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 ...

1960 NCAA University Division football season The 1960 NCAA University Division football season marked the last time that the University of Minnesota was a national champion on the gridiron. Murray Warmath's Minnesota Gophers were not in the Top 20 in preseason polling, but received the AP ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Bluebonnet Bowl The Bluebonnet Bowl was an annual college football bowl game played in Houston, Texas. A civic group was appointed by the Houston Chamber of Commerce Athletics Committee in 1959 to organize the bowl game. It was held at Rice Stadium from 19 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

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. ...

Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univer ...

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...

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 ...

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...

Iron Bowl The Alabama–Auburn football rivalry, better known as the Iron Bowl, is an American college football rivalry game between the Auburn University Tigers and University of Alabama Crimson Tide, both charter members of the Southeastern Conferen ...

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 ...

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.1959 Season Recap After a scoreless first quarter, touchdowns were scored on a three-yard run by Tommy White and on runs of one and nine-yards by Bobby Skelton that made the halftime score 21–0. Alabama never relinquished the lead, but Georgia ended the shutout bid late in the fourth quarter when

Fran Tarkenton Francis Asbury Tarkenton (born February 3, 1940) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at ...

threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Dan Davis that made the final score 21–6. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia to 24–18–4.

Tulane

*Source: After their upset victory over Georgia in their first game of the season, Alabama entered the polls for the first time of the season at the No. 5 position. In their first road game of the season, the Crimson Tide scored a touchdown in the final minute that prevented an upset by the

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 ...

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 ...

in this 6–6 tie at New Orleans. After a scoreless first quarter, Tulane took a 6–0 halftime lead after

Tommy Mason Thomas Cyril Mason (July 8, 1939 – January 22, 2015) was an American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). College career Mason played college football for Tulane University. *1959: 10 Games – 81 carries for 336 yar ...

scored on a three-yard touchdown run.

Pat Trammell Patrick Lee Trammell (July 11, 1940 – December 10, 1968) was an American college football player. He played quarterback at the University of Alabama from 1958 to 1961. In his senior season, he led the 1961 Alabama Crimson Tide football team t ...

tied the game in the final minute with his four-yard touchdown run, but the game then ended in a tie after a failed

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 ...

by the Crimson Tide. The tie brought Alabama's all-time record against Tulane to 18–10–3.

Vanderbilt

*Sources: After their tie against Tulane, Alabama dropped ten spots to the No. 15 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Vanderbilt. In their game against 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 ...

, the Crimson Tide rallied to a 21–0 victory after being held scoreless in the first half. Billy Richardson scored the first points of the game with his one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Later in the quarter, Alabama's lead was extended further to 9–0 after Charles Binkley

snapped ''Snapped'' is an American true crime television series produced by Jupiter Entertainment. The series depicts high profile or bizarre cases of women accused of murder. Each episode outlines the motivation for murder, whether it be revenge agains ...

the ball over the head of Russell Morris on a punt attempt and out of the endzone for a

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...

. The Crimson Tide then took the

free kick A free kick is an action used in several codes of football to restart play with the kicking of a ball into the field of play. Association football In association football, the free kick is a method of restarting the game following an offe ...

that ensued 49-yards for a touchdown with the points made on a 36-yard Bobby Skelton touchdown pass to Norbie Ronsonet for a 15–0 lead. The last touchdown of the game came in the final minute of the fourth quarter when Bud Moore 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 ...

32-yards and made the final score 21–0. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 19–16–4.

Tennessee

*Source: In their annual rivalry game against

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 ...

, early turnovers proved costly for the Crimson Tide in this 20–7 loss to the

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 ...

at Knoxville.

Ray Abruzzese Raymond Lewis Abruzzese Jr. (October 27, 1937 – August 22, 2011) was an American college and professional football player. Abruzzese was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A defensive back, he played college football at the University of A ...

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 the first play of the game for Alabama to set up the Vols' first score on an eight-yard Bill Majors touchdown pass to Charles Wyrick. Later in the first quarter, Tennessee took a 14–0 lead after a Tommy White fumble was recovered by Cotton Letner and returned 41-yards for a touchdown. After a three-yard Glenn Glass touchdown early in the second quarter made the Volunteers' lead 20–0, Alabama responded with their only points of the game on a 13-yard Laurien Stapp touchdown pass to

Leon Fuller Robert Leon Fuller (July 28, 1938) is a former American football coach. He served as head coach of the Colorado State college football program from 1982 to 1988. Fuller also served as defensive coordinator for the Texas Texas (, ; Sp ...

that made the final margin 20–6. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 18–19–6.

