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 publ ...

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 ...

Bear Bryant Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and best known as the head coach of ...

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

Ladd Stadium Ladd or Ladds may refer to: People * Ladd (surname) *Brent Ladds (born 1951), Canadian ice hockey administrator Places ;In the United States * Ladds, Georgia, an unincorporated community *Ladd, Illinois, village * Ladd, Missouri, an unincorporate ...

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth-most-populous city in Alabama ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

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 in ...

Arkansas Razorbacks The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas student body voted to change the name of the school mascot (o ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

Neyland Stadium Neyland Stadium ( ), is a sports stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. It serves primarily as the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, but is also used to host large conventions and has been a site for several National Fo ...

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 ...

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. ...

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 in ...

Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college fo ...

National Football League 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 majo ...

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.1964 Season Recap After the Crimson Tide took a 7–0 lead on a five-yard Hudson Harris touchdown run in the first quarter, Georgia scored their only points early in the second on a 26-yard Robert Etter field goal. Alabama responded with the first of three

Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college fo ...

touchdown runs from eight-yards out that gave the Crimson Tide a 14–3 halftime lead. Alabama closed the game with a 27-yard David Ray field goal and Namath touchdown runs of one and five-yards for the 31–3 victory. In the game, Namath completed 16 of 21 passes for 167 yards, ran for 55 yards, and scored three touchdowns. The 16 completions tied a school record with

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

set during the 1946 season, and for his performance Namath was recognized as the AP's Back of the Week. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia to 28–18–4.

Tulane

*Source: At Mobile, the Crimson Tide defeated the Tulane Green Wave 36–6 in their annual Ladd Stadium game of the season. After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama took a 10–0 halftime lead after David Ray connected on a 22-yard field goal and

Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college fo ...

scored on a one-yard touchdown run. Ray extended the Crimson Tide lead to 20–0 with his 33-yard field goal and 33-yard touchdown reception from Namath in the third quarter. In the fourth, Frank Canterbury scored on a five-yard touchdown run, and Tulane responded with their only points of the game on an eight-yard David East touchdown pass to Lanis O'Steen. Alabama then closed the game with a one-yard Namath run that made the final score 36–6. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tulane to 22–10–3.

Vanderbilt

*Sources: After their victory over Tulane, Alabama moved into the No. 4 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Vanderbilt. In the first Legion Field game of the season, the Crimson Tide shut out the Commodores, 24–0, at Birmingham. After a scoreless first half, Alabama took a 14–0 third-quarter lead on a two-yard

Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college fo ...

touchdown pass to Hudson Harris and on a 15-yard Namath run. They then closed the game with a nine-yard Namath touchdown pass to Tommy Tolleson and a 28-yard David Ray field goal in the fourth quarter that made the final score 24–0. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 23–16–4.

NC State

*Sources: After their victory over Vanderbilt, Alabama moved up one position in the polls to the No. 3 spot prior to their first non-conference game of the season. In a game that saw starting quarterback

Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college fo ...

injured in the second quarter, backup

Steve Sloan Stephen Charles Sloan (born August 19, 1944) is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played college football as a quarterback at the University of Alabama from 1962 to 1965 and then played for two se ...

rallied the Crimson Tide to a 21–0 victory over the NC State Wolfpack in Tuscaloosa. After a scoreless first quarter, Namath twisted his knee with just over 6:00 remaining in the half. Sloan entered the game and led Alabama on a 69-yard drive that culminated with his one-yard touchdown run to give Alabama a 7–0 halftime lead. The Crimson Tide then closed the game with a three-yard Steve Bowman touchdown run in the third and a 10-yard Sloan touchdown pass to Tommy Tolleson in the fourth that made the final score 21–0. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against NC State to 3–0.

Tennessee

*Sources: In what was their first road game of the 1964 season, Alabama defeated the rival

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

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 ...

19–8 at

Neyland Stadium Neyland Stadium ( ), is a sports stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. It serves primarily as the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, but is also used to host large conventions and has been a site for several National Fo ...

. David Ray gave the Crimson Tide an early 3–0 lead after he connected on a 30-yard field goal in the first quarter. Alabama then extended their lead to 16–0 at halftime with a pair of second-quarter touchdowns. The first came on a one-yard

Steve Sloan Stephen Charles Sloan (born August 19, 1944) is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played college football as a quarterback at the University of Alabama from 1962 to 1965 and then played for two se ...

run and the second after Wayne Cook blocked a Tennessee punt that Gaylon McCollough returned 22-yards for a touchdown. The Volunteers cut the Tide's lead in half to 16–8 with a seven-yard Hal Wantland touchdown run and two-point conversion in the third quarter. A 23-yard Ray field goal in the fourth quarter provided for the final 19–8 margin in the Alabama victory. Tom Fisher starred defensively for Tennessee with a blocked field goal, a blocked punt and 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 ...

of a Sloan pass in defeat. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 22–19–6.

Florida

*Sources: As they entered their 1964

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. ...

game against

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 ...

