The team was selected national champion by Berryman, Billingsley, Boand, Football Research, Helms, Houlgate, NCF, Poling, and Sagarin (ELO-Chess), while Parke Davis named them co-champion as shared with Detroit.

USC declined the 1929 Rose Bowl invitation, resulting in a matchup of California and Georgia Tech.

[11] The Golden Tornado was led by center and senior captain Peter Pund, who was never penalized,[12] and was a key player on defense.

[13] Halfback Warner Mizell headed a powerful backfield that also included Stumpy Thomason and Father Lumpkin.

[5][13] [25] Georgia Tech opened the season on October 6 with a 13–0 defeat of the VMI Keydets, in a game marred by fumbles in every quarter.

[26] In the second week of play, Georgia Tech scored twice on forward passes to beat the Tulane Green Wave 12–0.

[28] Georgia Tech started the second half of the game with a fierce drive down to the 1-yard (0.91 m) line when Randolph fumbled the ball away.

[28] Georgia Tech next defeated coach Knute Rockne's Notre Dame Fighting Irish 13–0.

[30] After the game, coach Rockne said, "I sat at Grant Field and saw a magnificent Notre Dame team suddenly recoil before the furious pounding of one man–Peter Pund ... Nobody could stop him.

[31][32] Rockne later also wrote of an attack on his coaching in the Atlanta Journal, "I am surprised that a paper of such fine, high standing [as yours] would allow a zipper to write in his particular vein ... the article by Fuzzy Woodruff was not called for".

[39] Georgia Tech ended the Jimmy Armistead-led Vanderbilt Commodores' hopes of a southern title with a 19–7 victory.

Vanderbilt's lone score came on an 85-yard (78 m) run by lineman Bull Brown after picking up a Stumpy Thomason fumble.

[42] Tech defeated coach Wallace Wade's Alabama Crimson Tide 33–13, scoring three times in the final period to break a 13–13 tie at the half.

[45] Coach Alexander gave his team a fiery halftime speech, drawing up defensive plays.

[34] Warner Mizell scored first when he went back to punt, but fumbled the snap, and picked it up and ran it 75 yards (69 m).

[45] In the fourth quarter, Alabama drove to Tech's 32-yard (29 m) line when Tony Holm, who had been playing his greatest game, suffered a fractured rib.

[48] The same week, the Tennessee Volunteers upset the high-scoring Florida Gators to give Georgia Tech the only claim to the southern championship.

[48] Under the Dickinson System, USC was recognized as #1 but the 1929 Rose Bowl was contested between the #2 and #3 teams, California and Georgia Tech.

[52][53] During Roy's wrong-way run, coach Alexander told his excited players, who were jumping near the team's bench; "Sit down.

"[55] After the play, Riegels was so distraught he had to be persuaded to return to the game for the second half by his head coach Nibs Price.

[56] Riegels did play on; he turned in a strong second-half performance, including blocking a Georgia Tech punt.

Ends Tom Jones and Frank Waddey, tackle Vance Maree, and guard Raleigh Drennon were also placed on All-Southern teams.

[64] In honor of the Rose Bowl victory, Stumpy Thomason was given a bear cub by a local businessman.