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Football's Thanksgiving Day Tradition

Nov. 26, 2014

Chris Yandle
Communications & Public Relations

Not too long ago, there was a time when Georgia Tech/Georgia was a Thanksgiving Day tradition.

While Tech and Georgia varsity teams have only played four times on Thanksgiving Day (1971, 1975, 1993, 1995), the schools played a game that featured their freshmen teams (later junior varsity) on Thanksgiving Day from 1933-93. During this time in college football, freshmen were ineligible and each school played an annual freshman or junior varsity schedule.

The charity game’s origins can be traced to 1930 when the old Southern Conference played an all-star game. Three years later, Georgia head coach H.J. Stegeman and Georgia Tech head coach William Alexander convinced a group of Atlanta businessmen to serve on a committee for the purpose of selling tickets to a freshman game between the schools. The proceeds were designated to annually benefit Scottish Rite Hospital.

For 60 years, Georgia and Georgia Tech met on The Flats for a freshman football game until 1993, when NCAA-mandated scholarship and roster limitations forced the game to be discontinued. In 1994, a “Legends Game” was held to maintain the tradition of the game. At the schools’ request, the NCAA agreed to recognize the varsity rivalry, and every year since 1995, the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation presents the Governor’s Cup to the winning team.

It was during these freshmen games when fans got their first glimpses of future Tech and UGA legends. Georgia Tech concluded the JV series with a 30-28-1 advantage.

“Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” has historically been played during the last weekend of November. Saturday will be the 66th time in the last 80 meetings that the Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs will meet on the gridiron during November’s holiday weekend. #COFH is the 19th-most frequently played series among FBS schools. Saturday’s 109th renewal of the in-state rivalry kicks off at noon ET on the SEC Network and 680 The Fan.

 GEORGIA TECH FOOTBALL’S THANKSGIVING DAY HISTORY
 JUNIOR VARSITY  VARSITY
1933  Georgia 13, Georgia Tech 0 1893  St. Albans 6, Georgia Tech 0
1934  Georgia Tech 20, Georgia 14 1899  Clemson 41, Georgia Tech 5 (Greenville, S.C.)
1935  Georgia 7, Georgia Tech 6 1902  Alabama 26, Georgia Tech 0 (Birmingham)
1936  Georgia 20, Georgia Tech 12 1903  South Carolina 16, Georgia Tech 0
1937  Georgia Tech 20, Georgia 12 1904  Georgia Tech 18, Cumberland 0
1938  Georgia Tech 8, Georgia 0 1905  Georgia Tech 17, Clemson 12
1939  Georgia 33, Georgia Tech 0 1906  Clemson 10, Georgia Tech 0
1940  Georgia 36, Georgia Tech 0 1907  Clemson 6, Georgia Tech 5
1941  Georgia 29, Georgia Tech 13 1908  Georgia Tech 30, Clemson 6
1942  Georgia 21, Georgia Tech 6 1909  Georgia Tech 29, Clemson 3
1945  Georgia Tech 20, Georgia 12 1910  Georgia Tech 34, Clemson 0
1946  Georgia Tech 7, Georgia 6 1911  Georgia Tech 31, Clemson 0
1947  Georgia 20, Georgia Tech 13 1912  Georgia Tech 23, Clemson 0
1948  Georgia Tech 9, Georgia 7 1913  Georgia Tech 34, Clemson 0
1949  Georgia 18, Georgia Tech 0 1914  Georgia Tech 26, Clemson 6
1950  Georgia Tech 54, Georgia 6 1915  Georgia Tech 7, Auburn 0
1951  Georgia Tech 38, Georgia 26 1916  Georgia Tech 33, Auburn 7
1952  Georgia Tech 33, Georgia 13 1917  Georgia Tech 68, Auburn 7
1953  Georgia Tech 12, Georgia 7 1918  Georgia Tech 41, Auburn 0
1954  Georgia Tech 26, Georgia 6 1919  Auburn 14, Georgia Tech 7
1955  Georgia 23, Georgia Tech 0 1920  Georgia Tech 34, Auburn 0
1956  Georgia Tech 14, Georgia 12 1921  Georgia Tech 14, Auburn 0
1957  Georgia 13, Georgia Tech 7 1922  Georgia Tech 14, Auburn 6
1958  Georgia Tech 21, Georgia 0 1923  Georgia Tech 0, Auburn 0
1959  Georgia 8, Georgia Tech 7 1924  Georgia Tech 7, Auburn 0
1960  Georgia Tech 22, Georgia 22 1925  Georgia Tech 7, Auburn 7
1961  Georgia Tech 13, Georgia 7 1926  Georgia Tech 20, Auburn 7
1962  Georgia 18, Georgia Tech 0 1927  Georgia Tech 18, Auburn 0
1963  Georgia Tech 14, Georgia 3 1928  Georgia Tech 51, Auburn 0
1964  Georgia 7, Georgia Tech 6 1929  Georgia Tech 19, Auburn 6
1965  Georgia 18, Georgia Tech 0 1930  Florida 55, Georgia Tech 7
1966  Georgia 17, Georgia Tech 6 1971  Georgia 28, Georgia Tech 24
1967  Georgia Tech 14, Georgia 0 1975  Georgia 42, Georgia Tech 26
1968  Georgia Tech 19, Georgia 18 1993  Georgia 43, Georgia Tech 10
1969  Georgia 28, Georgia Tech 20 1995  Georgia 18, Georgia Tech 17
1970  Georgia Tech 20, Georgia 9  VARSITY RECORD ON THANKSGIVING: 23-12
1971  Georgia Tech 17, Georgia 12
1972  Georgia Tech 21, Georgia 10
1973  Georgia Tech 27, Georgia 19
1974  Georgia 38, Georgia Tech 25
1975  Georgia 23, Georgia Tech 6
1976  Georgia Tech 13, Georgia 7
1977  Georgia 20, Georgia Tech 12
1978  Georgia 29, Georgia Tech 0
1979  Georgia Tech 16, Georgia 6
1980  Georgia 24, Georgia Tech 6
1981  Georgia Tech 15, Georgia 14
1982  Georgia Tech 18, Georgia 17
1983  Georgia 21, Georgia Tech 16
1984  Georgia 27, Georgia Tech 24
1985  Georgia 23, Georgia Tech 19
1986  Georgia Tech 20, Georgia 14
1987  Georgia Tech 25, Georgia 0
1988  Georgia 40, Georgia Tech 6
1989  Georgia Tech 45, Georgia 0
1990  Georgia Tech 38, Georgia 24
1991  Georgia Tech 21, Georgia 14
1992  Georgia 38, Georgia Tech 12
1993  Georgia 21, Georgia Tech 14

Special thanks to Georgia Senior Associate AD Claude Felton and CHOA’s Shelton Stevens for the background info on the Governor’s Cup and the Georgia Tech/Georgia Thanksgiving Day rivalry.

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