1927 Georgia Bulldogs football team

1927 Georgia Bulldogs football
National champion (Boand, Poling, Berryman)
Conference Southern Conference
1927 record 9–1 (6–1 SoCon)
Head coach George "Kid" Woodruff
Assistant coach Harry Mehre
Assistant coach Jim Crowley
Offensive scheme Notre Dame Box
Captain Chick Shiver
Home stadium Sanford Field
Uniform
1927 Southern Conference football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Georgia Tech + 7 – 0 – 1     8 – 1 – 1
Tennessee + 5 – 0 – 1     8 – 0 – 1
NC State + 4 – 0 – 0     9 – 1 – 0
Vanderbilt 5 – 0 – 2     8 – 1 – 2
Georgia 6 – 1 – 0     9 – 1 – 0
Florida 5 – 2 – 0     7 – 3 – 0
Ole Miss 3 – 2 – 0     5 – 3 – 1
Virginia 4 – 4 – 0     5 – 4 – 0
Clemson 2 – 2 – 0     5 – 3 – 1
Alabama 3 – 4 – 1     5 – 4 – 1
LSU 2 – 3 – 1     4 – 4 – 1
Mississippi A&M 2 – 3 – 0     5 – 3 – 0
Washington and Lee 2 – 3 – 0     4 – 4 – 1
VPI 2 – 3 – 0     5 – 4 – 0
Maryland 3 – 5 – 0     4 – 7 – 0
South Carolina 2 – 4 – 0     4 – 5 – 0
VMI 2 – 4 – 0     6 – 4 – 0
Tulane 2 – 5 – 1     2 – 5 – 1
North Carolina 2 – 5 – 0     4 – 6 – 0
Sewanee 1 – 4 – 0     2 – 6 – 0
Kentucky 1 – 5 – 0     3 – 6 – 1
Auburn 0 – 6 – 1     0 – 7 – 2
  • + – Conference co-champions

The 1927 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the Georgia Bulldogs of the University of Georgia during the 1927 college football season. This was the last season that George "Kid" Woodruff served as the head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs football team and the team's 34th season of college football. The Bulldogs posted a 9–1–0 record,[1] and were retroactively selected as the 1927 national champion under the Boand, Poling, and Berryman QPRS systems.[2]

Called the "dream and wonder team," the Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 in the nation with one regular season game remaining, but were upset by Georgia Tech (the next season's national champion) by a score of 12–0 at Grant Field in Atlanta, Georgia.[3]

Oddly enough, Georgia did not win the Southern Conference championship in 1927 as a result of their loss to Georgia Tech in the last game of the season. Georgia Tech (7–0–1 in the conference), NC State (4–0–0 in the conference) and Tennessee (5–0–1) all finished undefeated in the Southern Conference that year.[4]

The '27 season featured Georgia's first-ever win against Eastern power Yale as well as six shutouts. It was the win over Yale that propelled the Bulldogs to the national spotlight.[5]

The Bulldogs were anchored by two All-American ends, captain Chick Shiver and consensus All-American Tom Nash.

Preseason

At the end of last season, one source described Georgia as "probably the hardest hit team in the Southern Conference, losing 14 letter men with the Thanksgiving game."[6] Coach Woodruff said he would quit after this season.[7]

Schedule

Date Opponent# Rank# Site Result Attendance
1927-10-01 Virginiadagger Sanford Field • Athens, GA W 32–0   -
1927-10-08 at Yale* Yale Bowl • New Haven, CT W 14–10   18,000
1927-10-15 Furman* Sanford Field • Athens W 32–0   -
1927-10-22 vs. Auburn McClung Stadium • Columbus, GA W 33–0   -
1927-10-29 at Tulane Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA W 31–0   10,000
1927-11-05 at Florida Barrs Field • Jacksonville, FL W 28–0   16,000
1927-11-12 Clemson Sanford Field • Athens W 32–0   -
1927-11-19 Mercer* Sanford Field • Athens W 26–7   -
1927-11-24 at Alabama Legion Field • Birmingham, AL W 20–7   25,000
1927-12-03 at Georgia Tech No. 1 Grant Field • Atlanta, GA L 0–12   38,000
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming.

