The game was played on October 7, 1916, between the On January 1, 1929, the Golden Bears faced the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, USA. Midway through the second quarter, Riegels, who played center on both offensive and defensive lines and who was then playing in a role similar to that of the modern defensive nose guard or nose tackle, picked up a fumble by Tech's Jack "Stumpy" Thomason. Just 30 yards away from the Yellow Jackets' end zone, Riegels was somehow turned around and ran 69 yards in the wrong direction. The following describes what transpired from Riegels perspective:[7]
I was running towat Grant Field (now a part of Bobby Dodd Stadium) inAtlanta, Georgia.
Though the Cumberland College football program was discontinued before the 1916 season, due to a scheduling mix up, Cumberland was added to the Georgia Tech schedule. Coach Joe Heisman reminded Cumberland College of the $3,000 forfeit fee if the game did not go on. To avoid the forfeit fee, the Cumberland College student manager quickly gathered 13 students, who were mostly fraternity brothers, to face the Georgia Tech football team.
The game is often considered payback for the Georgia Tech baseball team's humiliating 22-0 loss to Cumberland the previous year. Both teams were coached by Heisman, and he was upset with Cumberland's use of professional players to win the baseball game. However, in facing such an unprepared opponent on the football field, Georgia Tech's team easily got the revenge it was seeking.
