1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,639 Speaker 1: The Stay in History class is production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: Hey y'all, I'm Eves and welcome to this day in 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: History class, where we uncover a new layer of history 4 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:22,919 Speaker 1: every day. Today is October seven en. The day was 5 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:27,639 Speaker 1: October seventh, nineteen sixteen. The most lopsided game in the 6 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: history of college football in the US took place at 7 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: Grant Field in Atlanta. At the time, Georgia Tech had 8 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: a strong football team coached by John Heisman. Cumberland College 9 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: was a small school in Lebanon, Tennessee. Because of budget cuts, 10 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: the football program at Cumberland had to be shut down. 11 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 1: Cumberland didn't tell Georgia Tech that its program had been 12 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: discontinued until weeks before they were set to play each other. 13 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: But Heisman was determined to make the game happen. He 14 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: said he would uphold the three thousand dollar four fit fee, 15 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: a heavy lift for a college going through financial troubles. 16 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: That's about seventy thousand dollars today. Heisman even offered to 17 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 1: pay Cumberland five hundred dollars to play the game, so 18 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: Cumberland's student manager, George Allen, began assembling a team. Most 19 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: of the people he chose for the team were his 20 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: fraternity brothers. Even though Georgia Tech was the expected winner 21 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 1: in the matchup by fans and by Cumberland's players, Heisman 22 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: still planned on going beyond just beating Cumberland. When it 23 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: was time for the Georgia Tech Engineers to play the 24 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: Cumberland College Bulldogs, Cumberland had cobbled together a team of 25 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: inexperienced players. Georgia Tech scored on its first play. By 26 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: the end of the first quarter, Georgia Tech was up 27 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: sixty to zero. In the second quarter, Tech scored another 28 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: sixty three points, bringing its score to a hundred and 29 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: twenty six points by halftime. Heisman agreed to shorten the 30 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: time of the second half to fifteen minutes, but Georgia 31 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: Tech continued running up the score or continuing to score 32 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 1: points after it was clear that scoring was no longer necessary. 33 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: Tech scored ninety six points in the second half. The 34 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: final score was two twenty two for Georgia Tech to 35 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: zero for Cumberland. Tech scored thirty two touchdowns, while Cumberland 36 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: reportedly had fifteen turnovers, nine fumbles, and six interceptions. Cumberland 37 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: had no first downs throughout the entire game. There are 38 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 1: plenty of myths surrounding things Cumberland players did during the 39 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: game in embarrassment, including hiding on the Georgia Tech bench. 40 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: Running up the score was considered unsportsmanlike, but Heisman was 41 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: probably trying to prove a point about sportswriter's practice of 42 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 1: ranking a team by adding up the points is scored. 43 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,239 Speaker 1: He also may have pulled this junt as revenge because 44 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: Cumberland's baseball team beat Georgia Tech to zero in the 45 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:02,839 Speaker 1: spring of nineteen how Heisman believed allegations that Cumberland had 46 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: brought in semi professionals as ringers for that game. In 47 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: the end, Heisman proved his point and got the revenge 48 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 1: he may have sought, and Cumberland got a little financial boost. 49 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: I'm Eves Jeff Coote and hopefully you know a little 50 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 1: more about history today than you did yesterday. I want 51 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: to impress your internet crush, show them your history smarts 52 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: by sharing something you learned on the show. Don't forget 53 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: to tag us at T D I h C podcast. 54 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: Our email address is this day at I heart media 55 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: dot com. Thanks for listening, Mary History to all, and 56 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: to all a good night for more podcasts from I 57 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or 58 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.