The 1947 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 1947 college football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 53rd overall and 14th 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

Harold Drew Harold Delbert "Red" Drew (November 9, 1894 – October 20, 1979) was an American football, basketball, and track and field coach for over 40 years. He was the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team from 1947 to 1954, compiling a r ...

, in his first 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 Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

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 ...

. They finished with a record of eight wins and three losses (8–3 overall, 5–2 in the SEC) and with a loss in the

Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...

. After the Crimson Tide opened the season with a victory over , Alabama lost consecutive. games against

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

and Vanderbilt to open the season 1–2. However, the Crimson Tide rebounded to win their final seven games against Duquesne,

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 ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

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 ...

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 ...

LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...

and

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

. Alabama then lost to

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

in the

to finish the season 8–3. The 1947 season also marked the first for

as head coach for the Crimson Tide. Drew was hired as the replacement for long-time head coach Frank Thomas after he resigned his post due to personal health conditions in January 1947.

Schedule

Game summaries

Mississippi Southern

*Source: To open the 1946 season, the Crimson Tide defeated the Mississippi Southern

Golden Eagles The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of ...

34–7 in what was the first all-time meeting between the schools.1947 Season Recap The Crimson Tide took a 6–0 lead in the first quarter when

Harry Gilmer Harry Vincent Gilmer Jr. (April 14, 1926 – August 20, 2016) was an American football halfback and quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fam ...

threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Rebel Steiner. Norwood Hodges extended the Alabama lead to 13–0 at halftime with his eight-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Early in the third quarter, Mississippi scored their only points of the game on a 66-yard

Bubba Phillips John Melvin "Bubba" Phillips (February 24, 1928 – June 22, 1993) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman from Macon, Mississippi. He played for ten seasons on the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Cleveland Indians, fro ...

touchdown run to cut the Crimson Tide lead to 13–7. Alabama responded with 21 unanswered points for the 34–7 victory. Touchdowns were scored on a four-yard Gilmer run in the third and on a two-yard Hodges and one-yard Ed Salem run in the fourth quarter.

Tulane

*Source: To open conference play, Alabama traveled to

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

and lost to 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 spee ...

21–20. After a scoreless first quarter, the Crimson Tide took a 6–0 lead after Norwood Hodges scored on a one-yard touchdown run. However, the Green Wave responded on the

kickoff Kickoff or kick-off may refer to * Kick-off (association football) * Kickoff (gridiron football) * ''Kick Off'' (series), a series of computer association football games * ''Kick Off'' (album), a 1985 album by Onyanko Club * ''Kick Off'' (mag ...

that ensued when Ed Price returned it 101-yards for a 7–6 Tulane lead. A

Bennie Ellender Bennie Ellender Jr. (March 2, 1925 – December 22, 2011) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Arkansas State University from 1963 to 1970 and at Tulane University from 1971 to 1975, compiling a career ...

touchdown pass as the second quarter ended gave the Green Wave a 14–6 halftime lead. Ray Prats extended the Tulane lead to 21–6 early in the third quarter after he returned an

interception 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 ...

65-yards for a touchdown. The Crimson Tide responded with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns, but lost by a single point. Alabama touchdowns in the third were scored by Hodges on a two-yard run and by Billy Cadenhead on an eight-yard run. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Tulane to 15–5–1.

Vanderbilt

*Source: Against Vanderbilt, Alabama lost 14–7 at Dudley Field in a game dominated by the

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 ...

' pass defense. Vanderbilt scored the only points of the first half when Jamie Wade threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to John North for a 7–0 lead. In the fourth quarter, Robert Berry scored for the Commodores on an 11-yard run after they intercepted a

pass. A late 23-yard Gilmer touchdown pass to Carl Mims to make the final score 14–7 and breakup the Vanderbilt shutout attempt. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 16–11.

Duquesne

*Source: In what was the first all-time game against Duquesne, the

Dukes Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

lost 26–0 in the first Denny Stadium game of the season. After a scoreless first quarter, the Crimson Tide took a 7–0 halftime lead after Billy Cadenhead scored on a six-yard run. The Alabama lead was extended further in the third quarter after a 58-yard Norman Mosley punt return and a one-yard Norwood Hodges touchdown run to make the score 20–0 as they entered the final period. In the fourth, Travis Hicks scored the final points of the game and made the final score 26–0.

Tennessee

*Sources: Against

, the Crimson Tide shutout

Volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

10–0 before a sellout crowd at Legion Field. After a scoreless first half, a nine-yard Billy Cadenhead touchdown run in the third and a seven-yard Hugh Morrow

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 ...

in the fourth provided for the 10–0 margin of victory. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 17–9–3.

Georgia

*Source: Against

, the Crimson Tide defeated 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. The Crimson Tide took an early 7–0 lead after

returned a punt 80-yards for a touchdown. The Bulldogs responded in the second quarter with their only points on an 83-yard

John Rauch John Rauch (August 20, 1927 – June 10, 2008), also known by his nickname Johnny Rauch, was an American football player and coach. He was head coach of the Oakland Raiders in the team's loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II in early 1 ...

touchdown pass to Eli Maricich to tie the game 7–7 at halftime. Alabama retook the lead in the third on an 84-yard run that saw Lowell Tew run 44-yards before he tossed a

lateral pass In gridiron football, a lateral pass or lateral (officially backward pass in American football and onside pass in Canadian football) occurs when the ball carrier throws the football to a teammate in a direction parallel to or away from the oppon ...

to Billy Cadenhead who took it the final 40-yards for the touchdown. A seven-yard Hugh Morrow

in the fourth made the final score 17–7. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia to 16–14–3.

Kentucky

*Source: In Lexington, 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 ...

13–0 at McLean Stadium who were led by former Crimson Tide player Bear Bryant. Alabama scored all of their points on a pair of touchdowns in the first half. The first came on a three-yard

run in the first quarter and the second on a two-yard Billy Cadenhead run in the second quarter. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Kentucky 24–1–1.

Georgia Tech

*Source: 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 th ...

, the Crimson Tide had their second consecutive upset victory with their 14–7 at Legion Field. Alabama took a 14–0 lead into the fourth quarter after a five-yard

touchdown pass to Rebel Steiner in the first quarter and on a one-yard Gilmer run in the second quarter. Tech scored their only points late in the fourth quarter on a four-yard Robert McCoy touchdown run to make the final score 14–7. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia Tech to 14–12–3.

LSU

*Source: On

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. ...

in Tuscaloosa, Alabama defeated

41–12 to close out conference play for the season. Immediately following the win, the Crimson Tide accepted an invitation to play in the 1948 Sugar Bowl. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against LSU to 13–4–3.

Miami

*Source: This game against the

Hurricanes A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

was originally scheduled to be played on Friday, November 28. However, severe weather and poor field conditions postponed its being played until the following evening, and in what was their final regular season game, Alabama defeated Miami 21–6 at Burdine Stadium. Miami took a 6–0 lead in the first quarter after Harold Schuler threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Ed Houck. The Crimson Tide then responded with 21 unanswered points to win the game 21–6. Touchdowns were scored on a three-yard

pass to Rebel Steiner in the second quarter and on runs by Gilmer and Jim Cain in the third quarter. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Miami to 2–0.

Texas

*Sources: Against the

Longhorns, the Crimson Tide were defeated 27–7 in the 1948 Sugar Bowl. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Texas to 0–4.

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

Coaching staff

References

General * Specific {{Alabama Crimson Tide football navbox

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 ...