The 1938 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

in the

1938 college football season The 1938 college football season ended with the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University (TCU) being named the nation's No. 1 team by 55 of the 77 voters in the final Associated Press writers' poll in early December. Tennessee was also chosen b ...

. It was the Crimson Tide's 45th overall and 6th season as a member of the

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...

(SEC). The team was led by head coach Frank Thomas, in his eighth year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in

Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of 1 ...

and

Legion Field Legion Field is an outdoor stadium in the southeastern United States in Birmingham, Alabama, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but occasionally used for other large outdoor events. Opened in 1927, it is named in ho ...

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

. They finished the season with a record of seven wins, one loss and one tie (7–1–1 overall, 4–1–1 in the SEC). The Crimson Tide opened the season with a 19–7 victory in an intersectional contest against

USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. They then followed up the win with consecutive

shutouts In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

, home victories over non-conference opponents

Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

and

NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...

homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...

. However, Alabama then was shut out 13–0 by

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, their first loss against the Volunteers since 1932. The Crimson Tide then rebounded with victories against

Sewanee Sewanee may refer to: * Sewanee, Tennessee * Sewanee: The University of the South * ''The Sewanee Review'', an American literary magazine established in 1892 * Sewanee Natural Bridge * Saint Andrews-Sewanee School See also * Suwanee (disambiguati ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

and

Tulane Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...

. After a 14–14 tie against

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

, Alabama defeated Vanderbilt in their season finale. With a final record of 7–1–1, Alabama was ranked No. 13 in the final

AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadca ...

of the season. Additionally, after the season the Associated Press recognized Alabama as having the best record (40–4–3) and highest winning percentage (.909) of any major college team for the five-year period between 1934 and 1938. Statistically, the defense was one of the most dominant in school history and still holds numerous defense records.

Schedule

On December 5, 1937, Frank Thomas announced the 1938 schedule. The intersectional game against

was announced in August 1937 and was the first between the two football powers. The remaining schedule included road games at

and

with the remaining three games split evenly between Denny Stadium and

Game summaries

USC

*Source: In August 1937, university officials announced Alabama would open the 1938 season in Los Angeles against the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

(USC). Looking for "revenge" after their January loss in the Rose Bowl, their first loss on the

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

, the Crimson Tide defeated the

Trojans Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 1890 ...

19–7 at the

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a mem ...

.1938 Season Recap After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama scored two touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 13–0 halftime lead. The scores came on a pair of Herschel Mosley touchdown passes, the first on a seven-yard pass to Billy Slemons and the second on an 18-yard pass to Gene Blackwell. The Trojans responded after the first Alabama touchdown with their deepest drive into Crimson Tide territory of the game. On the drive, Robert Peoples connected with Grenny Lansdell for a 36-yard gain to the Alabama 22. However, the Alabama defense held, and USC failed to score after they turned the ball over on downs at the Alabama 13-yard line. After they held their 13–0 lead through the third quarter, Hal Hughes

intercepted In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team b ...

an Oliver Day pass and returned it 25-yards for an Alabama touchdown to make the score 19–0 after

Vic Bradford Henry Victor Bradford (March 5, 1915 – June 10, 1994) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. As an amateur athlete, Bradford was a blocking back for the University of Alabama football team, the Crimson Tide, and played in the 1938 Rose B ...

missed his second

extra point The conversion, try (American football, also known as a point(s) after touchdown, PAT, or (depending on the number of points) extra point/2-point conversion), or convert (Canadian football) occurs immediately after a touchdown during which the sc ...

of the game. Later in the fourth, the Trojans scored their only points of the game. The one-yard Day touchdown run was set up after

Al Krueger Alvin John Krueger (April 3, 1919 – February 20, 1999) was an American football end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins. He also played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for the Los Angeles Dons. H ...

recovered

Charley Boswell Charles A. Boswell (December 22, 1916 – October 22, 1995) was an Alabama football player and a blind golf player who fought in World War II. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated from Ensley High School in 1936, earning a football sch ...

