1922 Georgia Bulldogs football team

The 1922 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia during the 1922 college football season. The team had a 5–4–1 record^[1] and was the first Georgia team to compete in the newly formed Southern Conference, which was formed when a group of teams left the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) after the end of the 1921 season. This was Georgia's third and final season under the guidance of head coach Herman Stegeman, though he remained athletic director.

1922 Georgia Bulldogs football
Conference	Southern Conference
Record	5–4–1 (1–3–1 SoCon)
Head coach	Herman Stegeman (3rd season)
Captain	Hugh Whelchel
Home stadium	Sanford Field
Seasons ← 1921 1923 →

1922 Southern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
North Carolina +	5	–	0	–	0			9	–	1	–	0
Georgia Tech +	4	–	0	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Vanderbilt * +	3	–	0	–	0			8	–	0	–	1
VPI	3	–	0	–	0			8	–	1	–	1
Florida	2	–	0	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Auburn	2	–	1	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Tennessee	3	–	2	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Alabama	3	–	2	–	1			6	–	3	–	1
Virginia	1	–	1	–	1			4	–	4	–	1
Mississippi A&M	2	–	3	–	0			3	–	4	–	2
Kentucky	1	–	2	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
Clemson	1	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Washington and Lee	1	–	2	–	0			5	–	3	–	1
Maryland	1	–	2	–	0			4	–	5	–	1
LSU	1	–	2	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Georgia	1	–	3	–	1			5	–	4	–	1
Tulane	1	–	4	–	0			4	–	4	–	0
South Carolina	0	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Ole Miss	0	–	2	–	0			4	–	5	–	1
NC State	0	–	5	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions * – co-member of SIAA

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 23	Newberry*	Sanford Field Athens, GA	W 82–13		^[2]
September 30	Mercer*	Sanford Field Athens, GA	W 41–0		^[3]
October 7	at Chicago*	Stagg Field Chicago, IL	L 0–20	18,000	^[4]
October 14	at Furman*	Manly Field Greenville, SC	W 7–0		^[5]
October 21	Tennessee	Sanford Field Athens, GA (rivalry)	W 7–3		^[6]
October 27	Oglethorpe*	Sanford Field Athens, GA	W 26–6		^[7]
November 4	vs. Auburn	Memorial Stadium Columbus, GA (rivalry)	L 3–7		^[8]
November 11	at Virginia	Lambeth Field Charlottesville, VA	T 6–6		^[9]
November 18	Vanderbilt	Sanford Field Athens, GA (rivalry)	L 0–12		^[10]
November 25	at Alabama	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL (rivalry)	L 6–10	10,000	^[11]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

Game summaries

Newberry

Teany Randall scored 19 points on three touchdowns and one PAT.^[12]

Mercer

The September 30, 1922 game against Mercer, was the 200th football game played by Georgia. Including the victory over Mercer, Georgia's cumulative record over its first 200 games was 107–72–21, a winning percentage of .588.

Randall scored 29 points in the Mercer game. He had a 1-yard touchdown plunge followed by scores of 74 yards, a 90-yard interception return, and a 34-yard reception Dick Mulvehill and five PATs.^[12]

The starting lineup was: Boney (left end), Taylor (left tackle), Grayson (left guard), Frier (center), Vandiver (right guard), Bennett (right tackle), Butler (right end), Collings (quarterback), Thompson (left halfback), Randall (right halfback), Tanner (fullback).^[13]

Chicago

In front of 18,000 in Chicago, Georgia lost to the Maroons 20–0. In the first quarter, Joe Bennett caused a fumble on a Chicago punt return, and Randall ran it to Chicago's 10-yard line before Georgia fumbled and the chance to score was lost.^[13]

The starting line up was: Boney (left end), Bennett (left tackle), Whelchel (left guard), Frier (center), Vandiver (guard), Taylor (right tackle), Butler (right end), Collings (quarterback), Randall (left halfback), Thompson (right halfback), Fletcher (fullback).^[14]

Furman

In Greenville, South Carolina, Georgia beat Furman 7–0. The starting lineup was: Mason (left end), Bennett (left tackle), Joselove (left guard), Frier (center), Vandiver (right guard), Taylor (right tackle), Butler (right end), Collings (quarterback), Post (left halfback), Thompson (right halfback), Fletcher (fullback).^[15]

Tennessee

The Bulldogs defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 7–3. A pass from Mulvehill to Smack Thompson got the touchdown. The starting lineup was: Richardson (left end), Taylor (left tackle), Whelchel (left guard), Boney (center), Vandiver (right guard), Bennett (right tackle), Collings (right end), Mulvihill (quarterback), Thompson (left halfback), Fletcher (right halfback), Tanner (fullback).^[16]

Oglethorpe

The Bulldogs beat in-state foe Oglethorpe 26–6.^[17]

Auburn

Auburn defeated Georgia 7–3. The starting lineup was: Richardson (left end), Bennett (left tackle), Whelchel (left guard), Boney (center), Vandiver (right guard), Taylor (right tackle), Collings (right end), Mulvihill (quarterback), Post (left halfback), Thompson (right halfback), Tanner (fullback).^[18]

Virginia

At Charlottesville, Georgia fought Virginia to a 6–6 tie.

Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt at Georgia

1 2 3 4 Total • Vanderbilt 6 0 6 0 12 Georgia 0 0 0 0 0 Date: November 18 Location: Sanford Field Athens, Georgia Game start: 3:00 p. m. Referee: Jogger Elcock Sources:

The Georgia Bulldogs played Vanderbilt for their homecoming.^[19] Georgia was hungry to finally beat Vanderbilt and this game was at the top of its list of desirable victories.^[19] The Commodores were equally eager to defeat the Bulldogs and claim a Southern championship.^[20][21] Vanderbilt won 12–0, with Bomar described as a "holy terror" to the Bulldogs by W. C. Munday.^[22] As it had intended, Vanderbilt left the game as favorite to be crowned champions of the South.^[23] The 1922 game between Georgia and Vanderbilt marked the last time Georgia had lost two consecutive games at home to Vanderbilt, having also lost 46 to 0 at Athens in 1912.^[24]

The starting lineup was: Richardson (left end), Bennett (left tackle), Vandiver (left guard), Boney (center), whelchel (right guard), Taylor (right tackle), Anderson (right end), Collings (quarterback), Randall (left halfback), Fletcher (right halfback), Tanner (fullback).^[25]

Alabama

Georgia at Alabama

1 2 3 4 Total Georgia 6 0 0 0 6 • Alabama 0 7 3 0 10 Date: November 25 Location: Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL Game attendance: 10,000 Sources:^[26]^[27]

Playing their first ever game at the Cramton Bowl, the Alabama Crimson Tide overcame an early 6–0 deficit and defeated the Bulldogs 10–6.^[26][27] The Bulldogs scored first after John Fletcher recovered an Allen Graham MacCartee fumble and returned it 96-yards for a touchdown.^[26][27]

Alabama responded with a short Charles Bartlett touchdown run in the second and with a 20-yard Bartlett field goal in the third for the 10–6 win.^[26][27]

Postseason

Tackle Joe Bennett and fullback John Fletcher appear on Billy Evans's All-America, "National Honor Roll".^[28] One writer states, "Prior to the 1960s, Bennett is likely Georgia's most outstanding tackle."^[29] Guard and captain Hugh Whelchel was All-Southern along with Bennett and Fletcher.

References

1. "1922 Georgia Bulldogs Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
2. "Georgia swamps light Lutherans". The State. September 24, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Mercer's heavy line proves to be no barrier to Georgia". Nashville Banner. October 1, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Chicago opens with 20–0 win from Georgia". The Minneapolis Sunday Tribune. October 8, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Love touchdown gives Georgia a win over Furman". The Commercial Appeal. October 15, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Georgia Bulldogs given great scare but emerge winner over Tennessee". The Atlanta Constitution. October 22, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Georgia defeats Oglethorpe 26–6". Knoxville Sentinel. October 28, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Auburn scores late to beat Georgia 7–3". The Commercial Appeal. November 5, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Ancient rivals battle to draw". The State. November 12, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Georgia unable to cope with Vandy's attack loses 12–0". The Macon News. November 19, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Bama earns clean cut victory over Georgia". The Birmingham News. November 26, 1922. Retrieved December 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
12. Garbin, Patrick (January 1, 2008). About Them Dawgs!: Georgia Football's Memorable Teams and Players. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810860407.
13. Woodruff 1928, p. 189
14. Woodruff 1928, p. 190
15. Woodruff 1928, p. 196
16. Woodruff 1928, p. 201
17. "Georgia defeats Oglethorpe 26–6". Knoxville Sentinel. October 28, 1922. Retrieved February 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
18. Woodruff 1928, p. 207
19. "Four Stars Play Here For Last Time". The Red and Black (University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia). November 17, 1922.
20.   "Centre Eleven Battles Tiger at Birmingham". The Macon Daily Telegraph. November 15, 1922.
21.   "Vandy Hopes To Defeat Georgia". The Macon Daily Telegraph. November 17, 1922.
22. Woodruff 1928, p. 229
23. "Vandy Favored For Dixie Title." Port Arthur Daily News 20 Nov. 1922: 7.
24. T Kyle King (October 17, 2008). "Too Much Information: Georgia Bulldogs v. Vanderbilt Commodores". Retrieved September 18, 2016.
25. Woodruff 1928, p. 321
26. "Alabama upsets all dope: Defeats Bulldogs from Georgia". The Montgomery Advertiser. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. November 26, 1922. p. 1.
27. "Alabama Crimson triumphs over Red and Black 10–6". The Augusta Chronicle. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. November 26, 1922. p. 2.
28. Billy Evans (December 13, 1922). "Big Ten Given Eleven Places on Honor Roll: Kirk, Kirke and Goebel Named". The Lima News.
29. Patrick Garbin (2008). About Them Dawgs!: Georgia Football's Memorable Teams and Players. p. 30. ISBN 9780810860407.

Additional sources

• Woodruff, Fuzzy (1928). A History of Southern Football 1890–1928. Vol. 2.