Houston

*Sources: A week after their first loss of the season at Tennessee, the Crimson Tide returned home and shutout the

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Cougars The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. ...

14–0 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. Both Crimson Tide touchdowns were set up after Cougar turnovers gave them good field position. The first touchdown was set up after

Lee Roy Jordan Lee Roy Jordan (born April 27, 1941) is a former American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he played 14 years in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from ...

recovered a

Charlie Rieves Charlie Rieves was a professional American football player who played linebacker for four seasons for the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its foundi ...

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 ...

at the Cougars' 31-yard line. Eight plays later Alabama led 7–0 after Laurien Stapp scored on a one-yard run. On the Houston drive that ensued, Billy Richardson intercepted a Don Sessions pass and returned it to the Cougars' 18-yard line. Four plays later Alabama scored what proved to be the final points of the game on a one-yard Richardson run. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Houston to 2–0.

Mississippi State

*Sources: On homecoming in Starkville, Alabama scored their only touchdown in the first quarter and shutout the

Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univer ...

Maroons Maroons are descendants of Africans in the Americas who escaped from slavery and formed their own settlements. They often mixed with indigenous peoples, eventually evolving into separate creole cultures such as the Garifuna and the Mascogos. ...

7–0. The Crimson Tide scored the lone points of the game on their second offensive possession when

Pat Trammell Patrick Lee Trammell (July 11, 1940 – December 10, 1968) was an American college football player. He played quarterback at the University of Alabama from 1958 to 1961. In his senior season, he led the 1961 Alabama Crimson Tide football team t ...

scored on an 18-yard touchdown run. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi State to 32–10–3.

Furman

*Sources: Against the Furman

Paladins The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's royal court, court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of F ...

, Alabama scored their most points in a game since the

1953 Orange Bowl The 1953 Orange Bowl, part of the 1952 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1953, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Syracuse Oran ...

in this 51–0 victory at Denny Stadium. After Bobby Skelton threw and eight-yard touchdown pass to Butch Wilson in the first, he followed it with a three-yard touchdown pass to Richard O’Dell in the second quarter.

Pat Trammell Patrick Lee Trammell (July 11, 1940 – December 10, 1968) was an American college football player. He played quarterback at the University of Alabama from 1958 to 1961. In his senior season, he led the 1961 Alabama Crimson Tide football team t ...

then made the halftime score 21–0 with his one-yard run late in the half. After a one-yard Cotton Clark touchdown run extended the Alabama lead to 29–0 in the third, the Crimson Tide scored 22 fourth quarter points to win 51–0. Fourth quarter points were scored on a blocked punt for a

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...

, and touchdowns on a 62-yard Walter Cureton touchdown run, a 52-yard Laurien Stapp pass to Jerry Spruiell and a five-yard Stapp run. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Furman to 5–0.

Georgia Tech

*Sources: Behind a 24-yard game-winning Richard O’Dell field goal with only six seconds left in the game, the Crimson Tide upset the

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 ...

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 ...

16–15 at Grant Field. Tech dominated the first half and built a 15–0 halftime lead over Alabama. They scored on an eight-yard Jimmy Nail touchdown run, a 47-yard Thomas Wells

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 ...

and on a three-yard Stanley Gann touchdown run. Alabama responded in the third quarter with a one-yard

Leon Fuller Robert Leon Fuller (July 28, 1938) is a former American football coach. He served as head coach of the Colorado State college football program from 1982 to 1988. Fuller also served as defensive coordinator for the Texas Texas (, ; Sp ...

touchdown run that cut the Jackets' lead to 15–6. The Crimson Tide then closed the game with a three-yard Bobby Skelton touchdown pass to Norbie Ronsonet and the 24-yard O'Dell field goal as time expired to win 16–15. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia Tech to 21–18–3. In the week that led into this game, Bear Bryant and Georgia Tech head coach

Bobby Dodd Robert Lee Dodd (November 11, 1908 – June 21, 1988) was an American college football player and coach, college baseball coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Georgia Tech from 1945 to 1966, compil ...

agreed to make a request to then SEC commissioner

Bernie Moore Bernie Hawthorne Moore (April 30, 1895 – November 6, 1967) was an American college football, basketball, track and field coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Mercer University (1926–1928) and Louis ...

to allow for a " sudden death"

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...

period in the event the game was tied at the end of regulation. At the time, it marked the first time that an overtime period was formally requested by college football teams. Ultimately, Moore denied the request and cited that as a conference he was unable to violate existing NCAA rules that specified only 60 minutes for football games.

Tampa

*Source: After their upset over Georgia Tech, Alabama reentered the AP Poll at the No. 18 position in the week leading to their game against

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...

