1922 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

Before the season

Scott coached the 1922 season while dying of oral cancer, and he spent the whole season suffering from the effects of his illness, losing weight, barely able to speak, coaching against the advice of a doctor who told him to quit immediately, and bedridden except when attending practices and games.

The 1922 season also marked the first for the Crimson Tide as a member of the SoCon, as Alabama was one of the twenty members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association that left the Association to form the SoCon following the 1921 season.

Schedule

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Game summaries

Marion Military Institute

Tuscaloosa, AL

• Source: To open the season, Alabama played the Marion Military Institute at Tuscaloosa, and defeated the Cadets 110–0 in what was the most lopsided victory in the history of the Crimson Tide football program. Against Marion, Alabama shutout the Cadets 55–0 at Tuscaloosa for their third consecutive win to open the season. Touchdowns were scored four times by Max Rosenfeld, twice by William C. Baty and once each by Al Clemens and Virgil Hawkins. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Marion to 8–0.

Oglethorpe

Tuscaloosa, AL

• Source: After their record setting victory over Marion to open the season, Alabama prepared for an Oglethorpe squad that nearly upset Georgia Tech in their opening game. In what was the first all-time meeting against the Petrels, Alabama won 41–0 before 3,000 fans at Tuscaloosa. In the game, Charles Bartlett starred for Alabama as he scored five of their six touchdowns in the victory. Bartlett scored touchdowns on a 26-yard run in the first, a 15-yard reception from Hulet Whitaker in the second, and on a pair of runs in the third and one in the fourth. Graham McClintock scored the final touchdown of the game with his short run in the fourth and made the score 41–0.

After the Oglethorpe game Scott tendered his resignation, effective at the end of the season.

Georgia Tech

Atlanta, GA

• Source: In what was their first road game of the season, Alabama was defeated by the Georgia Tech Golden Tornado 33–7 at Atlanta.

Sewanee

Birmingham, AL

• Source: In the first Rickwood Field game of the season, Alabama tied the Sewanee Tigers 7–7 for their lone tie of the season.

Texas

Austin, TX

• Sources: In their second road game of the season, Alabama was defeated by the Texas Longhorns 19–10 at Clark Field in Austin. Alabama took an early 7–0 lead in the first two minutes of the game after Charles Bartlett threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to William Baty. Texas responded with a pair of touchdowns later in the quarter for a 13–7 lead. The first came on an Ivan Robertson pass to George Gardere and the second on a Yancy Culp run. A Robertson field goal in the second quarter extended the Longhorns lead to 16–7 at halftime.

After a 31-yard Robertson field goal in the third extended the Texas lead, Alabama scored the final points of the game on a short L. O. Wesley field goal later in the quarter and made the final score 19–10. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Texas to 0–3.

Penn

Main article: 1922 Alabama vs. Penn football game

Philadelphia, PA

• Sources: Alabama entered their intersectional contest against undefeated Penn, coached by John Heisman, with noted sports columnist Grantland Rice having predicted a 21–0 Quaker victory. Although the entered as an underdog, The Philadelphia Inquirer noted the Crimson Tide as a veteran squad that had not reached their full potential and expected them to plat Penn tough. Before 25,000 fans at Franklin Field, Alabama upset the Quakers 9–7 in what was later recognized as one of the Crimson Tide's most significant victories in the history of the program.

After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama took a 3–0 lead after L. O. Wesley connected on a 34-yard field goal. G. H. Sullivan responded later in the quarter with his 35-yard touchdown run that gave the Quakers a 7–3 halftime lead. In the third quarter the Crimson Tide took the lead after Pooley Hubert fumbled on third and goal and teammate Clyde Propst recovered the ball for a touchdown. The extra point failed, but Alabama took a 9–7 lead. Twice in the fourth quarter Alabama missed field goals, leaving Penn with a chance to win late. The Quakers drove to the Alabama 30 in the final moments but on fourth down Alabama came up with a sack to clinch a 9–7 victory.

The starting lineup was: Newton (left end), Hovater (left tackle), Wesley (left guard), Probst (center), Compton (right guard), Cooper (right tackle), Clemens (right end), Bartlett (quarterback), Baty (left halfback), Oliver (right halfback), and Hubert (fullback).

LSU

Tuscaloosa, AL

• Sources: On the Friday after their upset victory at Philadelphia, Alabama returned to Tuscaloosa and before the then largest crowd in the history of Denny Field on homecoming and defeated LSU 47–3. After a scoreless first quarter, Bartlett scored on a ten-yard run for a 7–0 Crimson Tide lead. Allen Graham MacCartee then extended their lead to 13–0 with his short touchdown run, and the Tigers responded with their lone points of the game on a 28-yard Roland Kizer drop kick. Alabama then extended their lead to 27–3 at halftime behind a five-yard Hulet Whitaker run and short Bartlett pass to Al Clemens.

Early in the third, a Graham McClintock fumble gave LSU possession deep in Crimson Tide territory. On the play that ensued, Pooley Hubert intercepted a Kizer pass and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown. A five-yard Bartlett touchdown run later in the quarter extended the Alabama lead to 41–3 as they entered the fourth. Playing almost exclusively reserves in the final period, Bartlett made the final score 47–3 with his five-yard touchdown run. The victory brought Alabama's all-time record against LSU to 6–3–1.

