Today in College Football America History – Sept. 23

Today we celebrate this day in College Football America Yearbook history by looking back on the games we’ve covered on this date, Sept. 23. The staff at the College Football America Yearbook has been attending and coverings games since 2010, even before we actually had a physical yearbook to sell. Our staff travels the country to cover anywhere from 50 to 70 college football games per season. So, we’ve accumulated many games, many photos and many memories. Each day, we’ll encapsulate those memories here and include links to our photos and game coverage that will help you take a look back, too.

If you’re curious about the College Football America Yearbook, click here to take a look at past issues. Also click on CollegeFootballAmericaPR.com get the latest College Football America news and to find a link to the most current book. Until then, we’ll see you down the road.

So what did we do on this day in College Football America Yearbook history?

2016: TCU (FBS) at SMU (FBS)

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Our College Football America Yearbook publisher Matthew Postins hit The Hilltop to see what they call the ‘Iron Skillet’ game between TCU and SMU. Why do they call it the Iron Skillet game? Well, it’s because the trophy for the winner is an Iron Skillet. Yep, that’s why. Legend has it that back in 1946 an SMU fan frying frog legs as a joke upset a TCU fan so much that the TCU fan told the SMU fan that the winner of the game should get the Iron Skillet. Unfortunately there is absolutely no corroborating evidence to support it. Anyway, they play for a skillet.

2017: Saint John’s (D3) vs. St. Thomas (D3)

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Our College Football America Yearbook director of editorial content Chuck Cox went to Minneapolis, Minnesota, for a few reasons. One was to visit Prince’s house. One was to see one of college football’s greatest rivalries — the Saint John’s Jonnies and the St. Thomas Tommies. This time, instead of playing on campus, the two teams took the game to Target Field, the home of the Minneapolis Twins. At the time, the Johnnies and the Tommies set a Division III attendance record with 37,355 people in the stands.

2017: Augustana (SD) (D2) at St. Cloud State (D2)

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Our College Football America Yearbook director of editorial content Chuck Cox then took in some Division II football action as the St. Cloud State Huskies hosted the Augustana (SD) Vikings in St. Cloud, Minnesota. One of the nice touches of this venue is the fact that from the home stands you can see the Mississippi River, making it one of the rare college football venues where you can see a lake, river or ocean from the stadium. 

2017: Pitt (FBS) at Georgia Tech (FBS)

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Our College Football America Yearbook publisher Kendall Webb check out Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field on this day to see Pitt face Georgia Tech in an ACC contest. This venue has significance in college football history. Georgia Tech first played games at this location in 1905, built a stadium in 1913 and that makes it the oldest venue in FBS. It’s also the site of the most lopsided game in college football history, when the Yellowjackets defeated Cumberland, 222-0, on Oct. 7, 1916. At the time Georgia Tech’s coach was John Heisman. Yep, THAT Heisman.

2017: Mississippi State (FBS) at Georgia (FBS)

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Our College Football America Yearbook publisher Kendall Webb did what others have done, a sort-of rite of passage for southern college football fans. From the Georgia Tech game he made the drive to Athens, Georgia, to catch the Georgia Bulldogs host the Mississippi State Bulldogs in SEC action. Atlanta and Athens aren’t that far from each other. It was a great chance for Webb to get inside the hedges at Sanford Stadium and check out the Bulldogs.