The 1971 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 1971 NCAA University Division football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 77th overall and 38th 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 Bear Bryant, in his 14th 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 season with eleven wins and one loss (11–1 overall, 7–0 in the SEC), as SEC champions and with a loss to

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

in the

Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game ...

. The 1971 squad was notable for a pair of firsts in Alabama football history. This was the first team that

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

s contributed as members of the Alabama varsity squad, with John Mitchell being the first to actually see playing time. 1971 also marked the first season the Crimson Tide utilized the

wishbone offense The wishbone formation, also known simply as the bone, is an offensive formation in American football. The style of attack to which it gives rise is known as the wishbone offense. Like the spread offense in the 2000s to the present, the wishbone ...

that Alabama became noted for throughout the remainder of Bryant's tenure as head coach at Alabama. Alabama opened the season with an upset victory at USC. This was the first game that the wishbone was utilized by the Crimson Tide offense, and their victory was attributed in part to surprising the Trojans with its introduction. They then won their next four games over ,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt and set up a top 20 match-up 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 ...

. In their rival game, the Crimson Tide ended a four-game losing streak to the Vols with their 32–15 victory. After a hard-fought win over

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 ...

and victory over

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 ...

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

, Alabama defeated

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 ...

for their third win over a ranked team on the season. The Crimson Tide next defeated

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 ...

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. ...

and set up a match-up between undefeated teams for the first time in the history of the

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 ...

to close the regular season. With both teams ranked in the top five, Alabama defeated Auburn 31–7 and captured the outright SEC football championship. However, they were unable to capture a

national championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...

as they were defeated by No. 1

38–6 to close the season in the

Integration

Although several

students competed during spring practice in 1967,

Wilbur Jackson Wilbur Jackson (born November 19, 1951) is a former American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the first round of the 1974 NFL Draft out of University of Alabama by the 4 ...

became the first African American awarded a

scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...

to play for Alabama, and he competed as a member of the freshman squad in 1970 and played for the varsity team in 1971. For the 1971 season, John Mitchell became the first African American to play on the varsity squad for the Crimson Tide during the regular season after he transferred from

Eastern Arizona College Eastern Arizona College (EAC), is a community college in Graham County, Arizona. The main campus is in Thatcher, with satellite locations in Gila County, and Greenlee County. It is the oldest community college in Arizona and the only community ...

. While the Crimson Tide finally fielded Black Players, they lost the National Championship to a well Integrated

University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

team. Nebraska's best players who made the difference in the blowout victory were African Americans including Outland Trophy Winner

Rich Glover Richard Edward Glover (born February 6, 1950) is a former professional football player, a defensive tackle for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Nebraska under head c ...

, future Heisman Trophy winner

Johnny Rodgers Johnny Steven Rodgers (born July 5, 1951) is an American former football player. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and won the Heisman Trophy in 1972. Rodgers played professionally in the Canadian Football League (CFL) ...

and bowl game MVP Willie Harper amongst others. Nebraska's victory played a part in causing the SEC as a whole to integrate their teams and that integration would help Alabama reinvorgate their team creating a new dynasty winning National Championships in the years to come.

Wishbone offense

In 1968,

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 ...

head coach

Darrell Royal Darrell K Royal (July 6, 1924 – November 7, 2012) was an All-American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Mississippi State University (1954–1955), the University of Washington (1956), and the University of Texas (1957� ...

and his offensive coordinator

Emory Bellard Emory Dilworth Bellard (December 17, 1927 – February 10, 2011) was a college football coach. He was head coach at Texas A&M University from 1972 to 1978 and at Mississippi State University from 1979 until 1985. Bellard died on February 10, 2011 a ...

introduced what would become known as the

. The wishbone was derived from the

Split-T The split-T is an offensive formation in American football that was popular in the 1940s and 1950s. Developed by Missouri Tigers head coach Don Faurot as a variation on the T formation, the split-T was first used in the 1941 season and allowed the ...

offense run at

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

under Bud Wilkinson. In the formation, the quarterback lines up with a fullback and two tailbacks behind him, and on any play may keep the ball, hand off to the fullback, or pitch to a tailback. From the time Bryant arrived at Alabama through the 1970 season, the Crimson Tide ran a

pro-style offense A pro-style offense in American football is any offensive scheme that resembles those predominantly used at the professional level of play in the National Football League (NFL), in contrast to those typically used at the collegiate or high scho ...

