1919 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

Before the season

After the departure of Thomas Kelley as head coach of the Crimson Tide following their 1917 season, then athletic director B. L. Noojin was chosen as his successor. However Noojin never led the team as head coach since the 1918 season was canceled due to the effects of World War I; multiple opponents had cancelled their contests against Alabama and there was a military policy that only allowed for the team to practice for less than one hour per week. When football was reinstated for the next season, Xen C. Scott was hired to serve as head coach in May 1919. Scott had previously served as head coach of the Cleveland Naval Reserve team that upset the national champion Pittsburgh Panthers to close their 1918 season. Scott had also previously served as head coach for both Western Reserve University (1910) and the Case Institute of Technology (1911–1913) in Cleveland.

Scott opened his first fall practice on September 1, 1919. At that time, ten players from previous Alabama squads returned and included T. L. Brown, Jack Hovater, Walter E. Hovater, Ralph Lee Jones, Mullie Lenoir, Emmet Noland, J. T. O'Connor, Ike Rogers, Tram Sessions and Riggs Stephenson. After two weeks of practice, Scott divided the players into four teams in order to determine starting line-ups. At his time Scott also did not utilize a quarterback, but instead would simply snap the ball directly to the runner. Before game preparation began for their game against Birmingham–Southern, Ike Rogers was selected as team captain for the season by the returning lettermen on September 25. Rogers was previously elected to serve as team captain for the 1918 season that was canceled.

1918 schedule (cancelled)

In December 1917, Alabama released its tentative schedule for the 1918 season. At that time, the Crimson Tide were scheduled to open the season against Kentucky in Tuscaloosa and play Vanderbilt at Dudley Field. In the February that followed, the official schedule was released that featured four games in Tuscaloosa, two in Birmingham and one on the road.

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Schedule

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Game summaries

Birmingham–Southern

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

• Source: Nearly after two years since their previous home game during the 1917 season, Alabama opened the 1919 season against Birmingham–Southern and shutout the Panthers 27–0 in the first all-time game between the schools. The opening kickoff was at 1:30 and was played in a newly expanded University Field with seating for 800 spectators. Mullie Lenoir starred in the game for Alabama as he scored a touchdown in each of the first three quarters that gave the Crimson White a 20–0 lead. Charles Bartlett scored the final points of the game with his fourth quarter touchdown that made the final score 27–0.

Ole Miss

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

• Sources: In their second game, Alabama shutout their SIAA rival, the Ole Miss Rebels 49–0 at Tuscaloosa.

Howard

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

• Source: Behind a strong passing game, Alabama defeated the Howard (now known as Samford University) Bulldogs 48–0 at Tuscaloosa.

Marion Military Institute

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

• Source: As they entered their game against the Marion Military Institute, many of the Alabama supporters viewed the game against the Cadets as just a practice game before their anticipated match-up against Sewanee. On a Friday afternoon, Alabama defeated the Cadets 61–0 at Tuscaloosa for their fourth consecutive shutout to open the season.

Sewanee

Birmingham, Alabama

• Source: In what was the most anticipated game of the season, the entire University population and educators traveled to Birmingham for their game against Sewanee. In the game Alabama defeated the Tigers 40–0 at Rickwood Field, in the largest margin of victory ever for Alabama over Sewanee to date.

Vanderbilt

Nashville, Tennessee

• Source: A week after their victory over Sewanee, Alabama traveled to Nashville where they were defeated by the Vanderbilt Commodores 16–12 on a muddy field for their only loss of the season. On their first drive of the game, Alabama took the ball to the Vanderbilt two-yard line, but then fumbled the ball that was recovered by Josh Cody of the Commodores to end the scoring threat. The second Alabama fumble resulted in the first touchdown of the game. Early in the second quarter, Riggs Stephenson fumbled the ball that was recovered by Tommy Zerfoss and returned 35-yards for a 7–0 Vanderbilt lead. They further extended their lead to 13–0 at halftime on a 20-yard Grailey Berryhill touchdown run.

Alabama rallied in the second half with a pair of two-yards Stephenson touchdown runs in the third and fourth quarter that made the score 13–12. Cody then provided for the final margin in the 16–12 Commodores' victory with his 30-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 0–5.

The starting lineup was J. Hovater (left end), Brown (left tackle), Johnson (left guard), Sessions (center), Jones (right guard), Rogers (right tackle), Boone (right end), W. Hovater (quarterback), Lenoir (left halfback), O'Connor (right halfback), Stephenson (fullback).