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...

d punt at the Alabama one-yard line. The victory was their first all-time against USC. Over 6,000 fans greeted the team at the

Alabama Great Southern Railroad The Alabama Great Southern Railroad is a railroad in the U.S. states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. It is an operating subsidiary of the Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS), running southwest from Chattanooga (where it ...

station in downtown Tuscaloosa upon their arrival the following Tuesday to celebrate their victory.

Howard

*Source: A week after their intersectional victory over USC to open the season, Alabama hosted Howard (now

Samford University Samford University is a private Christian university in Homewood, Alabama. In 1841, the university was founded as Howard College by Baptists. Samford University describes itself as the 87th oldest institution of higher learning in the United Sta ...

) in their home opener. In the game, the Crimson Tide outgained the

Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

at Denny Stadium. Alabama scored their first touchdown on a 15-yard Billy Slemons run to take a 7–0 first quarter lead. In the second quarter touchdowns were scored by, George Zivich on a 43-yard run and by Alvin Davis on a 56-yard run to extend the Alabama lead to 20–0 at halftime. The Crimson Tide then closed the game with a pair of second half touchdowns for the 34–0 victory. Davis scored in the third on a two-yard run and

Charlie Holm Charles H. Holm was a college football player, a prominent fullback for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He was drafted in the third round of the 1939 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American ...

scored in the fourth on a three-yard run. Davis starred for Alabama in the game with his 153 yards rushing on 15 attempts with a pair of touchdowns. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Howard to 16–0–1.

NC State

*Source: In their third and final non-conference game of the season, Alabama hosted

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

(NC State) in their annual

contest. In the game, the Crimson Tide's two second touchdowns were enough in their defeat of the Wolfpack in their 14–0

shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

at Denny Stadium. After they were held without a first down in the opening quarter, Alabama scored the only points of the game with their two second-quarter touchdowns. The first was on a 28-yard Herschel Mosley pass to Erin Warren and the second on a seven-yard Mosley touchdown run. The Alabama defense dominated the Wolfpack offense and allowed negative rushing yardage (minus four) and zero yards passing. On offense, Mosley starred for the Crimson Tide with his 123 rushing yards on 15 attempts and one passing and rushing touchdown. The victory was their first all-time against NC State.

Tennessee

*Source: In Birmingham, Alabama was upset by

rival A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...

13–0 at Legion Field. Leonard Coffman scored both of the Volunteers' touchdowns on one-yard runs in the first and third quarters.

George Cafego George Cafego (August 29, 1915 – February 9, 1998) was an American football player and coach of football and baseball. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, earning varsity letters 1937 - 1939, and professionally in the N ...

also starred for Tennessee with his 120 rushing yards on 17 attempts that included separate runs of 48 and 33 yards. The loss was Alabama's first against Tennessee since the 1932 season, and brought Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 13–6–2.

Sewanee

*Source: A week after their loss to Tennessee, Alabama defeated the

Tigers The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...

32–0 at Denny Stadium. After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama took a 7–0 lead in the second after

scored on a one-yard

quarterback sneak A quarterback sneak is a play in gridiron football in which the quarterback, upon taking the center snap, dives ahead while the offensive line surges forward. It is usually only used in very short yardage situations. The advantages of this play a ...

. Later in the quarter, a 51-yard Alvin Davis touchdown run was called back due to a

holding penalty In gridiron football, holding is the illegal use of the hand or arm to restrain another player who is not in possession of the ball. Holding is prohibited in most football leagues because it does not allow fair play of the game and increases the ...

, and he Crimson Tide led 7–0 at the half. After Dallas Wicke scored on a one-yard run in the third, Alabama scored 19 fourth quarter points for the 32–0 win. In the fourth,

had a pair of rushing touchdowns and threw a third to Erin Warren in the win. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Sewanee to 17–10–3, in what was their last all-time meeting as Sewanee withdrew from SEC following the 1940 season and de-emphasized athletics.

Kentucky

*Source: As Alabama entered their contest against

, they entered the rankings at No. 18 in the weekly AP Poll. In the game, the Crimson Tide defeated the

Wildcats The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...