. By 1969, Bryant began to recruit larger

linemen Lineman or linesman may refer to: In personal roles: *Lineworker, one who installs and maintains electrical power, telephone, or telegraph lines *Lineman (gridiron football), a position in American football *Head linesman, the American football of ...

and tailbacks, and after a pair of six win seasons in 1969 and 1970, Bryant saw the success of the wishbone for the Longhorns and decided to implement the offense for the 1971 season. In spring 1971, Alabama assistants

Mal Moore Mal Mathad Moore (December 19, 1939 – March 30, 2013) was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the athletic director at the University of Alabama from 1999 to 2013. On November 23, 1999, he was hired as ...

and

Jimmy Sharpe Jimmy Sharpe (born October 31, 1939) is an American former college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University from 1974 to 1977. He was also an assistant coach at the Un ...

traveled to

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

where they saw first hand how the wishbone operated during Texas' final week of spring practice. During the second summer session at the University, both Moore and Sharpe began to work with players on the offensive change, and in August Royal and Bellard traveled to Tuscaloosa and led a coaching clinic for the Alabama staff on the wishbone. In order to keep the change a secret, Bryant closed all of the Crimson Tide's practices closed from the public, screened the practice field from view with a canvas and hired security to keep people away. The change to the wishbone was kept under such secrecy that when the media would visit practice, Bryant had the team practice the pro-style system that was phased out. Alabama later opened the season with an upset victory over USC that was credited to the surprise switch to the wishbone that caught the Trojans off-guard.

Schedule

*Source: Rolltide.com: 1971 Alabama football schedule

Game summaries

USC

*Sources: After the NCAA enacted a rule that allowed its member institutions to schedule an eleventh regular season game, in January 1970 the Crimson Tide agreed to a home-and-home series with 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). 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 ...

, Alabama upset the No. 5

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 189 ...

17–10 on a Friday night to open the 1971 season.1971 Season Recap The Crimson Tide took a 10–0 lead in the first quarter behind a 13-yard

Johnny Musso Johnny Musso (born March 6, 1950) is an American former football player, a running back for three seasons with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears. Early years Born and rais ...

touchdown run and a 37-yard Bill 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 ...

. They extended it further to 17–0 early in the second quarter on an eight-yard Musso touchdown run. USC responds with ten unanswered points and made the halftime score 17–10. They scored first on a seven-yard Charles Young touchdown run and next on a 37-yard

Mike Rae Michael John Rae (born July 26, 1951) is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League. Early life Rae attended and played high school football at Lakewood High School. College ...

field goal. Neither team scored in the second half as both defenses created several turnovers and Alabama won 17–10. The victory was also the 200th career win for Alabama head coach Bear Bryant. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Southern Cal to 3–1.

Southern Miss

*Sources: After their victory over USC, Alabama moved into the No. 9 position in the

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 ...

prior to their game against

Southern Miss The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...

. In their home opener, Alabama played 62 different players and defeated the Southerners 42–6 at Denny Stadium.

gave the Crimson Tide a 14–0 lead with touchdown runs of one-yard in the first and 16-yards in the second quarter. Ellis Beck then extended their lead to 21–0 with his one-yard touchdown run prior to halftime. The Crimson Tide extended their lead further to 35–0 with third quarter touchdowns scored on a four-yard Joe LaBue run and a 25-yard Benny Rippetoe pass to William Wood. Southern Miss ended the shutout attempt with a nine-yard

Doyle Orange Doyle Orange (born August 6, 1951) is a former all-star running back in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts. Having played college football with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, Orange was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, but came to Canada in 1974 ...

touchdown run in the fourth, and Alabama closed with an 18-yard Steve Bisceglia touchdown run that made the final score 42–6. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Southern Miss to 12–2–1.

