Georgia Tech vs. Penn State

Georgia Tech and Penn State have 7 meetings on file, the first in 1921; Penn State leads the series 4–⁠3 in the games on file. Over the last 7 meetings it’s Penn State 4–⁠3.

Georgia Tech wins
3
Penn State wins
4
Ties
0
Earliest on file
1921
Longest streak
2 Penn State
Current streak
1 Penn State
Last 10 meetings
Penn State 4–⁠3
Most recent
1991

The series at a glance

Every meeting by decade, colored by the winner
’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1920s2–⁠2
1960s1–⁠1
1990s0–⁠1
Both ranked
1 meeting: Georgia Tech 0, Penn State 1; 1 both in the top 10
Average margin
12.4 points; 2 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Georgia Tech
3–⁠0 Georgia Tech’s record at home
At Penn State
2–⁠0 Penn State’s record at home
Neutral sites
0–⁠2 Georgia Tech first
Shutouts
2

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Games that tell the story

  1. Georgia Tech’s biggest win1966: Georgia Tech 21, Penn State 0by 21 points
  2. Penn State’s biggest win1921: Penn State 28, Georgia Tech 7by 21 points
  3. Ranked showdown1991: Penn State 34, Georgia Tech 22No. 8 Georgia Tech at No. 7 Penn State

Coach against coach

YearsGeorgia TechSeriesPenn State
1921–⁠1925William Alexander2–⁠2Hugo Bezdek

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Georgia Tech’s side (Alexander 2–⁠2 against Bezdek). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Georgia Tech and Penn State, 1921 on13001500170019401960198020002020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Stars of the series

Named most valuable

Galen Hall Penn State1961
Joe Auer Georgia Tech1961

Most valuable: as the games’ Wikipedia articles name them (CC BY-SA).

From the newspapers

  • The Evening public ledger's story of the 1921 game: LQNSUNGHERO BROUGHT PENN STATE VICTORY OVERCOLDEN TORNADO Made Killenger's 9O-Ywd Run for a Touchdown Possible by Spilling THO Georgia Tech IdckterS. Southerners Sho,Ued Brilliant Attack

    1921 · Evening public ledger, Philadelphia [Pa.], Nov 2, 1921

  • The The Birmingham age-herald's story of the 1923 game: Georgia Tech Is Beaten By Penn State, Score 70

    1923 · The Birmingham age-herald, Alabama, Nov 11, 1923

  • The Evening star's story of the 1924 game: GEORGIA TECH WINS FROM PENN STATE

    1924 · Evening star, Washington, D.C., Oct 19, 1924

  • The Evening star's story of the 1925 game: GEORGIA TECH RALLIES TO DEFEAT PENN STATE

    1925 · Evening star, Oct 11, 1925

  • The Evening star's story of the 1961 game: Likes Hunt and Hall

    1961 · Evening star, Jan 4, 1962

Public-domain newspapers from the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America, found through the American Stories dataset (Dell and Harvard, CC BY 4.0). The earliest meetings with a story on file; each game’s page has the full text.

Photos

  • The kick-off for the Georgia Tech Golden Tornado vs. Penn State Nittany Lions football game at Yankee Stadium in 1925
    The kick-off for the Georgia Tech Golden Tornado vs. Penn State Nittany Lions football game at Yankee Stadium in 1925Photo: Unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 1925 game
  • A Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football player making a 10-yard gain during their game against the Penn State Nittany Lions in Yankee Stadium in 1925
    A Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football player making a 10-yard gain during their game against the Penn State Nittany Lions in Yankee Stadium in 1925Photo: Unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 1925 game
  • Georgia Tech players at Penn State's 1-yard line during their 1925 game in Yankee Stadium
    Georgia Tech players at Penn State’s 1-yard line during their 1925 game in Yankee StadiumPhoto: Unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 1925 game
  • Caption text says "Barron of Georgia Tech Off on Ten-Yard Run Yesterday at Yankee Stadium."
    Caption text says “Barron of Georgia Tech Off on Ten-Yard Run Yesterday at Yankee Stadium.”Photo: Times Wide World Photos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
    The 1925 game

From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited).

Every game

Aug 28, 19917Penn State 34, 8Georgia Tech 22Neutral site
Nov 12, 19665Georgia Tech 21, Penn State 0at Georgia Tech
Dec 30, 1961Penn State 30, Georgia Tech 15Neutral siteGator Bowl
Oct 10, 1925Georgia Tech 16, Penn State 7at Georgia Tech
Oct 18, 1924Georgia Tech 15, Penn State 13at Georgia Tech
Nov 10, 1923Penn State 7, Georgia Tech 0at Penn State
Oct 29, 1921Penn State 28, Georgia Tech 7at Penn State

Every game is listed as played on the field.