26–6 on

at McLean Stadium. Alabama opened the game with a pair of touchdowns to take a 14–0 lead in the first quarter.

scored first on a one-yard run and

scored the second on a 31-yard touchdown reception from Herschel Mosley. Kentucky responded in the second with their only points on a 71-yard Dave Zoeller touchdown run to cut the Alabama lead to 14–6 at the half. The Crimson Tide then scored on a pair of Mosley touchdown passes in the second half. The first came on a six-yard pass to Bradford in the third and the second on a nine-yard pass to Erin Warren in the fourth. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Kentucky 17–1.

Tulane

*Source: After their victory over Kentucky, the Crimson Tide moved up three positions to the No. 15 spot in the weekly poll. In the game, the Crimson Tide defeated the

Green Wave A green wave occurs when a series of traffic lights (usually three or more) are coordinated to allow continuous traffic flow over several intersections in one main direction. Any vehicle traveling along with the green wave (at an approximate spe ...

3–0 after

converted a game-winning, 17-yard

field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...

late in the fourth quarter. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tulane to 12–3–1.

Georgia Tech

*Source: After their close victory over Tulane, the Crimson Tide dropped one position to the No. 16 spot in the weekly poll. In their game against

Alabama fell behind 14–0 after the first quarter, but a pair of second half touchdowns gave the Crimson Tide a 14–14 tie against the

Yellow Jackets Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genera ''Vespula'' and ''Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of these ...

at Grant Field. Georgia Tech took an early 14–0 lead after W. C. Gibson threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to George Smith and W. H. Ector scored on a two-yard run. Still down 14–0 as they entered the third quarter, Alabama scored their first points of the game on a three-yard Alvin Davis touchdown run to cap a 57-yard drive. The Crimson Tide then tied the game in the fourth when they executed a

hook and lateral The hook and lateral is a trick play in American, Canadian football and indoor American football, often colloquially called the hook and ladder play. Although the latter term is often used generically, a “hook and ladder” route specificall ...

play, with Davis crossing the endzone line for a 66-yard touchdown. Alabama was then in position to attempt a game-winning field goal from the Jackets' 15; however, time expired before they could get a play off which resulted in the 14–14 tie. The tie brought Alabama's all-time record against Georgia Tech to 11–10–3.

Vanderbilt

*Source: In their season finale against the Vanderbilt

Commodores Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...

, Alabama won 7–0 at Legion Field on

Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden a ...

. The only scoring drive began in the third and ended early in the fourth with a two-yard

touchdown run. Bradford's

was then blocked, but George Zivich recovered it and took it in for the point to give Alabama the 7–0 lead. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 11–9.

After the season

After all of the regular season games were completed, the final

was released in early December. In the final poll, Alabama held the No. 13 position. Alabama was also recognized by the Associated Press for having the best record (40–4–3) and highest winning percentage (.909) of any major, college team for the five-year period between 1934 and 1938. Statistically, the 1938 defense was one of the best in school history. The 1938 squad still holds numerous defensive records that include: * Fewest total yards allowed in a season with 701 * Fewest total yards allowed per game with an average of 77.9 * Fewest total yards allowed per play with an average of 1.2 * Fewest first downs allowed in a season with 26 * Fewest rushing yards allowed in a season with 305 * Fewest rushing yards allowed per game with an average of 33.9 * Fewest rushing yards allowed per play with an average of 0.95 * Fewest passing attempts allowed per game with an average of 9.8 * Fewest passing completions allowed per game with an average of 3.4 * Fewest passing yards allowed in a season with 291 * Fewest passing yards allowed per game with an average of 32.7

NFL draft

Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1938 squad were drafted into the

National Football League (NFL) The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...

between the 1939 and 1941 drafts. These players included the following:

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

Coaching staff

References

General * Specific {{Alabama Crimson Tide football navbox

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

Alabama Crimson Tide football seasons

Alabama Crimson Tide football The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama (variously Alabama, UA, or Bama) in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Asso ...