Florida

*Sources: After their victory over Southern Miss, Alabama moved into the No. 8 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against

. Against the Gators,

scored four rushing touchdowns en route to a 38–0 shutout at Florida Field. After Bill Davis gave the Crimson Tide a 3–0 lead with his first quarter

, Musso scored Alabama's next four touchdowns and extended their lead to 31–0. All four came on the ground with a pair from one-yard out, a three-yard run and a five-yard run. Alabama then closed the game with an 11-yard Billy Sexton touchdown pass to Dexter Wood that made the final score 38–0. The four touchdowns scored by Musso on the ground set a new school record for rushing touchdowns. Additionally, the

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 ...

was the first for the Crimson Tide defense since their 17–0 victory in 1967 over

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Florida to 11–5.

Ole Miss

*Sources: After their victory over Florida, Alabama moved into the No. 7 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Ole Miss. Looking to avenge the 48–23 loss from the previous season, the Crimson Tide defeated the Rebels 40–6 at Legion Field. After Bill Davis gave the Crimson Tide a 6–0 with

field goals 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 ...

of 25 and 42-yards, Ole Miss tied the game 6–6 with what was their only points of the game. The score came on a 48-yard Kenneth Lyons touchdown pass to Elmer Allen in the second quarter. Alabama responded with an 11-yard Terry Davis touchdown pass to David Bailey that made the halftime score 13–6. Alabama extended their lead to 27–6 in the third quarter behind touchdown runs of 29-yards by Joe LaBue and seven-yards by

. The Crimson Tide then closed the game with touchdown runs of 15-yards by Steve Bisceglia and 14-yards by

Butch Hobson Clell Lavern "Butch" Hobson Jr. (born August 17, 1951) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and manager. He is the current manager for the Chicago Dogs of the American Association of Professional Baseball. Hobson played in ...

that made the final score 40–6. The 531 rushing yards made by Alabama were the most allowed by the Rebels' defense in school history. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Ole Miss to 22–5–2.

Vanderbilt

*Sources: After their victory over Ole Miss, Alabama moved into the No. 6 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Vanderbilt. 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 Alabama defense forced their second shutout of the season win this 42–0 victory at Dudley Field.

gave the Crimson Tide a 7–0 lead with his 17-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Their lead was then stretched to 13–0 at halftime behind

of 33-yards by Bill Davis and 26-yards by Greg Gantt. Alabama closed the game with a pair of touchdowns in each of the final two quarters and won 42–0. Ellis Beck scored on a one-yard run and Terry Davis threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Jim Simmons in the third quarter. In the fourth, Bob McKinney scored on a 55-yard punt return and Johnny Sharpless scored on an 11-yard touchdown run. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 28–17–4.

Tennessee

*Sources: After their victory at Vanderbilt, Alabama moved into the No. 4 position and

into the No. 14 position in the AP Poll prior to their game at

. Against 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 ...

, Alabama ended a four-game losing streak that dated back to their 1967 season with this 32–15 in their annual rivalry game. After the Crimson Tide took an early 6–0 lead on a 20-yard Terry Davis touchdown pass to David Bailey, the Vols responded with a four-yard Curt Watson touchdown run that made the score 7–6 at the end of the first quarter. Alabama then took a 15–6 halftime lead after a 27-yard Bill Davis

and six-yard Terry Davis touchdown run in the second quarter. Early in the third, the Crimson Tide extended their lead to 22–7 behind a 16-yard Terry Davis touchdown pass to Bailey. Tennessee responded in the fourth with a nine-yard Watson touchdown run that cut the Alabama lead to 22–15. However, the Crimson Tide closed the game with a 39-yard Bill Davis field goal and five-yard

touchdown run for the 32–15 victory. The 73,828 in attendance set a new record for largest crowd in the history of Legion Field to date. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 24–23–7.

