Alabama Crimson Tide football, 1950–1959

Contents:	1950 – 1951 – 1952 – 1953 – 1954 – 1955 – 1956 – 1957 – 1958 – 1959

The 1950s were the worst decade in the history of Alabama football. The Tide football program, a frequent contender in the Southeastern Conference and regular bowl participant, had five losing seasons in the decade after not having had a losing season since 1903. Alabama bottomed out with an 0–10 season in 1955, the worst in the history of the program. However, the decade ended with the hiring of Paul "Bear" Bryant, who would rebuild Alabama football and guide it to its greatest successes.

1950

1950 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Ranking
Coaches	#17
AP	#16[1]
1950 record	9–2 (6–2 SEC)
Head coach	Harold Drew
Home stadium	Denny Stadium Legion Field Ladd Stadium
Seasons « 1949 1951 »

The decade got off to a promising start. Alabama went 9–2 and capped their season with a 34–0 victory over Auburn. However, a 14–9 loss to Tennessee and a loss to Vanderbilt cost Alabama the SEC title, and they finished in third place.^[2]

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 23	Tennessee-Chattanooga*		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama	W 27–0
September 30	at Tulane		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana	W 26–14
October 7	Vanderbilt		Ladd Stadium • Mobile, Alabama	L 22–27
October 13	Furman*		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 34–6
October 21	at #18 Tennessee		Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee (Third Saturday in October)	L 9–14
October 28	Mississippi State		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Alabama–Mississippi State rivalry)	W 14–7
November 4	Georgia		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama	W 14–7
November 11	Southern Miss*		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 53–0
November 18	at Georgia Tech		Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia	W 54–19
November 25	Florida	#17	Gator Bowl • Jacksonville, Florida	W 41–13
December 2	vs. Auburn	#16	Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Iron Bowl)	W 34–0
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

1951

1951 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1951 record	5–6 (3–5 SEC)
Head coach	Harold Drew
Home stadium	Denny Stadium Legion Field Ladd Stadium Cramton Bowl
Seasons « 1950 1952 »

Alabama's 89–0 victory over Delta State in the 1951 opener set a Tide record for most points scored in a game after the formation of the Southeastern Conference in 1933. (The 1922 team beat Marion Institute 110–0.) But the Tide followed that victory up with a four-game losing streak that included a loss to second-ranked Tennessee. After evening its record at 4–4 Bama lost games in November to Georgia Tech and Florida. A 25–7 victory over Auburn provided some consolation for a 5–6 season, Alabama's first losing season since 1903. It was a preview of things to come.

Bobby Marlow's 233 rushing yards against Auburn set a school record that lasted for 25 years and remains the third-most rushing yards ever in a game for an Alabama player.^[3] Alabama's loss to Tennessee on Oct. 20 was the first ever Tide game to be broadcast on television.^[4] The game against Delta State at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery marked the first year of a four-year period in which Alabama, which was already regularly playing games in Mobile and Birmingham as well as Tuscaloosa, began playing "home" games in four different cities.

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 21	Delta State*	#9	Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama	W 89–0
September 29	LSU	#9	Ernest F. Ladd Memorial Stadium • Mobile, Alabama	L 7–13
October 6	at Vanderbilt		Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee	L 20–22
October 12	Villanova*		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	L 18–41
October 20	#2 Tennessee		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Third Saturday in October)	L 13–27
October 27	at Mississippi State		Scott Field • Starkville, Mississippi	W 7–0
November 3	at Georgia		Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia	W 16–14
November 10	Southern Miss*		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 40–7
November 17	#7 Georgia Tech		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama	L 7–27
November 24	Florida		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	L 21–30
December 2	vs. Auburn		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Iron Bowl)	W 25–7
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

1952

1952 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Orange Bowl, W 61–6 vs. Syracuse
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Ranking
Coaches	#9
AP	#9[1]
1952 record	10–2 (4–2 SEC)
Head coach	Harold Drew
Home stadium	Denny Stadium Legion Field Ladd Stadium Cramton Bowl
Seasons « 1951 1953 »

Alabama bounced back in 1952 to have its best season of the decade, finishing 10–2. However, losses to Tennessee (Bama's fifth year in a row without a victory over the Volunteers) and Georgia Tech cost the Tide an SEC title. The Crimson Tide went to its first bowl game in five years, against Syracuse in the Orange Bowl, and destroyed the Orangemen 61–6.^[5] The blowout set a school record for most points scored in a bowl game^[6] and an Orange Bowl record for points scored. The 55-point margin of victory stood as the all-time record for a bowl game through the 2008 GMAC Bowl where Tulsa defeated Bowling Green 63–7 for a 56 point margin of victory.^[7]

Freshman quarterback Bart Starr, playing with the varsity, appeared in seven games as the backup to Butch Hobson.^[8][9] Starr would go on to a legendary Hall of Fame career as quarterback of the Green Bay Packers.