. In what was the first and only meeting against the

Spartans Sparta (Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referred t ...

, Alabama won 34–6 in the final Denny Stadium game of the season. The Crimson Tide took an 18–0 halftime lead after they scored three first half touchdowns. The first was on a one-yard Mike Fracchia run, the second on a one-yard

Pat Trammell Patrick Lee Trammell (July 11, 1940 – December 10, 1968) was an American college football player. He played quarterback at the University of Alabama from 1958 to 1961. In his senior season, he led the 1961 Alabama Crimson Tide football team t ...

run and the third on a 30-yard Bobby Skelton pass to

Bill Oliver Bill Oliver may refer to: *Bill Oliver (American football) (born 1939), American football player and coach * Bill Oliver (politician), Canadian politician *Bill Oliver (snooker player) Bill Oliver (born 3 December 1948) is an English former pro ...

. After a one-yard Laurien Stapp run in the third extended the Alabama lead to 26–0, Tampa scored their only points on a three-yard Ronnie Perez touchdown pass to Charles Truelock. The Crimson Tide then closed the game win a second, one-yard Trammell touchdown run and won 34–6.

Auburn

*Sources: As they entered their season finale against No. 8 Auburn, the Crimson Tide moved up one spot to the No. 17 position after their victory over Tampa. At Legion Field in the annual

Iron Bowl The Alabama–Auburn football rivalry, better known as the Iron Bowl, is an American college football rivalry game between the Auburn University Tigers and University of Alabama Crimson Tide, both charter members of the Southeastern Conferen ...

game, Alabama shut out 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 ...

for the second consecutive season, this time by a score of 3–0. The only points in this defensive struggle came in the second quarter on a 22-yard

Tommy Brooker William Thomas Brooker (October 31, 1939 – September 21, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a placekicker and end. He played for the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League (AFL) from 1962 t ...

field goal. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Auburn to 11–13–1.

Texas

*Sources: Immediately after their victory over Auburn in their season finale, Bryant accepted an invitation to play in the

Bluebonnet Bowl The Bluebonnet Bowl was an annual college football bowl game played in Houston, Texas. A civic group was appointed by the Houston Chamber of Commerce Athletics Committee in 1959 to organize the bowl game. It was held at Rice Stadium from 19 ...

against

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 ...

. Against the Longhorns, each team only scored a single

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 this 3–3 tie.

Tommy Brooker William Thomas Brooker (October 31, 1939 – September 21, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a placekicker and end. He played for the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League (AFL) from 1962 t ...

connected on a 30-yard field goal for Alabama in the third and Dan Petty tied the game in the fourth for Texas with his 20-yard kick. The tie brought Alabama's all-time record against Texas to 0–4–1.

NFL/AFL Draft

Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1960 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 ...

and the American Football League (AFL) in the 1962 and 1963 drafts. These players included the following:

Freshmen squad

Prior to the 1972 NCAA University Division football season, NCAA rules prohibited

freshmen A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. Ara ...

from participating on the varsity team, and as such many schools fielded freshmen teams. For the 1960 season, the Alabama freshmen squad was coached by Sam Bailey and finished their season with a record of two wins and one loss (2–1). In their first game of the season, Alabama was shut out by Tulane at New Orleans, 19–0. Green Wave touchdowns were scored by Bill Hatchett on a one-yard run in the first and on a pair of fourth-quarter scores that were set up by Crimson Tide turnovers. In their second game, the Crimson Tide defeated Mississippi State by a final score of 10–6 at Denny Stadium on a Monday. After a scoreless first quarter, State took a 6–0 lead in the second quarter on a 66-yard Wayne Gaines touchdown pass to Bobby Jones. Alabama responded later in the period with a 14-yard Hudson Harris touchdown run to take the lead and then added a 35-yard Tim Davis

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 third that made the final score 10–6. In the final freshmen game of the season, Alabama defeated Auburn 23–6 before 4,000 fans on a Monday at Denny Stadium. Alabama points were scored on a six-yard Dale Layton touchdown pass to Jerry Beard, a nine-yard Layton touchdown run, a 26-yard Larry Wall touchdown run and a 37-yard Tim Davis field goal. Auburn scored their only points in the fourth on a touchdown pass from Frank James to Reggie Allen, and in the loss, the Tigers

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 the ball eight times with Alabama having recovered seven of them.

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 ...

Schedule

Game summaries

Georgia

Tulane

Vanderbilt

Tennessee

Houston

Mississippi State

Furman

Georgia Tech

Tampa

Auburn

Texas

NFL/AFL Draft

Freshmen squad

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

Coaching staff

References