Season summary

Week 1: Virginia

To open the season, Herdis McCrary averaged a touchdown a quarter and the Bulldogs romped over the Virginia Cavaliers 32–0.[8]

Week 2: at Yale

Week 2: Georgia at Yale
1 234Total
• Georgia 7 700 14
Yale 7 300 10

In the second week of play, Georgia defeated Yale for the first time by the score of 14–10.[9] Bobby Hooks threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Frank Dudley.[10]

By season's end, both Georgia and Yale were national champions according to various selectors. Walter Eckersall noted the progress of southern football as he reflected on Georgia's victory over Yale; "Old Eli, with its running attack, could do nothing against Georgia, which is represented by two of the finest ends in the country. Nash and Shiver would be valuable assets on any football team."[11]

The starting lineup for Georgia against Yale: Nash (left end), Stelling (left tackle), Smith (left guard), Boland (center), Jacobson (right guard), Morris (right tackle), Shiver (right end), Broadnax (quarterback), Estes (left halfback), McTigue (right halfback), McCrary (fullback)

Week 3: Furman

Week 3: Furman at Georgia
1 234Total
Furman 0 000 0
• Georgia 13 667 32

Georgia defeated the Furman Purple Hurricane 32 to 0, giving the Purple Hurricane its only loss this season. Georgia's back ran well. Frank Dudley had a 55-yard run for a score shortly after the start of the second quarter, and Roy Estes placed the ball in scoring position in the third with a 52-yard run.[12] Furman twice was within Georgia's 5-yard line.

The starting lineup for Georgia against Furman: Nash (left end), Morris (left tackle), Haley (left guard), Boland (center), Jacobson (right guard), Paitz (right tackle), Shiver (right end), Broadnax (quarterback), Estes (left halfback), McTigue (right halfback), McCrary (fullback).[12]

Week 4: vs. Auburn

In the fourth week of play, Georgia beat rival Auburn 33–0.

Week 5: at Tulane

The Bulldogs traveled to New Orleans and beat Tulane 31–0. McCrary was kept on the bench as the halfbacks provided most of the scoring.[13]

Week 6: at Florida

Georgia beat the Florida Gators 28 to 0 after leading just 7–0 at the half. Some 16,000 were in attendance. Florida quarterback Goof Bowyer broke his leg.[14]

Week 7: Clemson

McCrary scored three of the five touchdowns in the 32–0 victory over Clemson.[15] Roy Estes threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to H. F. Johnston.

Week 8: Mercer

"Mercer's football team has about as much chance of beating Georgia as The Cluster has of having compulsory chapel abolished."[16] Georgia won 26–7. Mercer's Phoney Smith was the first southern player to cross the goal line against the Georgia, on a 95-yard kickoff return.[17]

Week 9: at Alabama

The game on November 24 against the Alabama Crimson Tide was the first game played in the newly completed Legion Field. The 20–7 Bulldog victory snapped a five-game losing streak against Alabama.[n 1] Estes passed to Nash for the first score, and Estes ran the second score in himself. Another pass to Nash got a touchdown in the third quarter. In the final period, Alabama's Brasfield went back to pass, but saw no one open, and took off running. In the game's most sensational play, he dodged three tacklers behind the line, and evaded three more on his way to the endzone.[18]

Week 10: at Georgia Tech

Week 10: Georgia at Georgia Tech
1 234Total
Georgia 0 000 0
• Ga. Tech 0 660 12

Grant Field was expected to be filled to capacity, the largest crowd ever in the south.[21] One account read "And never in the history of athletics in the Southland has there been an occasion so momentous as this. The football championship of the South and as some may justifiably figure, the nation, will be decided on Saturday in the capital city and native sons will decide it."[22]

In the rain, the Bulldogs were defeated by rival Georgia Tech for the SoCon championship 12 to 0. For the first time this year, neither Nash nor Shiver played particularly well.[23]

Tech's first touchdown came on a pass from Warner Mizell to quarterback Bob Durant. The second one came shortly after Stumpy Thomason returned an interception 57 yards to Georgia's 22-yard line.[19][20] Thomason scored on a 13-yard end run.[20]

The starting lineup for Georgia against Tech: Nash (left end), Morris (left tackle), Jacobson (left guard), Boland (center), Smith (right guard), Lautenheizer (right tackle), Shiver (right end), Johnson (quarterback), Estes (left halfback), Dudley (right halfback), McCrary (fullback).[20]