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 19	Southern Miss*		Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama	W 20–6
September 27	at LSU		Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Alabama-LSU rivalry)	W 21–20
October 3	Miami*		Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, Florida	W 21–7
October 11	Virginia Tech*	#18	Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 33–0
October 18	at Tennessee	#18	Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee (Third Saturday in October)	L 0–20
October 25	Mississippi State		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 42–19
November 1	Georgia	#19	Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama	W 34–19
November 8	Tennessee-Chattanooga*	#16	Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 42–28
November 15	at #2 Georgia Tech	#12	Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia	L 3–7
November 22	#8 Maryland*	#14	Ladd Stadium • Mobile, Alabama	W 27–7
November 29	vs. Auburn	#8	Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Iron Bowl)	W 21–0
January 1, 1953	vs. #14 Syracuse*	#9	Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, Florida (Orange Bowl)	W 61–6
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

1953

1953 Alabama Crimson Tide football
SEC Champions
Cotton Bowl Classic, L 28–6 vs. Rice
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Ranking
Coaches	#11
AP	#13[1]
1953 record	6–3–3 (4–0–3 SEC)
Head coach	Harold Drew
Home stadium	Denny Stadium Legion Field Ladd Stadium Cramton Bowl
Seasons « 1952 1954 »

1953 was one of the more unusual seasons in Tide history. Alabama won only six games all year, and only four of seven conference games. However, the other three conference games were ties, and a 4–0–3 record was good enough to win Alabama the SEC title. It was Bama's first conference championship since 1945 and last until 1961. Against Tennessee, Bama had a chance to win for the first time since 1947 but had to settle for a scoreless tie after fumbling the ball away on the Tennessee five and missing a 43-yard field goal.^[10] The Tide's 10–7 win over Auburn was its fourth in a row in the Iron Bowl.

The Cotton Bowl Classic against Rice featured one of the strangest plays in the history of college football. In the second quarter, Rice had the ball on its own five-yard line, leading 7–6,^[11] after recovering an Alabama fumble. Rice running back Dick Moegle swept around the right side, broke free, and appeared to be on his way to a 95-yard touchdown run—until Tommy Lewis of Alabama, who was on the sideline, ran into the field of play and tackled Moegle at the Alabama 40.^[12] Officials awarded Moegle a 95-yard touchdown run, and Rice won the game 28–6.^[13]

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 18	Southern Miss*	#5	Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama	L 19–25
September 26	LSU	#5	Ernest F. Ladd Memorial Stadium • Mobile, Alabama	T 7–7
October 3	at Vanderbilt		Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee	W 21–12
October 10	Tulsa*		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 41–13
October 17	Tennessee		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Third Saturday in October)	T 0–0
October 24	Mississippi State		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	T 7–7
October 31	at Georgia		Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia	W 33–12
November 7	Tennessee-Chattanooga*	#20	Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 21–14
November 14	#5 Georgia Tech		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama	W 13–6
November 21	#2 Maryland	#11	Byrd Stadium • College Park, Maryland	L 0–21
November 28	vs. #16 Auburn		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Iron Bowl)	W 10–7
January 1, 1954	vs. #6 Rice*	#13	Cotton Bowl • Dallas, Texas (Cotton Bowl Classic)	L 6–28
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

1954

1954 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1954 record	4–5–2 (3–3–2 SEC)
Head coach	Harold Drew
Home stadium	Denny Stadium Legion Field Ladd Stadium Cramton Bowl
Seasons « 1953 1955 »

Harold Drew had a winning record at Alabama, going 45–28–7 in seven years, but the program slipped from its glory days under Wallace Wade and Frank Thomas. Drew's teams won only one conference title and gone to three bowl games in eight years. In 1954, the program went into serious decline.

