The 1974 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 research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the publi ...

in the

1974 NCAA Division I football season The 1974 NCAA Division I football season finished with two national champions. The Associated Press (AP) writers' poll ranked the University of Oklahoma, which was on probation and barred by the NCAA from postseason play, No. 1 at season's end. ...

. It was the Crimson Tide's 80th overall and 41st 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 o ...

(SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his 17th 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 ...

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, 6–0 in the SEC), as SEC champions and with a loss to Notre Dame 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 ...

. As they entered the 1974 season, the Crimson Tide were one of the favorites to compete for the national championship. In their first game of the season, Alabama narrowly escaped with a win at

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

in what was Bryant's first visit to College Park since he resigned as the Terrapins' head coach after their 1945 season. They followed with victories over

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 ...

, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss before they played in their closest game of the season against

Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...

. Although the Crimson Tide entered their contest against the 0-4 Seminoles as a heavy favorite, they trailed for nearly the entire game until Bucky Berrey connected on the game-winning field goal from 36-yards out with only 0:33 left in the game. It was the closest Florida State would come to victory until scoring their only win at

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

in their ninth game to break a 20-game losing streak dating back to

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...

. In their next game, Alabama defeated rival

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 ...

. After the Vols scored on a second quarter touchdown run, the Crimson Tide defense did not surrender another for 17 consecutive quarters against TCU,

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 ...

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

. Alabama then closed the season with an

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 ...

victory over Auburn, but then failed to capture the national championship after they lost to Notre Dame in the

. The loss extended their winless streak in

bowl game In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivi ...

s to eight , which ended the following year.

Schedule

*Source: Rolltide.com: 1974 Alabama football schedule

Game summaries

Maryland

*Sources: As they entered their first game of the 1974 season, Alabama was ranked as the USA's No. 3 team and

as the No. 14 team 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 broad ...

. Before what was then the largest crowd to ever attend a college football game in the state of Maryland, the Crimson Tide entered the game as a two-touchdown favorite, but struggled to a 21–16 win over the

Terrapins Terrapins are one of several small species of turtle (order Testudines) living in fresh or brackish water. Terrapins do not form a taxonomic unit and may not be closely related. Many belong to the families Geoemydidae and Emydidae. The name " ...

.1974 Season Recap Alabama took a 14–0 lead in the second quarter behind a pair of Calvin Culliver touchdown runs. He scored one in each of the first two quarter with the first from seven and the second from 73-yards. The Terrapins responded with a pair of Steve Mike-Mayer field goals from 32 and 35-yards in the second and one from 40-yards in the third that cut the lead to 14–9. After

Richard Todd Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd (11 June 19193 December 2009) was an Irish-British actor known for his leading man roles of the 1950s. He received a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, and an Academy Award for Best Actor n ...

extended the Crimson Tide lead to 21–9 with his one-yard touchdown run in the third, Louis Carter made the final score 21–16 with his one-yard touchdown run for Maryland in the fourth. This game also marked the first for coach Bryant at College Park since he resigned as the Terrapins' head coach after their 1945 season. For his two touchdown, 169 yard performance, Culliver was recognized as the AP Southeastern Back of the Week. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Maryland to 2–1.

Southern Miss

*Sources: After their closer than expected victory over Maryland, Alabama dropped into the No. 5 position of the

prior to their game against

. Against the

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 ...

the Crimson Tide amassed 643 yards of total offense en route to this 52–0 victory at Legion Field. Alabama took a 7–0 first quarter lead on an 11-yard

touchdown run. They then extended it to 21–0 at halftime behind a 42-yard Todd touchdown pass to Russ Schamun and a five-yard Randy Billingsley touchdown run. A 30-yard Jack O'Rear touchdown run in the third made the score 28–0 as they entered the fourth quarter. In the final period, Danny Ridgeway connected on a 27-yard field goal and touchdowns were scored on runs of 25, 11 and 50-yards by Ralph Stokes, Rick Watson and John Boles respectively. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Southern Miss to 14–2–1.

Vanderbilt

*Sources: After their victory over Southern Miss, Alabama moved into the No. 4 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 ...