Kentucky

Lexington, KY

• Sources: In rain soaked conditions on a soggy field, Alabama was defeated 6–0 by Kentucky at Lexington. The Wildcats scored the only points of the game in the third quarter on a six-yard Bruce Fuller touchdown run. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Kentucky to 1–1.

Georgia

Montgomery, AL

• Sources: Playing their first all-time game at the Cramton Bowl, the Crimson Tide overcame an early 6–0 deficit and defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 10–6. The Bulldogs scored first after John Fletcher recovered an Allen Graham MacCartee fumble and returned it 96-yards for a touchdown.

Alabama responded with a short Charles Bartlett touchdown run in the second and with a 20-yard Bartlett field goal in the third for the 10–6 win. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia to 5–9–3.

Mississippi A&M

Birmingham, AL

• Sources: In their final game of the season, Alabama defeated the Mississippi A&M (now known as Mississippi State University) Aggies 59–0 at Rickwood Field.

Postseason

Scott died in April 1924 at age 41. The Tide hired Vanderbilt assistant Wallace Wade.

Alabama averaged the most points per game of any team in the SoCon. Bartlett was selected for the All-Southern team of Marvin McCarthy, sporting editor for the Birmingham Age-Herald, and given honorable mention on the All-America team of Walter Camp.

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

Line

Backfield

Other

Coaching staff

References

General

Specific

References

1. Kordic, p. 9
2. Kordic, p. 5
3. "The History of the Southern Conference". Southern Conference.
4. (October 1, 1922). "Alabama Crimson Tide downs Marion Cadets by overwhelming score". The Tuscaloosa News.
5. (October 8, 1922). "Alabama crushes Oglethorpe 41–0". The Birmingham News.
6. (October 15, 1922). "Tech victorious over Alabama". The Birmingham News.
7. (October 22, 1922). "Sewanee ties Alabama, 7 to 7, in desperately-fought battle". Nashville Banner.
8. (October 29, 1922). "Longhorns wallop Alabama 19 to 10 in atonement vor Vandy slip". The Austin American.
9. (November 5, 1922). "Penn beaten by Alabama in grid upset". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
10. (November 11, 1922). "Alabama has easy time with L.S.U. Tigers". The Birmingham News.
11. (November 19, 1922). "Kentucky University overcome conquerors of Penn eleven". The Courier-Journal.
12. (November 26, 1922). "Bama earns clean cut victory over Georgia". The Birmingham News.
13. (December 1, 1922). "Alabama swamps A&M". The Birmingham News.
14. "1922 Football Schedule". University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
15. (October 1, 1922). "Alabama rolls up huge score against Cadets". The Birmingham News.
16. Goodson, Mike. (January 3, 2010). "Bama has opportunity to change history". The Gadsden Times.
17. (2011). "2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book". University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office.
18. 1922 Season Recap
19. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Marion Military Institute (AL)". College Football Data Warehouse.
20. (October 8, 1922). "University eleven humbles Oglethorpe Petrels before audience of three thousand". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
21. (October 3, 1922). "University plays crack Oglethorpe team next Saturday". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
22. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Oglethorpe (GA)". College Football Data Warehouse.
23. (October 15, 1922). "Tech defeats Alabama team". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
24. (October 22, 1922). "Bill Coughlan's brilliant playing enables Sewanee to hold Alabamaians to 7–7 tie". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
25. (October 29, 1922). "Texas aggregation wins over Alabama in tough struggle". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
26. (October 29, 1922). "Texas beats Alabamaians in struggle". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
27. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Texas". College Football Data Warehouse.
28. Lewis, Perry. (November 5, 1922). "Alabama humbles Penn grid forces in season's upset". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
29. (November 5, 1922). "Alabama eleven gives "Pennsy" her first defeat of season". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
30. Kordic pp.1–9
31. (October 30, 1922). "Alabama faces Penn with a veteran team". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
32. Ball, Marie. (December 31, 1978). "Bama football story began in 1892". The Tuscaloosa News.
33. (November 5, 1922). "Pennsy Beaten By Alabama In Spirited Game". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
34. (November 11, 1922). "Crimson Tide sweeps over Louisiana State Tigers in grid clash". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
35. (November 11, 1922). "'Bama is held by Tigers for one period and then smashes way to victory". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
36. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs LSU". College Football Data Warehouse.
37. (November 19, 1922). "University of Alabama loses hard fought game to Kentucky Wildcats". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
38. (November 19, 1922). "Wildcats defeat Alabama, 6 to 0". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
39. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Kentucky". College Football Data Warehouse.
40. (November 26, 1922). "Alabama upsets all dope: Defeats Bulldogs from Georgia". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
41. (November 26, 1922). "Alabama Crimson triumphs over Red and Black 10–6". NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers.
42. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Georgia". College Football Data Warehouse.
43. Kordic, p. 169
44. "1922 Southern Conference Year Summary".
45. (December 3, 1922). "Teams Selected By Various Scribes". Atlanta Constitution.
46. (December 26, 1922). "Camp's All America Stars Show Why They Are Winners; Have Brains, Power, Spirit". Harrisburg Telegraph.
47. (2011). "2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book". University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office.
48. (2011). "2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book". University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office.