It did not seem that way after the first five games. Following a second consecutive season-opening loss to Southern Mississippi, Alabama reeled off a four-game winning streak that included a 27–0 victory over Tennessee. The win over the Volunteers was the only one for the Crimson Tide in a span of 13 seasons, 1948–1960. But Alabama followed that win by scoring only 14 points over the last six games of the 1954 season. Right after beating Tennessee, Alabama lost 12–7 to Mississippi State, beginning a streak of 16 consecutive scoreless quarters that tied the all-time school record.^[14] Consecutive scoreless ties against Georgia and Tulane followed, despite quarterback Bart Starr's comeback from an early-season injury.^[14] (Starr, limited by a bad back,^[15] threw only 41 passes all year.)^[16] The season ended with losses to Georgia Tech, Miami and Auburn by a combined score of 71–7, dropping Alabama to 4–5–2 on the year. It was only Alabama's second losing season in 50 years, but much worse was to come.

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 17	Southern Miss*	#14	Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, Alabama	L 2–7
September 25	at LSU		Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Alabama-LSU rivalry)	W 12–0
October 2	Vanderbilt		Ladd Stadium • Mobile, Alabama	W 28–14
October 9	Tulsa*		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 40–0
October 16	at Tennessee		Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee (Third Saturday in October)	W 27–0
October 23	Mississippi State		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	L 7–12
October 30	Georgia		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama	T 0–0
November 6	Tulane		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana	T 0–0
November 13	at Georgia Tech		Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia	L 0–20
November 19	#16 Miami*		Orange Bowl Stadium • Miami, Florida	L 7–23
November 27	vs. #15 Auburn		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Iron Bowl)	L 0–28
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

1955

1955 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1955 record	0–10 (0–7 SEC)
Head coach	J.B. Whitworth
Home stadium	Denny Stadium Legion Field Ladd Stadium
Seasons « 1954 1956 »

1955 brought a new coach, J.B. Whitworth. Whitworth, a former Alabama player, brought a new system that was more oriented towards the running game. Consequently, senior quarterback Bart Starr and the other Tide seniors saw little playing time.^[15] Whitworth, for his part, was only allowed to hire two assistants and required to retain the rest of Coach Drew's staff.^[17]

The result was a disaster. Alabama football hit rock bottom in 1955, going 0–10.^[18] It was only the third winless season in the history of the Crimson Tide, the others being 1893 and 1895 when the program was just starting, and the only one when Alabama played more than four games. The scope of the failure was epic. Alabama averaged 4.8 points per game; the opposition averaged 25.6. The Tide was shut out four times; the opposition never scored fewer than 20 points. Bama never even came close to a victory, with the smallest margin of defeat being 15 points in a 21–6 loss to Vanderbilt. The next worst team in the SEC, Georgia, scored 125 points more than Alabama and allowed 86 fewer,^[2] and whipped the Tide 35–14.

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 24	#13 Rice*		Rice Stadium • Houston, Texas	L 0–20
October 1	at Vanderbilt		Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee	L 6–21
October 8	#8 TCU*		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	L 0–21
October 15	Tennessee		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Third Saturday in October)	L 0–20
October 22	Mississippi State		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	L 7–26
October 29	at Georgia		Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia	L 14–35
November 5	Tulane		Ladd Stadium • Mobile, Alabama	L 7–27
November 12	#11 Georgia Tech		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama	L 2–26
November 18	at Miami*		Orange Bowl Stadium • Miami, Florida	L 12–34
November 26	vs. #10 Auburn		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Iron Bowl)	L 0–26
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

1956

1956 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1956 record	2–7–1 (2–5 SEC)
Head coach	J.B. Whitworth
Home stadium	Denny Stadium Legion Field Ladd Stadium
Seasons « 1955 1957 »

In 1956 the Crimson Tide improved somewhat from the meltdown of the year before—but not much. Alabama opened the season with four straight losses by a combined score of 99–26. The all-time school record losing streak ran to seventeen consecutive games, and the winless streak reached 20 games. Then, finally, Alabama won a game for the first time since October 16, 1954. The Tide scored with 2½ minutes to go and kicked the extra point to beat Mississippi State 13–12.^[19] The Tide managed a 13–7 victory over Tulane two weeks later and a 13–13 tie with Southern Mississippi two weeks after that, but lopsided losses to Georgia Tech and Auburn left Bama's final record at 2–7–1. It was the Tide's third losing season in a row.

