Snap to QB facing the backfield; Tech in 1928

[SolicitorJacket]

VMI was decent in 1928 they were 5-3-2. VMI was pretty tough in the 1920s they beat Tennessee 33-0 in 1923.

My whole post was tongue in cheek.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

My whole post was tongue in cheek.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

Here's a video of the 1928 Georgia Tech football team traveling to the Rose Bowl by bus

 

[1939hotmagic]

It would be interesting to combine the inverted quarterback approach with jet sweep motion from a slotback (A-Back) who starts split out a bit wider than usual. The QB wouldn't have to pivot after the snap to then make/fake the handoff to the man in motion, hence a little less chance for a fumble combined with greater deception due to the QB shielding the ball.

Just a bit of fun speculation from a mere fan -- you real Xs and Os folks feel free to chuckle at the amateur scheming.

 

[buzzwilder]

Pretty cool seeing that old film. Definitely the most footage I've seen of the Wrong Way Roy Riegels play. He was obviously upset after he realized his mistake.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

Pretty cool seeing that old film. Definitely the most footage I've seen of the Wrong Way Roy Riegels play. He was obviously upset after he realized his mistake.

I'm shocked that GT didn't go to the Rose Bowl in a chartered train

 

[1939hotmagic]

Back to the original post, re Tech's experiment with the reversed-QB approach in the late 1920s, for you Tech history and football strategy buffs . . .

From the August 25, 1929 issue of the Montgomery Advertiser, in an article about Coach Alexander's unique methods: "Among the radical phases of the Alexander system of football may be mentioned the reversed quarterback, who places the seat of his pants against the corresponding portion of the center's pants and takes the snap between his legs. The center hands the ball to the quarterback and when the latter receives it he lifts it so that his body forms a perfect screen. Thus the Georgia Tech delayed buck is the most deceptive play imaginable; no defense can tell for a certainty which side of center the plunger [running back] will strike. Coach Alexander has worked this screened snap into an infinite variety of running and passing plays."

From a column in the Feb. 10, 1930 issue of the Atlanta Constitution: "In the spring of 1927, the reversed quarterback and balanced lined was introduced. . . . While experts and coaches here and there laughed at the reversed quarterback idea, the Yellow Jackets proceeded to win the conference championship with it. And the next year they were the conference champions and won the Rose Bowl game as well."

And, from a column in the March 22, 1930 issue of the Atlanta Constitution, a snippet about Alexander's response when asked to explain where he got the idea to reverse the QB: " . . . it was old stuff. He had seen a deaf and dumb quarterback stand that way to give signals manually to his backfield. In fact, Coach Alexander had his quarterbacks give certain elements of their signals manually in the huddle to save vocal wear and tear."

However, with the unexpected departure of star fullback "Father" Lumpkin soon before the 1929 season, and it being too late the overhaul the offense, the Jackets suffered a sub-par season, and after 1929 the reversed QB offense was shelved

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Two thoughts:
1. It seems watching that old film that both teams wore the same uniforms. Must have been due to the black and white film.
2. I wonder if the inverted qb is legal in today's game?

 

[MikeJackets1967]

According to Bobby Dodd Coach Alexander thought that the 1929 team quit on him and until the mid 1930s he gave out football scholarships but expected the players to pay him back. That caused the GT football program to hit rock bottom in the early-mid 1930s. The Georgia Tech team didn't become a consistent winner again until the Navy V-12 Program(All Star College Football Players and NFL players played football at GT from 1942-1944 as part of the V-12 Naval Officer Training Program and they lived in barracks at the Bell Bomber Plant in Marietta which is now Lockheed Martin and Dobbins Air Force Base) came to Georgia Tech in 1942.

 

[GT_05]

Two thoughts:
1. It seems watching that old film that both teams wore the same uniforms. Must have been due to the black and white film.
2. I wonder if the inverted qb is legal in today's game?

2. We should try it on the first play of Week 1 to rattle the zebras. I’m guessing there would be an official’s timeout. [emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[1939hotmagic]

According to Bobby Dodd Coach Alexander thought that the 1929 team quit on him and until the mid 1930s he gave out football scholarships but expected the players to pay him back. That caused the GT football program to hit rock bottom in the early-mid 1930s. The Georgia Tech team didn't become a consistent winner again until the Navy V-12 Program(All Star College Football Players and NFL players played football at GT from 1942-1944 as part of the V-12 Naval Officer Training Program and they lived in barracks at the Bell Bomber Plant in Marietta which is now Lockheed Martin and Dobbins Air Force Base) came to Georgia Tech in 1942.

True enough -- though Tech in '39, with its deceptive "Hot Magic" offense developed by assistant coach Bobby Dodd, had a 7-2 regular season and knocked #6 Missouri in the Orange Bowl. (A 3-point loss to Notre Dame to start the season, and a 1-point loss to Duke, were the only blemishes on the season.)

 

[MikeJackets1967]

True enough -- though Tech in '39, with its deceptive "Hot Magic" offense developed by assistant coach Bobby Dodd, had a 7-2 regular season and knocked #6 Missouri in the Orange Bowl. (A 3-point loss to Notre Dame to start the season, and a 1-point loss to Duke, were the only blemishes on the season.)

The sad thing about 1939 was how badly GT collapsed in 1940 and 1941

 

[1939hotmagic]

Two thoughts:
1. It seems watching that old film that both teams wore the same uniforms. Must have been due to the black and white film.
2. I wonder if the inverted qb is legal in today's game?

I haven't plumbed the depths of the NCAA rule book, but offhand I don't believe it would a violation for the QB, or anyone in the offensive backfield, to do it. However, I do believe it would be for a lineman to face backwards -- in 1947, Syracuse coach Ossie Solem had his center face backwards, which caused quite the controversy that season. The NCAA, I believe, soon thereafter required offensive linemen to face forward.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

 

[takethepoints]

I played on a single wing team in college and we never did this. But …

The way we did it the QB, who called the plays and signals, lined up about a yard behind the guard on the called strong side and, as was said above, normally was a blocking back. However, we also had several plays where the QB would line up on the center's leg to the strong side and place his hands where he could get a direct snap. The ball would either be hiked directly to the tailback, as usual, or the QB would get the snap and either toss it - just like in the film - or run with it himself - we had a double option to the TB on those plays with the FB as a lead blocker - or drop back and pass it. As you might guess, this led to all sorts of confusion on the other side of the ball. Usually, we would just run the TB up the middle; he was drafted by the Falcons later and was usually bigger and faster then anybody on D. But having those QB plays was a real help at times.

The single wing isn't used much anymore, but it is a very deceptive offense when the coaches know how to use it.

 

[iceeater1969]

Man I love that old film. GT has one of the richest histories in all of college football. Just to think that these young (at the time) Yellow Jackets ran on the same small plot of grass and land that our teams continue to play on today. It just reminds you of all those that came before them and the tradition that has been built over so many years. When you see the white and gold take the field behind that ramblin wreck it continues the eternal memory of all those who built the legend of Georgia Tech football.

Go Jackets!

My gtaa rep says they will have an app for b d s that connects to your camera. U point the camera and see the old field.
Showing one of these plays would be awesome.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

My gtaa rep says they will have an app for b d s that connects to your camera. U point the camera and see the old field.
Showing one of these plays would be awesome.