson 0 000 0
Ga. Tech 0 1477 28

The season opened with a 28–0 defeat of Clemson. The last score came on a 55-yard interception return by Joe Guyon.[12] Red Barron once hurdled tacklers for a 40-yard gain.[9] Other scores came from Pug Allen and Wally Smith.[6] Everett Strupper cheered from the sidelines.[6]

The starting lineup was Fincher (left end), Doyal (left tackle), Nesbit (left guard), Davis (center), Dowling (right guard), Vandegrift (right tackle), Staton (right end), Barron (quarterback), Ferst (left halfback), Guyon (right halfback), Allen (fullback).[6]

Furman

Furman at Georgia Tech
1 234Total
Furman 0 000 0
Ga. Tech 14 352841 118

Buck Flowers starred in the 118–0 victory over Furman. Joe Guyon played in the line and did well. Tech made 34 first downs.[13] For one score, in the fourth quarter, Flowers hit Red Barron on a 72-yard touchdown pass that went 42 yards in the air.[9]

The scoring breakdown: Barron got 4 touchdowns, Allen 3, Adams 2, Ferst 2, Guyon, Fincher, Flowers, Smith, Cobb, and Doyal one each. Fincher made 14 straight extra points.[9] Flowers made the other two.[13]

The starting lineup was Fincher (left end), Doyal (left tackle), Rogers (left guard), Davis (center), Huffines (right guard), Guyon (right tackle), Staton (right end), Barron (quarterback), Flowers (left halfback), Ferst (right halfback), Allen (fullback).[13]

11th Cavalry

Tech beat the 11th Cavalry 123–0. The game was called after the start of the third quarter.[14] The scoring breakdown: Flowers got 5 touchdowns, Barron 4, Ferst, Allen, and Staton 2 each, Smith, Fincher, and Cobb one each.[9]

Camp Gordon

Georgia Tech beat Camp Gordon 28–0. Frank Ferst and Red Barron each scored two touchdowns. "Barron had the game of his life" said the yearbook.[9]

The game was nip and tuck until Everett Strupper, former Tech star playing for Gordon, fumbled, and Ferst recovered, racing 30 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, Red Barron had a 28-yard touchdown[15]

North Carolina A&M

North Carolina State at Georgia Tech
1 234Total
NCST 0 000 0
Ga. Tech 33 423221 128

Two days before the Armistice, Tech beat NC State 128–0. State's only highlight came in the third quarter, when John Ripple recovered a teammate's fumble and returned the ball 75 yards for a touchdown. However, it was called back due to an offsides penalty. Walter Camp attended the game. Ripple was the first football player from North Carolina ever to make an All-America team when he was selected second-team All-American by Camp.[17][18] Five minutes into the fourth quarter, the game was called.[16] The scoring breakdown: Barron and Ferst got 4 touchdowns each, Smith 3, Allen 3, Staton 2, Cobb 2, and Adams 1.[9][16]

The starting lineup was Fincher (left end), Doyal (left tackle), Nesbit (left guard), Day (center), Rogers (right guard), Webb (right tackle), Staton (right end), Barron (quarterback), Ferst (left halfback), Adams (right halfback), Allen (fullback).[16]

Pittsburgh

Georgia Tech at Pittsburgh
1 234Total
Ga. Tech 0 000 0
Pitt 7 7126 32

After declining the challenge last year, Heisman got his wish and a game with Pop Warner's Pittsburgh team. In a high profile game played as a War Charities benefit Pitt dismantled Georgia Tech 32–0, ending Tech's 33-game streak without a loss.[20][21] Pittsburgh was the 1918 national champion.

Pitt's Tom Davies runs against Tech.

Warner historian Francis Powers wrote:

At Forbes Field, the dressing rooms of the two teams were separated only by a thin wall. As the Panthers were sitting around, awaiting Warner's pre-game talk, Heisman began to orate in the adjoining room. In his charge to the Tech squad, Heisman became flowery and fiery. He brought the heroes of ancient Greece and the soldier dead in his armor among the ruins of Pompeii. It was terrific and the Panthers sat, spellbound. When Heisman had finished, Warner chortled and quietly said to his players: 'Okay, boys. There's the speech. Now go out and knock them off.'[22]
Joe Guyon