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 22	Rice*		Rice Stadium • Houston, Texas	L 13–20
October 6	#18 Vanderbilt		Ladd Stadium • Mobile, Alabama	L 7–32
October 13	#4 TCU*		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	L 6–23
October 20	at #7 Tennessee		Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee (Third Saturday in October)	L 0–24
October 27	Mississippi State		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 13–12
November 3	Georgia		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama	L 13–16
November 10	Tulane		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana	W 13–7
November 17	at #4 Georgia Tech		Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia	L 0–27
November 24	Southern Miss*		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	T 13–13
December 1	vs. Auburn		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Iron Bowl)	L 7–34
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

1957

1957 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1957 record	2–7–1 (1–6–1 SEC)
Head coach	J.B. Whitworth
Home stadium	Denny Stadium Legion Field Ladd Stadium
Seasons « 1956 1958 »

Whitworth's third and last season resulted in a 2–7–1 record that was identical to the year before. The first four games saw the opposition outscore Alabama 76–6, but those six points were good enough to salvage a tie with Vanderbilt. (The Tide missed a chance to win after they turned the ball over on downs at the Vanderbilt 1 in the final minutes).^[20] Highlights of a dismal year were a 14–13 victory over Georgia and a 29–2 drubbing of Southern Mississippi, the only time in thirty games under Coach Whitworth that Alabama managed to score more than 14 points. However, the season ended with an embarrassing 40–0 loss to Auburn. Alabama had now lost four games in a row to their arch-rivals by a combined score of 128–7. To add insult to injury, Auburn went 10–0 and won the national championship.^[1]

After the season was over, Whitworth was finally fired.^[21] He was replaced by another former Alabama player, one who had gone on to great success as a head coach at Kentucky and Texas A&M--Paul "Bear" Bryant.

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 28	LSU		Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana	L 0–28
October 5	at Vanderbilt		Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee	T 6–6
October 12	at TCU*		Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, Texas	L 0–28
October 19	Tennessee		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Third Saturday in October)	L 0–14
October 26	Mississippi State		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	L 13–25
November 2	at Georgia		Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia	W 14–13
November 9	at Tulane		Ladd-Peebles Stadium • Mobile, Alabama	L 0–7
November 16	Georgia Tech		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama	L 7–10
November 23	Southern Miss*		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 29–2
November 30	vs. #1 Auburn		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Iron Bowl)	L 0–40
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

1958

1958 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1958 record	5–4–1 (3–4–1 SEC)
Head coach	Paul "Bear" Bryant
Captain	Dave Sington
Captain	Bobby Smith
Home stadium	Denny Stadium Legion Field Ladd Stadium
Seasons « 1957 1959 »

The improvement of Crimson Tide football under Bryant was immediate and dramatic. Despite playing a tough schedule (five ranked teams), Alabama managed its first winning season since 1953. The Tide went 5–4–1, with Bryant winning more games in one year than Whitworth did in three.

In the season opener, Bama led LSU 3–0 at the half before losing 13–3;^[22] LSU went on to win the 1958 national championship.^[1] The Tide played a ranked Vanderbilt team to a scoreless tie and then, on October 25, beat then-#19 Mississippi State for its first victory over a ranked team since beating Auburn in 1953. On November 15 Alabama sprang a 17–8 upset on Georgia Tech. The season finale saw Alabama's fifth straight Iron Bowl loss, but the 14–8 defeat to Auburn was much closer than the previous four. For the season, Bama scored 37 points more than the year before (although the offense was still poor, averaging 10.6 points per game), and allowed 98 points fewer, holding the opposition to 7.5 points per game. Respectability had been restored.

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 27	#15 LSU		Ladd Stadium • Mobile, Alabama	L 3–13
October 4	#20 Vanderbilt		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama	T 0–0
October 11	Furman*		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 29–6
October 18	at Tennessee		Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, Tennessee (Third Saturday in October)	L 7–14
October 25	at #19 Mississippi State		Scott Field • Starkville, Mississippi	W 9–7
November 1	Georgia		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 12–0
November 8	Tulane		Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, Louisiana	L 7–13
November 15	at #20 Georgia Tech		Grant Field • Atlanta, Georgia	W 17–8
November 22	Memphis*		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 14–0
November 29	vs. #2 Auburn		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Iron Bowl)	L 8–14
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

