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GT Vault: A Storied Rivalry Spanning Century

Sept. 4, 2014

By Chris Yandle
Communications & Public Relations

It’s been a while.

For the first time since 1982, Georgia Tech and Tulane will meet on the football field when the two teams collide Saturday to christen the Green Wave’s brand-new 30,000-seat Yulman Stadium. Saturday is the first of a four-game scheduled series between the former SEC rivals. Georgia Tech will host Tulane on The Flats in 2005 and 2018, and the Yellow Jackets will make a return trip to the Big Easy in 2019.

Saturday marks the 49th meeting, with the Yellow Jackets leading the all-time series 35-13. It’ll be the 25th series meeting in New Orleans, but it’ll be Georgia Tech’s 30th game all-time in the Cresent City. Georgia Tech is 20-9 in New Orleans1 and Yulman Stadiuim will be its fifth different venue2.

Georgia Tech’s first trip to New Orleans was Oct. 22, 1915, for a neutral-site game against LSU – a 36-7 Georgia Tech win.

The same year Georgia Tech posted the most-lopsided victory in NCAA history (222-0 over Cumberland), the Golden Tornado and Greenbacks met for the first time – a 45-0 Tech victory at Grant Field.

Two years later, the Yellow Jackets returned to New Orleans to play the Greenbacks in Georgia Tech’s only game at “Second” Tulane Stadium.

The rich history between the programs goes much deeper.

FOUNDING MEMBERS
Georgia Tech and Tulane were originally part of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association – the first football league below the Mason-Dixon line3. Georgia Tech left the SIAA in 1921 to join the Southern Conference as a charter member. 10 years later, both would be charter members of the SEC.

The Yellow Jackets won or shared five conference titles during their time in the SEC, including 1939 when Georgia Tech was tri-champions with Tennessee and Tulane.

TELEVISION HISTORY
Georgia Tech played its first televised football game on Oct. 2, 1948 – a 13-7 home win…against Tulane. The game was televised on WSB. Georgia Tech and Tulane have played only one other time on TV – a 27-7 Jackets win in 1974 on ABC.

THE FRESHMAN
Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Ted Roof was a freshman on the last Yellow Jackets team to face the Tulane Green Wave in 1982.
DEFENSIVE SCORING
Eight times since 1960, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have scored two or more defensive touchdowns in a single game. Three of those instances have come against the Green Wave.
FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD TULANE STADIUM
Georgia Tech played 22 games at “Third” Tulane Stadium, which was the home of Tulane football from 1926-74. After going 1-3 in its first four games at the latest Tulane Stadium, the Yellow Jackets would win 13 of their next 14 trips to NOLA (1943, 1944 Sugar Bowl, 1945, 1947, 1953, 1953 Sugar Bowl, 1954 Sugar Bowl, 1956 Sugar Bowl, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1965). Ironically enough, the Yellow Jackets went 1-3 in their final four games at Tulane Stadium.

In 1975, Tulane left campus for the new Louisiana Superdome. That year, the Yellow Jackets played Tulane at its new home – a Georgia Tech win. Georgia Tech traveled to New Orleans four more times (before Saturday’s game): 1977, 1979, 1981 and 1982.

BACK TO SCHOOL
Saturday will be the first time Georgia Tech has played the Green Wave on Tulane’s campus since 1973.

NOTES
1 – Georgia Tech is 16-7 all-time on Tulane’s campus and 4-2 off-campus
2 – Georgia Tech is 1-0 at State Fair Stadium, 1-0 at “Second” Tulane Stadium, 15-7 at “Third” Tulane Stadium, and 3-2 at Mercedes-Benz Louisiana Superdome.
3 – New Orleans Advocate

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