Pitt's first score came on a pass from Tom Davies to Katy Easterday.[19] The next score came soon after the start of the second quarter, when Davies retutrned a punt back 50 yards for a touchdown. A double pass got the next score. The fourth touchdown was a 6-yard toucchdown by George McLaren. "Guyon and Flowers were very clever at intercepting forward passes, which in a measure made up for the fumbling in a early part of the game."[19] A 55-yard touchdown run by Davies was the final score.[19] Guyon also starred on defense.[9]

Tech managed a modicum of revenge. Pitt lost its only game to the Cleveland Naval Reserves. On the Naval team was Tech star Judy Harlan. Harlan stated: "I intercepted a pass and returned it to midfield in the fourth quarter. I felt I at least had evened up some of the losses we had at Tech."[23]

The starting lineup was Fincher (left end), Doyal (left tackle), Mathes (left guard), Day (center), Huffines (right guard), Webb (right tackle), Staton (right end), Barron (quarterback), Flowers (left halfback), Guyon (right halfback), Allen (fullback).[19]

Auburn

Auburn at Georgia Tech
1 234Total
Auburn 0 000 0
Ga. Tech 14 1467 41

Tech beat Auburn 41–0 on a muddy field.[24] Substitute quarterback B. Adams returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. The other five touchdowns were achieved by plodding through the mud.[24] The first was on a pass from Buck Flowers to Joe Guyon.[9] Flowers ran in the second, and Guyon ran in the third. Wally Smith made one, and Red Barron the last.[9]

The starting lineup was Fincher (left end), Doyal (left tackle), Webb (left guard), Day (center), Mathes (right guard), Huffines (right tackle), Staton (right end), Barron (quarterback), Flowers (left halfback), Ferst (right halfback), Guyon (fullback).[24]

Postseason

Awards and honors

Bum Day

Center Bum Day was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American. He was a first-team selection by Walter Camp.[3][4] Day's selection by Walter Camp as a first-team All-American was a historic first; he was the first Southerner to be chosen for Camp's annual All-America first team, which had been historically loaded with college players from Harvard, Yale, Princeton and other Northeastern colleges.[25] Captain Bill Fincher was also a consensus All-American, as well as Joe Guyon. Fincher and Halfback Buck Flowers made Camp's second-team All-American.

Championships

Tech won its fourth straight SIAA title.[26]

Personnel

Depth chart

The following chart provides a visual depiction of Tech's lineup during the 1918 season with games started at the position reflected in parenthesis. The chart mimics the offense after the jump shift has taken place.

LE
Bill Fincher (6)
 
 
 
LT LG C RG RT
Shorty Doyal (5)M. M. Nesbit (2) Bum Day (3) R. D. Huffines (2) B. P. Webb (2)
W. T. Mathis (1)Oscar Davis (2) Ham Dowling (1)Joe Guyon (1)
J. C. Rogers (1) W. T. Mathis (1)R. D. Huffines (1)
B. P. Webb (1) J. C. Rogers (1) Vandegrift (1)
RE
Albert Staton (6)
 
 
 
QB
Red Barron (7)
B. Adams (0)
RHB
Frank Ferst (3)
Joe Guyon (2)
B. Adams (1)
F. R. Cobb (0)
FB
Pug Allen (5)
Joe Guyon (1)
LHB
Buck Flowers (4)
Frank Ferst (3)
Dewey Scarboro (0)
Wally Smith (0)

Varsity letterwinners

Line

Player Position Games
started
Hometown Prep school Height Weight Age
Oscar DavisCenter, guard 2Atlanta, Georgia 6'1"173 18
Bum DayCenter3 Barnesville, Georgia Porter Military Academy 5'11" 191 20
Shorty DoyalTackle 5Atlanta, Georgia Tech High School 6'3" 183 20
Bill FincherEnd, tackle6 Atlanta, GeorgiaTech High School6'1"18221
R. D. HuffinesTackle3 Texas 5'8" 184 20
W. T. MathisGuard 2Jonesboro, Georgia
M. M. NesbitGuard2 Atlanta, Georgia 5'9"18621
J. C. RogersGuard2
Albert StatonEnd 6Atlanta, Georgia Boys High School 6'2"174 18
B. P. WebbGuard 3

Backfield

Number Player Position Games
started
Hometown Prep school Height Weight Age
Brainard AdamsQuarterback, halfback 1Atlanta, Georgia Boys High School5'10"151 20
H. T. "Pug" AllenFullback 5Charleston, South Carolina 6'1" 176 19
Red BarronQuarterback7 Monroe, Georgia 5'11"166 18
F. R. CobbHalfback 0Texas 6'0"155 19
Verne DavisHalfback0 Commerce, Georgia Commerce High School 5'7" 146 20
Frank FerstHalfback 6Savannah, Georgia 5'9" 159 19
Buck FlowersHalfback4Sumter, South CarolinaSumter High School5'7"15019
27Joe GuyonFullback4 Magdalena, New Mexico Carlisle Indian Industrial School 5'11" 18424
Dewey ScarboroHalfback 0Moultrie, GeorgiaMoultrie High School 5'6" 145 19
Wally SmithHalfback0 Atlanta, Georgia 5'6"15421

Unlisted

[5][9][27]

Scoring leaders

The following is an incomplete list of statistics and scores, largely dependent on newspaper summaries.