Houston

*Sources: With their over the Vols, Alabama retained their No. 4 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against

. Although the

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. ...

outgained the Crimson Tide by over 100 total yards, Alabama won 34–20 at Denny Stadium. Alabama took a 7–0 first quarter lead on a two-yard

touchdown run, but Houston then scored on a three-yard Tom Mozisek touchdown run that tied the game 7–7 early in the second. The Crimson Tide responded with a pair of Terry Davis touchdown passes to David Bailey from 10 and 25-yards that gave Alabama a 20–7 halftime lead. Both teams then traded touchdowns in the second half en route to the 34–20 Crimson Tide victory. In the third quarter, Musso scored for Alabama first with his nine-yard run and Houston followed with a three-yard Gary Mullins touchdown pass to

Riley Odoms Riley Mackey Odoms (born March 1, 1950) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at the University of Houston. In 1971, he had 45 catches for 730 yards and 8 TD after playing sparingly the two seasons prior. Played h ...

; in the fourth Joe LaBue scored for the Crimson tide on a 10-yard run and Mullins threw a second, three-yard pass to Odoms that made the final score 34–20. In the game, Musso had 132 yards rushing for Alabama and both

Robert Newhouse Robert Fulton Newhouse (January 9, 1950 – July 22, 2014) was an American professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys for twelve seasons. He played college football for the Hous ...

and Tom Mozisek each had over 100 yards rushing for Houston with 182 and 105 respectively. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Houston to 7–0.

Mississippi State

*Sources: As they entered their game against

, Alabama retained their No. 4 position in the AP Poll. At Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, the visiting Crimson Tide did not allow an offensive touchdown and 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. After Alabama took a 3–0 first quarter lead behind a 20-yard Bill Davis

, they scored a pair of touchdowns in the second. The first came on a 31-yard Terry Davis pass to Wayne Wheeler and the second on a 30-yard Steve Higginbotham

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 ...

return. The Bulldogs then made the halftime score 17–3 behind a 41-yard Glenn Ellis field goal at the end of the second. State cut the Alabama lead to 17–10 on an 88-yard Frank Dowsing punt return in the third. However, the Crimson Tide closed the game with 24 unanswered points for the 41–10 win. Fourth quarter points were scored on a 33-yard Bill Davis field goal, touchdowns on runs of one-yard by

and 16-yards by David Knapp and on a one-yard Terry Davis pass to Glenn Woodruff. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi State to 43–10–3. The win was Bryant's 116th win at Alabama and broke Frank Thomas' record of 115 wins as the head coach of the Crimson Tide.

LSU

*Sources: After their victory over Mississippi State, Alabama retained their No. 4 position and

was in the No. 18 position in the AP Poll prior to their match-up at Baton Rouge. Playing in a regionally televised game on ABC, 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 ...

14–7 at Tiger Stadium. Bill Davis scored all of the first half points with his

of 29 and 38-yards that gave Alabama a 6–0 halftime lead. Scoring concluded in the third quarter behind a 16-yard Terry Davis touchdown run for the Crimson Tide and a seven-yard Paul Lyons touchdown pass to Andy Hamilton that made the final score 14–7. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against LSU to 21–10–4.

Miami

*Sources: As they entered their game against

, Alabama retained their No. 4 position in the AP Poll for a fifth consecutive week. On

in Tuscaloosa, Alabama defeated

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 ...

31–3 at Denny Stadium. Mike Burke scored the only Miami points with his 42-yard

in the first and gave the Hurricanes their only lead at 3–0. The Crimson Tide responded with a pair of touchdowns later in the first on runs of 22-yards by Terry Davis and 67-yards by

. A 27-yard Bill Davis field goal in the second gave Alabama a 16–3 halftime lead. The Crimson Tide closed the game with a six-yard Terry Davis touchdown run in the third and a 10-yard Butch Hobson touchdown run in the fourth for the 31–3 Alabama win. With their 345 offensive yards in the game, Alabama surpassed the previous SEC season record for total offense of 3,068 yards set by Tennessee in 1951. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Miami to 9–2.

