1931 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

Before the season

Prior to the start of the 1930 season, head coach Wallace Wade announced his resignation in order to become the head coach at Duke. On July 26, 1930, former Chattanooga head and then Georgia assistant coach Frank Thomas was announced as Wade's successor by the University Athletic Committee. Signed to a three-year contract, Thomas would take over as head coach on January 1, 1931, with the 1931 season being his first as head coach. In the 1930 season, Alabama finished the season undefeated, with a victory in the 1931 Rose Bowl and as national champions. For the 1931 season, coach Thomas retired Wade's single-wing offense and installed the Notre Dame Box formation that he learned as both a player and assistant coach at Notre Dame under Knute Rockne.

Schedule

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Game summaries

Howard

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

• Source: In what was Frank Thomas' first game as Alabama head coach, Alabama opened the 1931 season with a 42–6 victory over Howard College (now Samford University) at Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide took a 14–0 lead into halftime after Leon Long scored on touchdown runs of one-yard in the first and five-yards in the second quarter. In the third, Alabama extended their lead to 28–0 when Johnny Cain threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Hillman Holley, followed by a short Long touchdown run later in the quarter. After Howard scored their only points on a 57-yard touchdown pass late in the third, Alabama closed the game with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. Holley and Larry Hughes each scored on short touchdown runs to make the final score 42–6. Holley starred in the game with his 204 yards rushing and two touchdowns. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Howard to 12–0.

Ole Miss

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

• Source: In what was Frank Thomas' first SoCon game as Alabama head coach, the Crimson Tide defeated the Ole Miss Rebels 55–6 at Denny Stadium.

Mississippi A&M

Meridian, Mississippi

• Source: In what was Frank Thomas' first road game as Alabama head coach, the Crimson Tide defeated the Mississippi A&M Aggies (now the Mississippi State Bulldogs) 53–0 at Greer Memorial Field in Meridian.

Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee

• Source: Before 23,000 fans at Shields–Watkins Field, Alabama was shutout by the Tennessee Volunteers, 25–0, in Knoxville.

Sewanee

Birmingham, Alabama

• Source: A week after being shut out by Tennessee, Alabama rebounded with a 33–0 shutout against the Sewanee Tigers at Legion Field.

Kentucky

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

• Source: On homecoming in Tuscaloosa, Alabama defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 9–7 at Denny Stadium.

Florida

Birmingham, Alabama

• Source: Against the Florida Gators, Alabama posted their third shutout of the season with their 41–0 victory.

Clemson

Montgomery, Alabama

• Source: In their only game played in Montgomery, Alabama defeated the Clemson Tigers 74–7 at the Cramton Bowl.

Vanderbilt

Nashville, Tennessee

• Source: On Thanksgiving Day, Alabama defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores 14–6 at Dudley Field.

Charity games

In early November, university officials announced the football team would participate in a pair of charity games after the scheduled season finale against Vanderbilt. The two games included one against Chattanooga where the 1931 squad would compete, and an all-star exhibition in Washington, D.C. that would feature graduating seniors and former Crimson Tide players. Each of the two games was played as part of a national campaign to raise money for unemployment relief due to the effects of the Great Depression.

Chattanooga

Chattanooga, Tennessee

• Source: In the first of the two scheduled charity games, Alabama defeated the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association champion Chattanooga Moccasins 39–0 at Chamberlain Field. Although this was played as a charity game, Alabama does include the win in its all-time record. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Chattanooga to 4–0.

Washington charity game

After the first charity game against Chattanooga, an all-star team of former Alabama players was assembled to compete in the second charity game to benefit the unemployed. The game was played at Griffith Stadium and featured three separate contests against George Washington, Catholic University and Georgetown. Each of the three games consisted of two, ten-minute halves, and because the Alabama team was playing three separate squads, the Crimson Tide was allowed to make unlimited substitutions.

The players on the Alabama team were primarily from the current and 1930 team that captured the national championship, and were led by coach Thomas and assistant coach Hank Crisp. The players selected included: Dave Boykin, Herschel Caldwell, John Campbell, Joe Causey, C. B. "Foots" Clement, Edgar Dobbs, Jess Eberdt, Albert Elmore, Ellis Hagler, Frank Howard, Allison Hubert, Max Jackson, Leon Long, Ralph McRight, John Miller, Claude Perry, Clyde "Shorty" Propst, Joe Sharpe, Fred Sington, Ben Smith, Earl Smith, John Henry Suther, John Tucker and Jennings B. Whitworth.