Player Touchdowns Extra points Points
Red Barron15 90
Bill Fincher256 68
Pug Allen10 60
Frank Ferst10 60
Buck Flowers72 44
Wally Smith7 42
B. Adams4 24
F. R. Cobb4 24
Joe Guyon4 24
Albert Staton4 24
Shorty Doyal1 6
Total6858466

Notes

  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]
  2. Wood caught the first touchdown pass in the history of Notre Dame football.[10]

Endnotes

  1. Van Brimmer & Rice 2011, p. 147
  2. "Golden Tornadoes". Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  3. 1 2 2013 Georgia Tech Football Information Guide, Georgia Tech Athletic Association, Atlanta, Georgia, pp. 170, 178, 180 (2013). Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  4. 1 2 2014 NCAA Football Records Book, Award Winners, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 2, 4, 14 (2014). Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Georgia Tech's 1918 Team; The Dope at a Glance". Atlanta Constitution. October 13, 1918. p. 5. Retrieved May 4, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Dick Jemison (October 6, 1918). "Jackets Defeat Tigers In Typical Opening Game". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 3. Retrieved May 6, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  7. Richard Scott (2008-09-15). SEC Football: 75 Years of Pride and Passion. p. 28. ISBN 9781616731335.
  8. Alexander M. Weyand (1962). Football immortals. p. 91.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 BluePrint, 1919
  10. Michael R. Steele (2012). "The Notre Dame Football Encyclopedia". Skyhorse Publishing Inc. p. 26.
  11. 1 2 "Buck Flowers: He Could Do It All — Well". Daily Item. Sumter, S.C. October 15, 1969. p. B2.
  12. 1 2 "Georgia Tech Defeats Clemson College Team". The Charlotte Observer. October 6, 1918. p. 16. Retrieved May 4, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Dick Jemison (October 13, 1918). "Yellow Jackets Top Century Mark In Points Scored". Atlanta Constitution. p. 3. Retrieved May 4, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Georgia Tech 123, 11 U. S. Cavalry 0". The Gazette Times. Pittsburgh. October 20, 1918. sec. 3, p. 4. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  15. "Georgia Tech Defeats Camp Gordon Eleven". The Tennessean. October 27, 1918. p. 24. Retrieved May 4, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Dick Jemison (November 10, 1918). "Carolina Signs Armistice Before Game Is Concluded". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 3. Retrieved May 4, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  17. Tim Peeler. "The First Football All-American". Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  18. "Camp's All American: Football Dean Names Three Teams from Last Season's Records" (PDF). The New York Times. 1918-12-31.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 "Panthers, With Open Attack Defeat Tech by 32 to 0 Score". The Tennessean. November 24, 1918. p. 24. Retrieved May 4, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  20. Keck, Harry (November 30, 1918). "Navy Reserves Steal Game From Pitt". Pittsburgh Sunday Post. Nashville, TN: Athlon Sports Communications: 33. ISBN 1-878839-04-7.. Republished in The Greatest Moments in Pitt Football History (1994).
  21. 50 Great Moments in Pittsburgh Sports: From the Flying Dutchman to Sid the Kid.
  22. Powers, p. 42
  23. Wiley Lee Umphlett (1992). Creating the Big Game: John W. Heisman and the Invention of American Football. pp. 141–142, 144, 148, 151–152.
  24. 1 2 3 4 "Georgia Tech Using Forward Pass Often, Swamps Auburn, 41-0". The Tennessean. November 29, 1918. p. 10. Retrieved January 13, 2016 via Newspapers.com.
  25. Joe Williams, "Joe Williams Says," El Paso Herald-Post, p. 10 (November 12, 1935). Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  26. Champions of the South regardless of conference affiliation
  27. "Letterwinners" (PDF). Georgia Institute of Technology. Retrieved August 24, 2016.

References

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