, Alabama was ranked No. 3 and Florida No. 9 in the AP Poll. Against the Gators, Alabama rallied for a 17–14 comeback victory after they scored ten unanswered points in the fourth quarter. After a scoreless first quarter, Florida took a 7–0 second quarter lead when Steve Spurrier threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Randy Jackson. Alabama responded with a one-yard Steve Bowman touchdown run later in the quarter that tied the game 7–7 at halftime. In the third, the Gators retook the lead with a three-yard John Feiber touchdown run before the Crimson Tide started their fourth quarter rally. In the final period, a 30-yard Bowman touchdown run tied the game and a 21-yard David Ray field goal with just 3:06 left in the game. Spurrier then led the Gators on a drive that stalled at the Tide's seven-yard line where James Hall missed a field goal to tie the game and preserved the 17–14 Alabama win. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Florida to 9–5.

Mississippi State

*Sources: At the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, a near sellout crowd saw David Ray connect on three field goals and Steve Bowman score on a pair of touchdown runs in this 23–6 win over the Mississippi State

Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose. The Bulldogs took an early 6–0 lead after a seven-yard Price Hodges touchdown run capped a 64-yard opening drive for Mississippi State. Ray field goals of 34, 40 and 20-yards that followed gave the Crimson Tide a 9–6 halftime lead. Alabama then held the Bulldogs to only four offensive plays in the third quarter and scored on a pair of one-yard Bowman touchdown runs for the 23–6 win. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi State to 36–10–3.

LSU

*Source: As they entered their game against LSU, Alabama remained in the No. 3 position with the Tigers in the No. 8 position for a top ten matchup. Against the Tigers, Alabama rallied back for a 17–9 win that secured the 1964 SEC championship at Legion Field in Birmingham. LSU scored first and took an early 6–0 lead on a 13-yard Billy Ezell touchdown pass to Doug Moreau. The Crimson Tide responded later in the first quarter with a one-yard Steve Bowman touchdown run and took a 7–6 lead. Later, a 35-yard Moreau field goal in the second quarter gave the Tigers a 9–7 halftime lead that they retained through the fourth quarter when Alabama started their rally. In the fourth, the Tide took the lead with a 36-yard David Ray field goal and extended it to the final margin of 17–9 later in the quarter when Hudson Harris

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

and Ezell pass and returned it 34-yards for the touchdown. The game was also the dedication of 13,000 additional seats at Legion Field, and the 67,749 in attendance made it the largest crowd to ever see a football game in the state of Alabama at that time. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against LSU to 16–8–4.

Georgia Tech

*Sources: After their victory over LSU, Alabama moved into the No. 2 position and Georgia Tech, which exited the SEC following the 1963 season, into the No. 10 position in the AP poll prior to their game in Atlanta. In what was the final game of a series that stretched back nearly uninterrupted to the 1920s, Alabama defeated the

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

24–7 at Grant Field. After a scoreless first quarter, an injured

Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college fo ...

entered the game for the Crimson Tide and led them to a pair of touchdowns in just a 1:20 of playing time. After Alabama recovered a Tech fumble at their 49-yard line, Namath threw a 48-yard completion to David Ray and on the next play took a 7–0 lead on a one-yard Steve Bowman touchdown run. The Crimson Tide then recovered an

onside kick In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a typical kickoff, in which the kicking team intends to give the ball to the ...

on the kickoff that ensued on the Jackets' 48-yard line. On the next play, Namath passed for 45-yards to Ray Ogden and then threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Ray for the 14–0 halftime lead. After a 22-yard Ray field goal extended their lead to 17–0 in the third, Bowman scored on a four-yard

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 ...

recovered for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Georgia Tech did manage to avoid the shutout late in the fourth when Jerry Priestley threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Giles Smith that made the final score 24–7. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia Tech to 24–19–3.

Auburn

*Sources: In the week prior to their game against Auburn, Alabama retained their No. 2 ranking in the AP poll. In the annual Iron Bowl game, Alabama defeated the Tigers 21–14 land secured their second undefeated regular season under coach Bryant. The Crimson Tide took an early 6–0 lead after Steve Bowman recovered an Auburn

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 ...

on a failed punt attempt and returned it 39-yards for a touchdown. The Tigers responded with a three-yard Tucker Frederickson touchdown run in the second quarter for a 7–6 halftime lead. Alabama then took a 14–7 lead in the third after Ray Ogden returned the opening kickoff 107 yards for a touchdown. An Auburn fumble then set up the final scoring drive for Alabama in the fourth that culminated in a 23-yard

Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college fo ...

touchdown pass to

Ray Perkins Walter Ray Perkins (November 6, 1941 – December 9, 2020) was an American football coach and player. He played as a wide receiver for the University of Alabama and Baltimore Colts. He later worked as a football coach for 28 years, including sti ...

for a 21–7 lead. The Tigers responded later with a 16-yard Tom Bryan touchdown pass to Jimmy Sidle that made the final score 21–14. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Auburn to 14–14–1.