, Vanderbilt kept it close, but ultimately fell to the Crimson Tide 23–10 in the first Tuscaloosa game of the season. After Calvin Culliver gave Alabama a 7–0 lead with his 85-yard touchdown run, Mark Adams connected on a 20-yard field goal for Vanderbilt that made the score 7–3 at the end of the first quarter. A 36-yard Bucky Berrey field goal in the second quarter gave the Crimson Tide a 10–3 halftime lead. In the third,

threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Russ Schamun and Berrey connected on a 42-yard field goal that made the score 20–3 as the teams entered the final quarter. In the fourth, Danny Ridgeway connected on a 27-yard field goal for Alabama and Fred Fisher threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Walter Overton for the Commodores that made the final score 23–10. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 31–17–4.

Ole Miss

*Sources: After their victory over Vanderbilt, Alabama moved into the No. 3 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Ole Miss. Playing before a televised audience, the Crimson Tide defeated the Rebels 35–21 at Jackson. Alabama took an early 7–0 lead on a three-yard James Taylor run in the first quarter. After the Rebels tied the game 7–7 on a nine-yard Kenneth Lyons touchdown run in the second, the Crimson Tide responded with a three-yard Willie Shelby touchdown run for a 14–7 halftime lead. In the third, Ole Miss briefly took a 21–14 lead after touchdowns were scored on a one-yard Lyons run and a 42-yard Gary Turner

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 ...

return. Alabama responded with a pair of third quarter touchdowns of their own on runs of 58-yards by Shelby and eight-yards by Rick Watson. A one-yard

touchdown run in the fourth quarter made the final score 35–21. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Ole Miss to 23–5–2.

Florida State

*Sources: After their victory over Ole Miss, Alabama retained their No. 3 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against

. Against the

Seminoles The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and ...

, the Crimson Tide trailed until the final minute of regulation when Bucky Berrey converted the game-winning field goal for the 8–7 victory. The Seminoles took the opening

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 ...

and drove 78-yards on nine plays for a 7–0 lead behind a six-yard

Larry Key Larry Key (born July 12, 1956) is a former Canadian Football League (CFL) running back for the British Columbia Lions from 1978 through 1982. He was an All-Star in 1979 and 1981. Key was the first Florida State Seminoles player to rush for 1,00 ...

touchdown run. Florida State continued to hold their touchdown lead through the third quarter when the Crimson Tide scored their first points on a 44-yard Berrey field goal. With just 1:27 left in the game, Seminoles head coach

Darrell Mudra Darrell E. Mudra Sr. (January 4, 1929 – September 21, 2022), nicknamed "Dr. Victory", was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Adams State College (1959–1962), North Dakota State University (1963–1965), th ...

elected to take an intentional

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

instead of attempting a punt out of the endzone. He made this decision as Alabama had been close on a couple of previous attempts to block punts during the game, and did not want a block to occur in the endzone. Down now 7–5, the Crimson Tide drove into field goal territory and Berrey hit the game winner from 36-yards out with only 0:33 left in the game. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Florida State to 2–0–1.

Tennessee

*Sources: After their closer than expected victory over Florida State, Alabama dropped into the No. 4 position prior to their game at

. Both Willie Shelby and Calvin Culliver each scored a pair of touchdowns for the Crimson Tide in this 28–6 victory over 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 ...

. After a scoreless first, Alabama took a 7–0 on a 13-yard touchdown run by Willie Shelby in the second quarter. Tennessee responded with their only points on a 64-yard Stanley Morgan touchdown run and made the halftime score 7–6. The Crimson Tide extended their lead to 21–6 at the end of the third behind touchdown runs of 19-yards by Shelby and 30-yards by Calvin Culliver. Culliver then scored the final points of the game with his six-yard touchdown run that made the final score 28–6. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 27–23–7.

TCU

*Sources: After their victory over Tennessee, Alabama retained their No. 4 position prior to their out of conference match-up against

Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciple ...

(TCU) at Legion Field. Against the Horned Frogs of the

Southwest Conference The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference included schools from Oklahoma ...

, Alabama won 41–3 for their first all-time victory over TCU. The Crimson Tide took a 14–0 lead in the first quarter behind touchdown runs of four and one-yard by Robert Fraley and Rick Watson before TCU scored their only points on a 30-yard Tony Biasatti field goal in the second. Alabama responded with a five-yard Robert Fraley touchdown pass to George Pugh just prior to the break that made the score 21–3 at halftime. The Crimson Tide continued their scoring with three second half touchdowns en route to their 41–3 victory.

