When Notre Dame travels to Atlanta this weekend to take on Georgia Tech in Mercedes Benz Stadium, the home of the Atlanta Falcons, it will mark the return of an under-the-radar rivalry rich in history and intrigue going back over 100 years.
The origins of this rivalry date back to 1923 when Notre Dame’s legendary coach, Knute Rockne, eager to expand the Fighting Irish’s national reach, agreed to travel to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech. The series, while cordial, quickly became lopsided, with Notre Dame dominating the early matchups, winning 11 of the first 12 encounters. It was a sign of things to come as the Irish have outscored the Yellow Jackets by more than 500 points over the course of 37 encounters.
The Heisman Era: A Meeting That Never Happened
One of the most famous figures in college football history, John Heisman, after whom the prestigious Heisman Trophy is named, coached at Georgia Tech. However, when the Irish entered Tech’s orbit, Heisman had already retired in 1919, never squaring off against Notre Dame.
Bobby Dodd and a Clash of Giants
Bobby Dodd, Georgia Tech’s most revered coach and the innovator behind the “belly series” offense, took the reins from 1945 to 1966. Dodd’s career was illustrious, racking up 165 victories, a school record that still stands. Against Notre Dame, however, Dodd’s teams fared less successfully, going 1-2. His one triumph came in 1959 when Georgia Tech edged out a 14-10 victory over Joe Kuharich’s Irish in South Bend.
Georgia Tech’s Departure from the SEC: The Darwin Holt Incident
Georgia Tech’s membership in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which began in 1932, reduced opportunities for regular contests between the teams. However, a notorious incident in 1961 involving Alabama’s Darwin Holt played a pivotal role in Georgia Tech’s decision to leave the SEC. Holt’s brutal hit on Tech’s Chick Graning, which fractured multiple bones in Graning’s face, and Alabama coach Bear Bryant’s indifference afterward soured Georgia Tech’s relationship with the SEC. Tech began to see itself as a program seeking alignment with institutions that shared its values and bid farewell to the SEC following the 1963 season.
A Brief Return to Regular Play
During Georgia Tech’s years as an independent, the rivalry with Notre Dame resumed more frequently, with the two teams meeting nine times in the 15 years after Tech’s departure from the SEC.
Tech Joins the ACC
When Georgia Tech joined the ACC in 1979, the series cooled again, complicated by conflicting schedules. Over the last 35 years, the two programs have met just seven times. Among those games was the 1999 Gator Bowl, where Georgia Tech handed Notre Dame a 35-28 loss in a contest overseen by then-Irish coach Bob Davie.
November 8, 1975: The Day Rudy Made History
One of the most famous moments in Notre Dame football lore involving Georgia Tech came on November 8, 1975. That day, a walk-on named Daniel Ruettiger—better known as “Rudy”—played three plays on defense, sacking the Georgia Tech quarterback on the last of them. This brief but iconic moment was immortalized in the film Rudy, now a staple in college football storytelling.
The Day the Fraud was Revealed: Weis Exposed
On September 1, 2007, Georgia Tech again made headlines against the Irish, this time for a resounding 33-3 victory that shattered the illusions of Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis. With Weis finally fielding “his recruits,” the Irish suffered a humiliating defeat, managing just 122 yards of total offense. Jon Tenuta, Tech’s defensive coordinator, blitzed Notre Dame relentlessly, exposing Weis’s tactical shortcomings. Ironically, Weis later hired Tenuta as part of his own staff, a move emblematic of his tenure’s desperation.
A Renewed Rivalry in the ACC
As Notre Dame now plays five games a year against ACC opponents, the Irish face Georgia Tech regularly. The next chapter will unfold on Saturday in Mercedes Benz Stadium. Since the Irish formed their alliance with the ACC, they’ve faced Georgia Tech three separate times, all with the same outcome—easy Notre Dame victories.
In 2015, #8 Notre Dame faced #14 Georgia Tech in one of the most anticipated games on the Irish schedule. The Irish jumped out to a 30-7 lead with less than 6:00 minutes to go before surrendering 15 points in the final 0:48 of the game – one of the first signs of how bad of a defensive coordinator Brian Vangorder would be for the Fighting Irish.
The last two contests have been even less competitive. In 2020, the fourth-ranked Irish traveled to Georgia Tech and dispatched the Yellow Jackets 31-13. A year later, Notre Dame delivered one of the most lopsided games in program history with a 55-0 shellacking. The Irish led that contest 45-0 at halftime before pulling all of its starters, leaving the series history at 30-6-1 heading into the 2024 showdown.
