History of Alabama Crimson Tide football
The first game ended early in a 6–6 tie, when fans rushed onto the field after a controversial offside call and the umpires were unable to clear out the crowd in the second half.
"The overworked Burks, who appeared to bear the entire brunt of Alabama's offense",[10] collapsed on the field during the second half of a 12–5 loss to Georgia Tech.
In the Georgia game that season, the Bulldogs ran a trick play in which they threw the ball to a receiver who was dressed as a waterboy, on the field, carrying a bucket.
The play did not prove decisive, as Georgia fumbled the ball away soon after, but the Bulldogs won the game after they recovered a botched Alabama field goal and scored in the final minutes.
Athletic director B. L. Noojin and former Alabama quarterback Farley Moody took over the head coaching duties for the remaining four games of the season.
The 1919 team was led by All-Southern players in the line like Ike Rogers and Tram Sessions; and in the backfield such as Mullie Lenoir and Riggs Stephenson.
[21] Intent on building a dynasty, athletics director George Denny took advantage of the team's newfound popularity and began advertising the University of Alabama in metropolitan New York City newspapers.
Thomas would lead Alabama to two more national championships in 1934 and 1941 before health issues related to his smoking habits forced him to retire after a 14-year tenure as head coach of the program.
In his first year, "Red" Drew led the 1947 Alabama team to an 8–3 record, a berth in the 1948 Sugar Bowl,[25] and a number eight ranking in the final AP poll.
Paul William "Bear" Bryant came to the Crimson Tide program in December 1957, after leaving his head coaching position at Texas A&M.
[48] The following season, John Mitchell, an African-American transfer from Eastern Arizona Junior College, played in the rematch, a game that Alabama won 17–10 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
[60] The 1986 season, Alabama went 10–3 as they defeated Notre Dame for the first time in school history, and ended a losing streak versus rival Tennessee.
[62] Perkins was the only head coach to lead Alabama to a victory over the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame for nearly thirty years, a feat not even Bear Bryant could ever accomplish.
Bill Curry left his alma mater Georgia Tech and accepted the job as head coach at the University of Alabama.
In September 1988, Curry refused to fly his Alabama team to play Texas A&M because of fears that Hurricane Gilbert would harm his players.
[63] Alabama sought someone with ties to Bear Bryant by hiring Gene Stallings, who had been recently fired as head coach of the National Football League's Phoenix Cardinals.
Alabama finished the regular season with nine consecutive victories and defeated defending national champion Colorado 30–25 in the Blockbuster Bowl.
Alabama avoided an upset with a late interception by Antonio Langham, who returned it for a touchdown to secure a 28–21 victory over the Florida Gators.
[69] With the victory and SEC Championship, Alabama was invited to the 1993 Sugar Bowl to face the unbeaten Miami Hurricanes, who entered with a 29-game winning streak and that year's Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Gino Torretta.
[72] The Crimson Tide were forced to forfeit eight victories and one tie achieved during the 9–3–1 1993 season in games participated in by senior cornerback Antonio Langham.
They defeated Tennessee and Auburn en route to an undefeated regular season before losing the SEC Championship Game to the #3-ranked Florida.
Alabama cornerback Antonio Langham signed with a sports agent and applied to enter the NFL draft in January 1993, and allegedly received deferred-payment loans.
[b] Although the NCAA stated that the university fully cooperated with the enforcement staff, Alabama received probation from 2002 to 2006, a post-season ban in 2002 and 2003, and loss of 21 scholarships over 3 years.
[109][110] Athletics director Mal Moore would ultimately turn to another West Virginian to fill Alabama's head coaching vacancy.
[111][112] On January 4, 2007, Nick Saban left the NFL's Miami Dolphins and accepted an offer worth US$32 million guaranteed for eight years to be the next Crimson Tide head coach.
Ultimately, as part of the text book scandal that marred the end of Shula's coaching tenure, Alabama was forced to vacate the first five wins of the 2007 football season, leaving them with an official record of 2-6 for the year.
[136][137][138] In 2009, Nick Saban led Alabama to its second consecutive undefeated regular season (12–0), and won the SEC Championship Game with a victory over the No.
1, but losses to South Carolina, LSU, and Auburn (the eventual 2010 National Champion) gave Saban's Tide a regular season record of 9–3.
[272] In the Third Saturday in October, Saban suffered his first loss as Alabama coach against #6 Tennessee, losing 52–49 on a last second field goal at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
[299] In the Iron Bowl, quarterback Jalen Milroe on 4th and goal threw a 31-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds left to defeat Auburn 27–24.