Ozzie Newsome Ozzie Newsome Jr. (born March 16, 1956) is an American former professional football player and executive who is the executive vice president of player personnel of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Newsome was a tight e ...

scored on a 15-yard Fraley pass in the third and Jack O'Rear threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Brown and scored on a 21-yard run in the fourth. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against TCU to 1–3.

Mississippi State

*Sources: As they entered their game against

, Alabama retained their No. 4 position in the AP Poll and 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. 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. ...

and before what was then the largest crowd in the history of Denny Stadium, the Crimson Tide shutout Mississippi State 35–0 for the second consecutive season. Alabama took a 6–0 first quarter lead behind a one-yard Robert Fraley touchdown run. They then extended it to 19–0 at halftime behind touchdown runs of one-yard by Calvin Culliver and two-yards by

. After a scoreless third, the Crimson Tide closed the game with 16 fourth quarter points for the 35–0 win. Touchdowns were scored in the final period on runs of seven-yards by Randy Billingsley and five-yards by Ray Sewell with a 42-yard Bucky Berrey field goal providing for the final margin. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi State to 46–10–3.

LSU

*Sources: After their victory over Mississippi State, Alabama moved into the No. 3 position in the AP Poll prior to their nationally televised game against

. With their 30–0 victory over the rival

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 ...

, the Crimson Tide secured both a share of the 1974 conference championship and a place in the

. Alabama took a 7–0 first quarter lead behind a one-yard Calvin Culliver touchdown run. They extended it further to 23–0 at halftime after points were scored on a 20-yard Danny Ridgeway field goal, a 29-yard

Ricky Davis Tyree Ricardo Davis (born September 23, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for University of Iowa. Biography Davis atten ...

fumble return and on a three-yard

touchdown run. After a scoreless third, the Crimson Tide closed with a two-yard Jack O'Rear touchdown run in the fourth for the 30–0 win. For their performances, Willie Shelby was recognized as the SEC Back of the Week and Leroy Cook was recognized as the SEC Lineman of the Week. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against LSU to 24–10–4.

Miami

*Sources: As they entered their game against

, Alabama moved into the No. 2 position in the AP Poll. Before a relatively small crowd, Alabama defeated 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 ...

28–7 and secured Bryant's 150th victory as head coach of the Crimson Tide. The Crimson Tide opened the game with a pair of eight-yard

touchdown passes to George Pugh and Jerry Brown for a 14–0 lead. They then extended their lead to 21–0 at halftime behind a 12-yard Gary Rutledge touchdown run in the second quarter. After a scoreless third, Miami scored their only points on a one-yard Johnny Williams touchdown run in the fourth that marked the first touchdown scored against the Crimson Tide defense in 17 quarters. Alabama responded with a 62-yard Willie Shelby punt return late in the fourth that made the final score 28–7. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Miami to 11–2.

Auburn

*Sources: As they entered the annual

, Alabama retained the No. 2 position and Auburn the No. 7 in the AP Poll prior to their match-up at Legion Field. Against the

, the Crimson Tide were victorious as they edged out a 17–13 win at Birmingham. Alabama scored on a 45-yard

touchdown pass to Willie Shelby in the first and on a 36-yard Bucky Berrey field goal in the second for a 10–0 lead. Auburn responded with a one-yard Secdrick McIntyre touchdown run late in the second that made the halftime score 10–7. The Crimson Tide extended their lead to 17–7 early in the third with their only second half points on a 13-yard Calvin Culliver touchdown run. The Tigers then brought the final margin to 17–13 with a two-yard Phil Gargis touchdown run in the fourth. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Auburn to 21–17–1.

Notre Dame

*Sources: Playing for what would have been a second consecutive national championship against Notre Dame, Alabama was upset by the

Fighting Irish The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 23 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Divisi ...

13–11 in the

. Notre Dame took a 13–0 lead behind touchdown runs of four-yards by Wayne Bullock in the first and nine-yards by Mark McLane in the second quarter. A 21-yard Danny Ridgeway field goal for Alabama made the halftime score 13–3. After a scoreless third, the Crimson Tide scored the final points of the game on a 48-yard

touchdown pass to Russ Schamun that made the final score 13–11. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Notre Dame to 0–2.

Roster

NFL Draft

Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1974 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 1975, 1976 and 1977 drafts. These players included:

References

General * * Specific {{Southeastern Conference football champions

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

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 Ass ...