LSU

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

• Source: After they suffered their only loss of the season at Vanderbilt, Alabama traveled to Baton Rouge where they shutout the LSU Tigers 23–0.

Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

• Sources: After their road win at LSU, Alabama traveled to Atlanta where they shutout the Georgia Bulldogs 6–0.

The starting lineup was J. Hovater (left end), Brown (left tackle), Johnson (left guard), Sessions (center), Jones (right guard), Rogers (right tackle), Boone (right end), W. Hovater (quarterback), O'Connor (left halfback), Lenoir (right halfback), Stevenson (fullback).

Mississippi A&M

Birmingham, Alabama

• Source: In their final game of the season, Alabama defeated the Mississippi A&M (now known as Mississippi State University) Aggies 14–6 on Thanksgiving at Rickwood Field.

Postseason

Alabama won eight games in a season for the first time, and was awarded by some organizations a share of the SIAA title. Fuzzy Woodruff recalls "Auburn claimed it. "We defeated Tech" said Auburn. "Yes, but we defeated you" said Vanderbilt. "Yes", said Alabama, "but Tech, Tulane, and Tennessee took your measure. We defeated Georgia Tech, who tied Tulane, so we are champions...The newspapers, however, more or less generally supported the claim of Auburn..."

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

Line

Backfield

Coaching staff

Notes

References

General

Specific

References

1. (December 20, 1917). "Noojin to coach Crimson next year". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
2. (August 23, 1943). "Intercollegiate football abandoned at University". Google News.
3. (May 27, 1919). "Xen Scott to coach Alabama football team next season". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
4. (September 6, 1919). "Alabama football team is training". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
5. (September 14, 1919). "University men getting started in football work". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
6. (September 26, 1919). "Rogers is elected captain of state university team". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
7. (February 11, 1918). "Alabama announces football games". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
8. (October 5, 1919). "Panthers are beaten, but show gameness". The Birmingham News.
9. (October 12, 1919). "Ole Miss loses to Alabama 50 to 0". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
10. (October 17, 1919). "Alabama's Crimson Tide piles up big score on Howard Bulldogs". The Birmingham News.
11. (October 25, 1919). "University team romps on Marion". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
12. (November 2, 1919). "Glorious victory over Sewanee beyond all expectations". Nashville Banner.
13. (November 9, 1919). "Commodores blast Alabama's hopes for championship". The Tennessean.
14. (November 16, 1919). "Alabama victor over Baton Rouge in a fast game". The Tuscaloosa News.
15. (November 23, 1919). "Crimson takes great battle from Georgia". The Birmingham News.
16. (November 28, 1919). "Ole Miss is winner". The Vicksburg Herald.
17. "1919 Alabama football archive". University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
18. (October 5, 1919). "Panther warriors lose to University". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
19. (October 1, 1919). "University team getting into shape". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
20. 1919 Season Recap
21. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Birmingham–Southern". College Football Data Warehouse.
22. (October 4, 1919). "Crimson and White ready for blow-off". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
23. (October 12, 1919). "Mississippians swamped by the Alabama eleven". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
24. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Mississippi". College Football Data Warehouse.
25. (October 19, 1919). "Crimson White cracks Howard line at will; Wins by score of 48–0". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
26. (October 22, 1919). "Alabama priming for Sewanee Tigers". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
27. (November 2, 1919). "Alabama overwhelms Sewanee elevens and wins by score 40–0". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
28. (October 28, 1919). "Alabama is now preparing for Sewanee". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
29. (November 9, 1919). "Alabama is defeated by own fumbles". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
30. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Vanderbilt (TN)". College Football Data Warehouse.
31. {{Harvnb. Woodruff. 1928
32. (November 16, 1919). "Alabama beats LSU 23–0". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
33. (November 23, 1919). "O'Connor's educated toe defeated Red and Blacks". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
34. (November 23, 1919). "O'Connor kicks two field goals, winning game for Alabama 6–0". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
35. {{Harvnb. Woodruff. 1928
36. (November 28, 1919). "Alabama winner over Mississippi in annual contest". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
37. Kordic, p. xiii
38. Saylor, Roger. (February 1993). "Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association". LA84 Foundation.
39. David Krysakowski. "Champions of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1895–1921)".
40. {{Harvnb. Woodruff. 1928
41. (2011). "2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book". University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office.
42. (2011). "2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book". University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office.