Full Notre Dame & Georgia Tech Series History
| Date | Result | ND Rank | GT Rank | Score | Site | ND Coach | Opponent Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11-20-2021 | W | #8 | 55-0 | Home | Brian Kelly | Geoff Collins | |
| 10-31-2020 | W | #4 | 31-13 | Away | Brian Kelly | Geoff Collins | |
| 9-19-2015 | W | #8 | #14 | 30-22 | Home | Brian Kelly | Paul Johnson |
| 9-1-2007 | L | 3-33 | Home | Charlie Weis | Chan Gailey | ||
| 9-2-2006 | W | #2 | 14-10 | Away | Charlie Weis | Chan Gailey | |
| 1-1-1999 | L | #17 | #12 | 28-35 | Gator Bowl | Bob Davie | George O’Leary |
| 09-06-1997 | W | #11 | 17-13 | Home | Bob Davie | George O’Leary | |
| 11-07-1981 | W | 35-3 | Home | Gerry Faust | Bill Curry | ||
| 11-08-1980 | T | #1 | 3-3 | Away | Dan Devine | Bill Curry | |
| 10-6-1979 | W | #10 | 21-13 | Home | Dan Devine | Pepper Rodgers | |
| 11-18-1978 | W | #10 | #20 | 38-21 | Away | Dan Devine | Pepper Rodgers |
| 11-05-1977 | W | #5 | 69-14 | Home | Dan Devine | Pepper Rodgers | |
| 11-06-1976 | L | #11 | 14-23 | Away | Dan Devine | Pepper Rodgers | |
| 11-8-1975 | W | #12 | 24-3 | Home | Dan Devine | Pepper Rodgers | |
| 09-09-1974 | W | #3 | 31-7 | Away | Ara Parseghian | Pepper Rodgers | |
| 11-14-1970 | W | #1 | 10-7 | Home | Ara Parseghian | Bud Carson | |
| 11-15-1969 | W | #9 | 38-20 | Away | Ara Parseghian | Bud Carson | |
| 11-16-1968 | W | #9 | 34-6 | Home | Ara Parseghian | Bud Carson | |
| 11-18-1967 | W | #9 | 36-3 | Away | Ara Parseghian | Bud Carson | |
| 11-7-1959 | L | #19 | 10-14 | Home | Joe Kuharich | Bobby Dodd | |
| 10-24-1953 | W | #1 | #4 | 27-14 | Home | Frank Leahy | Bobby Dodd |
| 10-06-1945 | W | 40-7 | Away | Hugh Devore | Bobby Dodd | ||
| 11-25-1944 | W | #18 | #10 | 21-0 | Away | Edward McKeever | William Alexander |
| 10-02-1943 | W | 55-13 | Home | Frank Leahy | William Alexander | ||
| 10-03-1942 | L | 6-13 | Home | Frank Leahy | William Alexander | ||
| 10-11-1941 | W | 20-0 | Away | Frank Leahy | William Alexander | ||
| 10-12-1940 | W | 26-20 | Home | Elmer Layden | William Alexander | ||
| 10-07-1939 | W | 17-14 | Home | Elmer Layden | William Alexander | ||
| 10-08-1938 | W | 14-6 | Away | Elmer Layden | William Alexander | ||
| 11-02-1929 | W | 26-6 | Away | Knute Rockne | William Alexander | ||
| 10-20-1928 | L | 0-13 | Away | Knute Rockne | William Alexander | ||
| 10-29-1927 | W | 26-7 | Home | Knute Rockne | William Alexander | ||
| 10-30-1926 | W | 12-0 | Home | Knute Rockne | William Alexander | ||
| 1925-10-31 | W | 13-0 | Away | Knute Rockne | William Alexander | ||
| 1924-11-01 | W | 34-3 | Home | Knute Rockne | William Alexander | ||
| 1923-10-27 | W | 35-7 | Home | Knute Rockne | William Alexander | ||
| 1922-10-28 | W | 13-3 | Away | Knute Rockne | William Alexander |
I still remember that 2007 game. What a disaster. I remember Weis, Mr. Offensive Genius, trying to field the spread option under Demetrius Jones. I also remember all the secrecy on who the starter would be. That went nowhere fast. IIRC by halftime Clausen was in and ND was back to the pro-style offense he favored, though that whole season blew up in his face.
I suppose I will give Weis credit for one thing. At least he didn’t try to push that spread option offense beyond that first half. I mean, it was pretty obvious it blew up in his face but I guess at least he didn’t try to force the issue game after game like some coaches try to do even after the rest of the world sees it’s not working.
I always felt bad for Jones too for being put in that situation. I looked him up to see whatever happened to him and I see he went to play for another ‘favorite’ coach who thinks a lot of himself, BK (though I will say he wasn’t quite as obnoxious about it as Weis). He ended up playing linebacker when he couldn’t crack into the QB position. Then a division 2 team as a WR and TE. He had some success with indoor arena football for a few years after that, even winning the National Championship in the league he was in, but his Wikipedia page stops at 201p with indoor football team the Chicago Blitz. Not sure what became of him after that. The closest he ever came to the NFL was a practice squad player for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017-18.
I know, probably more than you ever wanted to know about a former ND QB that didn’t make it past the first game, but I was curious after thinking about that game.