Texas

*Sources: Immediately after their Iron Bowl victory, Alabama accepted a bid to play

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

in the Orange Bowl. Although they were recognized as undefeated national champions at the conclusion of the regular season, Alabama lost to the Longhorns 21–17 in the game and finished the season 10–1. Texas took a 14–0 lead after touchdowns were scored on a 79-yard

Ernie Koy Ernest Anyz Koy (September 17, 1909 – January 1, 2007), nicknamed "Chief", was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball, who played for four National League teams from 1938 to 1942. He was born in Sealy, Texas and was of America ...

run in the first and on a 69-yard Jim Hudson pass to

George Sauer Jr. George Henry Sauer Jr. (November 10, 1943 – May 7, 2013) was an American football wide receiver who played six seasons for the American Football League's New York Jets, and later played in the World Football League. He played college football ...

in the second quarter. The Crimson Tide responded with a seven-yard

Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college fo ...

touchdown pass to Wayne Trimble, but a two-yard Koy touchdown run made the halftime score 21–7 in favor of Texas. Alabama closed the game with a 20-yard

Ray Perkins Walter Ray Perkins (November 6, 1941 – December 9, 2020) was an American football coach and player. He played as a wide receiver for the University of Alabama and Baltimore Colts. He later worked as a football coach for 28 years, including sti ...

touchdown reception in the third and with a 26-yard David Ray field goal in the fourth, but lost 21–17. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Texas to 0–5–1.

National championship claim

The NCAA recognizes consensus national champions as the teams that have captured a championship by way of one of the major polls since the 1950 NCAA University Division football season. After No. 1 Notre Dame was upset by

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

in their final game of the season, it was speculated that Alabama would move into the top position in the polls and claim the 1964 national championship. As such, the Crimson Tide were voted into the No. 1 position in both the final AP and UPI polls and captured the national championship. On November 30, the final UPI poll was released with Alabama in the No. 1 position having claimed 33 first place votes and 333 total points in the poll ahead of No. 2

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

. On December 1, the final AP poll was released with Alabama in the No. 1 position having claimed 34.5 first place votes ahead of the 11.5 first place votes awarded to No. 2 Arkansas. Although officially recognized as national champions at the conclusion of the regular season, Alabama went on to lose against

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

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 in ...

. Due to this embarrassment, and the increasing number of top ranked teams participating in bowl games, 1964 was one of the final years the AP released its final poll before the completion of bowl season. The AP would permanently switch to a final poll conducted after the bowl games starting with the 1968 season. Arkansas defeated Nebraska in the

1965 Cotton Bowl Classic The 1965 Cotton Bowl Classic was the 29th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, January 1. With national championship implications,Robertson, Walter. "Porkers, Longhorns Bowling Ch ...

and was the only major team that finished the entire season undefeated, to include a victory over Texas in Austin. Arkansas was voted national champions by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the Helms Athletic Foundation after the bowl games.

NFL/AFL Draft

Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1964 squad were drafted into the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL) between the 1965 and 1967 drafts. These players included the following:

Freshman squad

Prior to the 1972 NCAA University Division football season, NCAA rules prohibited freshmen from participating on the varsity team, and as such many schools fielded freshmen teams. For the 1964 season, the Alabama freshmen squad was coached by Sam Bailey and finished their season with a record of two wins and two losses (2–2). Alabama opened the season with a 14–7 loss to Mississippi State in a game that saw the Baby Tide turn the ball over seven times. The Bulldogs took a 7–0 lead in the first quarter on a one-yard Walter Pennebaker touchdown run. Alabama tied the game 7–7 in the third quarter on a 46-yard

Ken Stabler Kenneth Michael Stabler (December 25, 1945 – July 8, 2015) was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. Nicknamed "Snake", he played c ...

touchdown pass to Dennis Homan; however, Stabler threw 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 ...

later in the third to Alton Ellis that he returned 73 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Two weeks later, Alabama won their first game of the season at

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

with a 13–6 victory over Tulane. The Baby Tide scored on their first offensive play when Stabler threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Homan in the first quarter. Steve Davis kicked a 26-yard field goal on the next Alabama possession and another from 24 yards out in the third that made the score 13–0 in favor of the Tide. Paul Arnold scored Tulane's only points in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run and made the final score 13–6. In their third game, Alabama was shut out by Ole Miss, 14–0, at

Hemingway Stadium Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fi ...

. In the game, Rebel touchdowns were scored on a pair of Carr Walker touchdown passes. The first came in the opening period to Milie Haile and the second on a 59-yard pass to Carl Pope in the third quarter. The next week, Alabama closed the season with a 17–0 victory over rival Auburn at Denny Stadium. The Baby Tide took a 14–0 first quarter lead on a 70-yard Homan punt return and on a one-yard Phil Schaeffer touchdown run that capped a 71-yard drive. Steve Davis provided for the final points of the game late in the fourth quarter n a 21-yard field goal that made the final score 21–0.

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

Coaching staff

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 = 135,7 ...

Alabama Crimson Tide football seasons College football national champions Southeastern Conference football champion seasons Alabama Crimson Tide football

Schedule

Game summaries

Georgia

Tulane

Vanderbilt

NC State

Tennessee

Florida

Mississippi State

LSU

Georgia Tech

Auburn

Texas

National championship claim

NFL/AFL Draft

Freshman squad

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

Coaching staff

References