Auburn

*Sources: As they entered their annual rivalry game against Auburn, Alabama moved into the No. 3 position and the

were in the No. 5 position in the AP Poll prior to the first top five match-up in the

. In what was the first Alabama–Auburn game that featured two undefeated teams, the Crimson Tide defeated their rival 31–7 and captured the outright SEC championship for the 1971 season. Alabama took a 14–0 lead behind first quarter touchdown runs of six and 11-yards by Terry Davis. Auburn responded with a 31-yard Harry Unger touchdown pass to

Terry Beasley Terry Paul Beasley (born February 5, 1950) is a former American football player. He played collegiately at Auburn where he lettered from 1969 to 1971. In his college career, Beasley amassed 141 receptions, 2,507 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was ...

in the second quarter that made the halftime score 14–7. After a scoreless third, the Crimson Tide scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and won 31–7. After Bill Davis connected on a 41-yard

scored on touchdown runs of 12 and six-yards in the victory. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Auburn to 19–16–1.

Nebraska

*Source: In what was a No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup for the national championship, Alabama was dominated by the

Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Divis ...

38–6 in the Orange Bowl. Nebraska stormed out to a 28–0 halftime lead after they scored a pair of touchdowns in the first two quarters.

Jeff Kinney Jeffrey Patrick Kinney (born February 19, 1971) is an American author and cartoonist, best known for the children's book series ''Diary of a Wimpy Kid''. He also created the child-oriented website '' Poptropica''. Early life Jeff Kinney was bor ...

scored on a two-yard run and

on a 77-yard punt return in the first;

Jerry Tagge Jerry Lee Tagge (born April 12, 1950) is a former American football player. He played college football as quarterback at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he led the Nebraska Cornhuskers to consecutive national championships in 1970 an ...

scored on a one-yard run and Gary Dixon on a two-yard run in the second quarter. Alabama then scored their only points on a three-yard Terry Davis touchdown run in the third and made the score 28–6. However, the Cornhuskers closed the game with a 21-yard Rich Sanger

in the third and a one-yard Van Brownson touchdown run in the fourth that made the final score 38–6. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Nebraska to 2–1.

NFL Draft

Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1971 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 ...

in the 1972, 1973 and 1974 drafts. These players included:

Freshman 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. The Alabama freshmen squad was led by coach Clem Gryska for the 1971 season and finished with a record of four wins and one loss (4–1). The Baby Tide opened the season with a 28–23 victory over

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

. After Randy Billingsley gave Alabama an early 7–0 lead with his nine-yard touchdown run, Navy responded with a

trick play A trick play, also known as a gadget play, gimmick play or trickeration, is a play in gridiron football that uses deception and unorthodox tactics to fool the opposing team. A trick play is often risky, offering the potential for a large gain or ...

that saw Jim O'Brien throw a 33-yard touchdown pass to John Brodhead. In the second quarter, Billingsley scored on a one-yard touchdown run, and again the Midshipmen responded with a 20-yard Brodhead touchdown pass to Rhett Bray that made the halftime score 14–13. The Baby Tide extended their lead to 21–13 after Bob Holmes scored on a three-yard run on the first drive of the third quarter. However, Navy responded with a 46-yard Brodhead touchdown pass to Ward Hill and next with 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 took a 23–21 lead. Ralph Stokes then went on and scored the game-winning touchdown for Alabama in the fourth quarter on a 38-yard run that made the final score 28–23. In their only home game of the season, the Baby Tide ran for 359 yards and six touchdowns en route to a 41–7 win over Vanderbilt on a Friday afternoon. The next week, Alabama rallied from a 15-point deficit and defeated

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 ...