With all three played on December 12, Alabama faced George Washington in the first contest. Although the game ended in a 0–0 tie, Alabama had several long plays that included a pair of successive runs by John Campbell for 75 yards and a 55-yard passing play from Allison Hubert to Campbell. The Crimson Tide then defeated Catholic University in the second game 7–0. The only score of the game was set up after Leon Long intercepted a Catholic pass at their own 42-yard line. After five runs for 31 yards by Hubert and one by Herschel Caldwell for three yards, Long scored the game-winning touchdown on a three-yard run. In the final game, Alabama tied Georgetown 0–0 after Long intercepted a Hoyas pass in the endzone on a fourth-and-three play late in the second period.

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

Coaching staff

References

General

Specific

References

1. (November 17, 1931). "U. of A. freshman football player dies of injuries". The Tuscaloosa News.
2. (November 18, 1931). "Football injury fatal". The New York Times.
3. (April 1, 1930). "Wade will leave 'Bama in 1931". The Tuscaloosa News.
4. (July 27, 1930). "Thomas to coach Tide". The Tuscaloosa News.
5. (July 28, 1930). "Frank Thomas named Alabama grid coach". The Spartanburg Herald.
6. Richard, Scott. (2004). "Legends of Alabama Football". Sports Publishing, LLC.
7. (September 27, 1931). "Tide gains momentum as minutes pass in 42–6 win". The Birmingham News.
8. (October 4, 1931). "Powerful Tide team crushes Mississippians, 55 to 6". The Montgomery Advertiser.
9. (October 11, 1931). "Alabama swamps Aggies, 53–0 with subs shining". The Birmingham News.
10. (October 18, 1931). "Tennessee routs Crimson Tide, 25 to 0". The Knoxville Journal.
11. (October 25, 1931). "Alabama piles up 33–0 score on Sewanee". Chattanooga Daily Times.
12. (November 1, 1931). "Fumble and blocked kick beat Kentucky, 9–7". The Courier-Journal.
13. (November 8, 1931). "Powerful Alabama eleven crushes Gators, 41–0". Tampa Bay Times.
14. (November 15, 1931). "Bama team shows finesse in routing Clemson by 74–7". The Montgomery Advertiser.
15. (November 27, 1931). "Tide takes high rank by beating Vandy, 14–6". The Birmingham News.
16. (December 6, 1931). "Brilliant blocking paves way for touchdowns as Alabama mauls Moccasins, 39–0". Chattanooga Daily Times.
17. "1931 Alabama football archives". University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
18. (September 27, 1931). "Alabama whips Howard, 42–6". The Tuscaloosa News.
19. 1931 Season Recap
20. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Samford". College Football Data Warehouse.
21. (October 4, 1931). "Tide smashes Ole Miss, 55–6". The Tuscaloosa News.
22. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Mississippi". College Football Data Warehouse.
23. (October 11, 1931). "Alabama scores impressive win over Ags, 53–0". The Tuscaloosa News.
24. (October 18, 1931). "Vols overwhelm Tide, 25–0". The Tuscaloosa News.
25. (October 25, 1931). "Tide trounces Sewanee, 33–0". The Tuscaloosa News.
26. (November 1, 1931). "Tide whips Kentucky 9 to 7". The Tuscaloosa News.
27. (November 8, 1931). "Tide routes Gators, 41 to 0". The Tuscaloosa News.
28. (November 15, 1931). "Bama runs wild in winning over Clemson, 74–7". The Tuscaloosa News.
29. (November 9, 1931). "U. of A. to take part in a pair of charity games". The Tuscaloosa News.
30. (December 6, 1931). "Tide runs over S.I.A.A. champs by 39–0 score". The Tuscaloosa News.
31. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Tennessee-Chattanooga". College Football Data Warehouse.
32. (December 6, 1931). "Stars to start their practice here tomorrow". The Tuscaloosa News.
33. (December 13, 1931). "Tide all-stars turn back foes at Washington". The Tuscaloosa News.
34. (2011). "2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book". University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office.
35. (2011). "2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book". University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office.