Players

Line

Number Player Position
18 Ike BolandCenter
33 Theodore FrisbieTackle
32 Eugene S. HaleyGuard
17 J. HillGuard
16 Roy H. JacobsonGuard
1 Glenn LautzenhiserTackle
25 J. Robert MorrisTackle
19 Tom NashEnd
27 Henry G. PalmerEnd
26 Chick ShiverEnd
10 Gene SmithGuard
23 H. Cree StellingTackle

Backfield

Number Player Position
8 Johnny BroadnaxQuarterback
7 CookHalfback
9 Frank DudleyHalfback
3 Roy EstesHalfback
28 Harvey HillFullback
29 Bobby HooksHalfback
30 H. F. JohnsonQuarterback
12 Herdis McCraryFullback
4 Robert McTigueHalfback
24 Tommy ParisQuarterback
6 Bennie RothsteinFullback

Unlisted

Number Player
2 Davidson
5 Cox
11 Buchanan
13 Bradley
14 Martin
15 Nixon
20 Collins
21 Sanford
22 Stewart
31 Greenfield
34 Reigle
38 Eubanks

[24]

Staff

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Alabama's loss to Georgia Tech prior in the season snapped their own 24-game unbeaten streak.

References

  1. ↑ "1927 Georgia Bulldogs Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  2. ↑ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2015). "National Poll Rankings" (PDF). NCAA Division I Football Records. NCAA. p. 109. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Football National Championships". UGA Sports Communications. 2006-08-02. Retrieved 2007-01-12.
  4. ↑ "Conference Championships – Southern Conference". College Football Data Warehouse. 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-13.
  5. ↑ Jon Nelson (August 1, 2010). 100 Things Bulldogs Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. Triumph Books. p. 25. Retrieved March 25, 2015 – via Google books.
  6. ↑ "Many Faces Pass From Grid After Thanksgiving Fights". Hattiesburg American. November 23, 1926. p. 3.
  7. ↑ "Georgia Coach to Quit Post". Kingsport Times. October 2, 1927. p. 8. Retrieved April 14, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Georgia Bulldogs Score Brilliant 32 to 0 Victory Over Virginia U". Kingsport Times. p. 2. Retrieved April 14, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Georgia Whips Yale Bulldogs". The Lincoln Star. October 9, 1927. p. 14. Retrieved March 25, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Garbin, Patrick (1 August 2007). ""Then Vince Said to Herschel... ": The Best Georgia Football Stories Ever Told". Triumph Books – via Google Books.
  11. ↑ Patrick Garbin. About Them Dawgs!: Georgia Football's Memorable Teams and Players. p. 46 – via Google books.
  12. 1 2 3 "Georgia Backs Go Around Hurricane Ends To Win 32 to 0". The Index-Journal. October 16, 1927. p. 7. Retrieved August 6, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Bulldogs Run Over Tulane Winning 31-0". The Anniston Star. October 30, 1927. p. 8. Retrieved April 14, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Frank S. Wright (December 8, 1927). "Ernest Bowyer Given Highest Florida Honor". St. Petersburg Times. p. 3.
  15. ↑ "Georgia Rides To 32-0 Victory Over Clemson". Anniston Star. November 13, 1927. p. 10. Retrieved February 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "The Georgia Game". Mercer Cluster. November 18, 1927.
  17. ↑ Garbin, Patrick (2008). About them Dawgs!: Georgia football's memorable teams and players. United States: Scarecrow Press. pp. 43;48. ISBN 978-0-8108-6040-7.
  18. ↑ http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/alab/graphics/docs/27-m-footbl-recaps.pdf
  19. 1 2 Patrick Garbin. About Them Dawgs!: Georgia Football's Memorable Teams and Players. p. 44.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "Biggest Upset of Southern Conference Spoils 'U' Mark". Oakland Tribune. December 4, 1927. p. 33. Retrieved July 28, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Georgia 11 Meets Ancient Tech Foes". Ironwood Daily Globe. December 3, 1927. p. 5. Retrieved August 2, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ Lawrence Perry (December 2, 1927). "Georgia and Georgia Tech Clash in Annual Grid Classic". Oakland Tribune. p. 43. Retrieved July 28, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ "All-American Debate Boils Over Nation". The Bismarck Tribune. December 7, 1927. p. 8. Retrieved July 28, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ http://cdm16313.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16313coll13/id/168
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