23–22 at

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

. After Danny Ridgeway gave the Baby Tide an early 7–0 lead, Tulane responded with the next 22 points and opened a 22–7 lead. Green Wave points were scored on a 43-yard Steve Foley touchdown pass to Robert Johnson, a one-yard Foley touchdown run, a 50-yard John Washington punt return and on a 31-yard David Falgue

. Alabama then rallied for the 23–22 victory behind a pair of Bob Holmes touchdown runs and a pair of Ralph Stokes

two-point conversion In gridiron football, a two-point conversion or two-point convert is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that just scored must run ...

s in the fourth quarter. At Knoxville, a 36–13 loss to the Volunteers ended an eight-game winning streak for the Baby Tide. Alabama took an early 7–0 lead after Duffy Boles scored on a one-yard run that was set up after the Baby Tide recovered a Tennessee

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 their one-yard line. The Vols tied the game 7–7 early in the second quarter on a 35-yard

Condredge Holloway Condredge Holloway Jr. (born January 25, 1954) is a former quarterback for the University of Tennessee and later in the Canadian Football League. Holloway was one of the first African-American quarterbacks to receive national exposure. His nickna ...

touchdown pass to John Yarbrough. They then took a 10–7 lead later in the second on a 32-yard Ricky Townsend

, and then extended their lead to 16–7 at halftime behind a five-yard

halfback pass The halfback option play is an unorthodox play in American and Canadian football. It resembles a normal running play, but the running back has the option to throw a pass to another eligible receiver before crossing the line of scrimmage. The key to ...

from

Neil Clabo William Neil Clabo (born November 18, 1952) is a former American football punter. He had a 3-year career in the National Football League (NFL) from 1975 to 1977 as a punter. He played in Super Bowl XI as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. Nei ...

to Holloway. Tennessee further extended their lead to 29–7 with a pair of touchdown runs from John Sapp and one from Kent Fullington in the third quarter. In the fourth, Jim Turley recovered a Tennessee

for a touchdown and Carl Stinson scored on a one-yard run for the Vols and made the final score 36–13. In their final game of the season, before 15,000 fans at

Cliff Hare Stadium In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

, Alabama defeated Auburn 13–6. After a scoreless first half, Auburn scored their only points on a 48-yard

Mike Fuller Michael Darwin Fuller (born April 7, 1953) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers. Fuller grew up in Mobi ...

touchdown reception in the third quarter. Bob Holmes tied the game 6–6 late in the third with his one-yard run, and Randy Billingsley followed in the fourth quarter with his game-winning, two-yard touchdown run. In the game, the Tigers had seven turnovers and both teams missed several scoring opportunities. Freshman "Baby Tide" roster: Danny Ridgeway/QB/#10, Mark Prudhomme/QB/#11, Duffy Boles/HB/#20, Ricky Davis/HB/#21, Mike Washington/HB/#24, James Taylor/FLK/#25, Bob Holmes/FB/#30, Randy Billingsley/HB/#31, Steve Ford/HB/#40, Mike Riley/HB/#41, Ralph Stokes/HB/#42, Gary Yelvington/HB/#43, Drew Cook/HB/#44, Ray Maxwell/LB/#45, Dwight Brown/LB/#46, Dennis Durrance/LB/#48, Mike Dubose/LB/#50, Dudley Sheppard/C/#51, Robert Brophy/E/#53, James Braasch/LB/#57, Steve Kulback/G/#60, Richard Whitley/G/#62, John Lewis/G/#63, Rodney Brown/G/#64, Rudy Wooten/T/#70, Barry McGee/T/#71, David Hagan/T/#72, John Hollis/T/#73, David Capan/T/#74, Lamar Langley/T/#75, Randy Hall/T/#76, Bob Bryan/T/#77, Rick Meadows/T/#78, Ronnie Barnes/E/#80, Terry Mager/E/#81, Joe Dale Harris/E/#82, Gene Lunceford/E/#83, Tom Nelson/E/#84, Glenn Turley/E/#85, Sylvester Croom/C/#87.

Roster

References

General * * Specific {{Southeastern Conference football champions

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 Southeastern Conference football champion 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 ...