1959

1959 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Liberty Bowl, L 0–7 vs. Penn State
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Ranking
Coaches	#13
AP	#10[1]
1959 record	7–2–2 (4–1–2 SEC)
Head coach	Paul "Bear" Bryant
Captain	Marlin Dyess
Captain	Jim Blevins
Home stadium	Denny Stadium Legion Field Ladd Stadium
Seasons « 1958 1960 »

An outstanding defense in 1959 keyed Alabama's continuing rapid improvement, as the Tide went 7–2–2. (The offense was actually slightly worse than the year before, scoring only 95 points all season). After dropping the opener to Georgia, Alabama did not lose for the rest of the regular season. A 7–7 tie with Vanderbilt was the third year in a row that Alabama tied the Commodores. Against Tennessee, a missed 26-yard field goal try with 12 seconds left forced Bama to settle for a 7–7 tie.^[23] Alabama beat Georgia Tech again and, most importantly, beat Auburn 10–0, snapping what was then a school-record five-game Iron Bowl losing streak (since exceeded by a six-game streak, 2002–2007). The Tide's rewards were a national ranking and a bowl game, each the first since 1953. The season ended on a downer when Alabama lost the Liberty Bowl to Penn State, 7–0. This bowl game marked the beginning of a school record 25 straight bowl appearances.

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	Result
September 19	Georgia		Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia	L 3–17
September 26	at Houston*		Jeppesen Stadium • Houston, Texas	W 3–0
October 3	Vanderbilt		Dudley Field • Nashville, Tennessee	T 7–7
October 10	Tennessee-Chattanooga		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 13–0
October 17	#14 Tennessee		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Third Saturday in October)	T 7–7
October 31	Mississippi State		Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 10–0
November 7	at Tulane		Ladd Stadium • Mobile, Alabama	W 19–7
November 14	#15 Georgia Tech		Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama	W 9–7
November 21	Memphis*	#17	Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	W 14–7
November 28	vs. #11 Auburn	#19	Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama (Iron Bowl)	W 10–0
December 19	vs. #12 Penn State*	#10	Municipal Stadium • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Liberty Bowl)	L 0–7
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} 1950s polls
2. ^ ^{a b} 2008 SEC Media Guide p. 126
3. ^ Record Book, p. 13
4. ^ Record Book, p. 38
5. ^ 1953 Orange Bowl
6. ^ Bowl History
7. ^ "Smith's 14th straight 300-yard game leads Tulsa past Bowling Green". Associated Press. ESPN.com. January 6, 2008. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=280060189. Retrieved January 3, 2011. 
8. ^ Orange Bowl PDF
9. ^ 1952 statistics
10. ^ 1953 game recaps
11. ^ Rice Thresher
12. ^ Video of the bench tackle (licensed content)
13. ^ Dallas Morning News, 2 January 1954
14. ^ ^{a b} 1954 game recaps
15. ^ ^{a b} Scott, Richard, and Jay Barker. Legends of Alabama Football, 2004, Sports Publishing LLC, ISBN 1582612773, p. 75
16. ^ 1954 statistics
17. ^ Stoddard, Tom. Turnaround: Bear Bryant's 1st Year at Alabama. Black Belt Press, 2000, ISBN 978-1880216897, p. 20
18. ^ 1955 game recaps
19. ^ 1956 game recaps
20. ^ 1957 game recaps
21. ^ "Recollections of 1958", The Huntsville Times
22. ^ 1958 game recaps
23. ^ 1959 game recaps

External links

• All-Time Alabama schedules at rolltide.com
• All-Time Alabama scheudles at crimsontider.com

Alabama Crimson Tide football Venues University of Alabama Quad (1893–1914) Denny Field (1915–1928) Bryant–Denny Stadium (1929–present) Rickwood Field (alternate, 1912–1927) Cramton Bowl (alternate, 1922–1954) Legion Field (alternate, 1927–2003) Bowls & rivalries Bowl games Iron Bowl (Auburn, James E. Foy, V-ODK Sportsmanship Trophy) Third Saturday in October (Tennessee) LSU Ole Miss Mississippi State Penn State Culture & lore Traditions Big Al "Yea Alabama" Million Dollar Band Walk of Fame Paul W. Bryant Museum People Head coaches All-Americans NFL draftees Seasons 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 National championship seasons in bold