The 1956 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team was an American football team that represented Georgia Tech as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1956 college football season. In their 12th year under head coach Bobby Dodd, the team compiled an overall record of 10–1, with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, and finished second in the SEC.[1]
| 1956 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football | |
|---|---|
 | |
Gator Bowl, W 21–14 vs. Pittsburgh | |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 4 |
| AP | No. 4 |
| Record | 10–1 (7–1 SEC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Captain | Wade Mitchell George Volkert |
| Home stadium | Grant Field |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Tennessee $ | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Georgia Tech | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Miss | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Georgia Tech was the preseason favorite to win the Southeastern Conference, but their hopes of reaching the Sugar Bowl were crushed when the Johnny Majors-led Tennessee Volunteers beat the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta, 0–6.[2] Georgia Tech cruised through the rest of their schedule and finished the regular season with the Tennessee game as their only blemish, finishing second in the SEC and ranked number 4 in the country in the final AP Poll. They accepted an invitation to the 1956 Gator Bowl, where they beat Pittsburgh, in a rematch of the 1956 Sugar Bowl, 21–14. This was the sixth straight season for Georgia Tech that ended with a bowl victory. The team was selected national champion by both Berryman and Sagarin (ELO-Chess).[3]
Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 22 | at Kentucky | No. 4 | NBC | W 14–6 | 30,000 | [4] | |
| September 29 | at No. 5 SMU* | No. 2 | W 9–7 | 46,500 | [5] | ||
| October 13 | LSU | No. 3 | W 39–7 | 39,500 | [6] | ||
| October 20 | Auburn | No. 3 |
| W 28–7 | 40,000 | [7] | |
| October 27 | No. 15 Tulane | No. 3 |
| W 40–0 | 40,000 | [8] | |
| November 3 | at Duke* | No. 2 | W 7–0 | 38,000 | [9] | ||
| November 10 | No. 3 Tennessee | No. 2 |
| L 0–6 | 40,000 | [10] | |
| November 17 | Alabama | No. 4 |
| W 27–0 | 38,500 | [11] | |
| November 24 | vs. No. 13 Florida | No. 5 | W 28–0 | 37,000 | [12] | ||
| December 1 | at Georgia | No. 4 | W 35–0 | 50,000 | [13] | ||
| December 29 | vs. No. 13 Pittsburgh* | No. 4 |
| CBS | W 21–14 | 37,683 | [14] |
| |||||||
References
edit- ^ "1956 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ^ "Vols Post Upset: Bronson Goes Over for Tennessee--Passing of Majors Excels". New York Times. November 11, 1956. p. 225.
- ^ 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). The National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 113. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
- ^ "Ga. Tech rambles over Wildcats, 14–6". The Charlotte Observer. September 23, 1956. Retrieved October 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Georgia Tech squeezes past S. Methodist 9–7". The Park City Daily News. September 30, 1956. Retrieved October 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tech wallops LSU as offense clicks". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. October 14, 1956. Retrieved October 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Georgia Tech scatback wrecks Auburn, 28–7". Evening Star. October 21, 1956. Retrieved October 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Georgia Tech snaps Tulane Upset string, 40–0". Fort Lauderdale News. October 28, 1956. Retrieved September 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Georgia Tech gets by Duke, 7 to 0". Kingsport Times-News. November 4, 1956. Retrieved October 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tennessee trips Tech, seeks No. 1". Fort Lauderdale News. November 11, 1956. Retrieved March 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tech 'midget' busts loose in 27 to 0 rout of 'Bama". The Miami Herald. November 18, 1956. Retrieved October 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tech downs Gators, 28–0". The Greenville News. November 25, 1956. Retrieved October 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gator-bound Tech lays it on Georgia, 35 to 0". The Birmingham News. December 2, 1956. Retrieved October 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Georgia Tech outlasts Pitt, 21 to 14, in Gator Bowl". The Huntsville Times. December 30, 1956. Retrieved October 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ 2011 Georgia Tech Media Guide Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. p. 170.
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