1963 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

Schedule

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Game summaries

Georgia

Athens, GA

• Sources: To open the 1963 season, the Crimson Tide defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 32–7 on the road at Athens. The lone Georgia touchdown was set up in the first quarter when Ken Davis recovered a Joe Namath fumble at the Alabama 26-yard line. Seven plays later, Georgia led 7–0 after Fred Barber scored on a three-yard run. The Crimson Tide tied the game later in the quarter on a 47-yard Namath touchdown pass to Charles Stephens and then took a 10–7 halftime lead when Tim Davis connected on a 38-yard field goal in the second quarter. Mike Fracchia then scored the next pair of Alabama touchdowns on runs of five and one-yard before Preston Ridlehuber was tackled for a safety in the fourth quarter. A 41-yard Jack Hurlbut touchdown pass to Jimmy Dill late in the fourth made the final score 32–7. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia to 27–18–4.

Tulane

Mobile, AL

• Sources: After their victory over Georgia to open the season, Alabama up one spot in the AP Poll to the No. 2 position. At Mobile, the Crimson Tide shutout the Tulane Green Wave 28–0 in their annual Ladd Stadium game of the season.

Vanderbilt

Nashville, TN

• Sources: After their victory over Tulane, Alabama retained its No. 2 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Vanderbilt. At Nashville, the Crimson Tide defeated the Commodores 21–6 in a game that saw Benny Nelson score twice on long touchdown runs for Alabama.

Florida

Tuscaloosa, AL

• Sources: After their closer than expected victory over Vanderbilt, Alabama dropped from the No. 2 to the No. 3 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Florida. In what was the first Tuscaloosa game of the season, the 17-point favorite Crimson Tide were upset by the Gators 10–6 in what was also coach Bryant's first loss as head coach at Denny Stadium.

Tennessee

Birmingham, AL

• Sources: Alabama dropped from the No. 3 position back into the No. 9 spot in the week leading into their game at Tennessee after their upset loss against Florida. Against the Volunteers, Alabama shutout Tennessee 35–0 in the first Legion Field game of the season.

Houston

Tuscaloosa, AL

• Sources: As a result of their shutout win over Tennessee, the Crimson Tide moved into the No. 6 position in the AP poll prior to their game against Houston. Against a winless Cougars squad, Alabama struggled to a 21–13 victory at Denny Stadium.

Mississippi State

Tuscaloosa, AL

• Sources: Although they did defeat Houston in their previous contest, Alabama dropped into the No. 7 ranking as they prepared to play Mississippi State. On homecoming in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide scored a game-winning touchdown in the final four minutes of the game and defeated the Bulldogs 20–19.

Georgia Tech

Birmingham, AL

• Sources: Coming off their bye week prior to their game against Georgia Tech, the Crimson Tide retained the No. 7 position in the AP poll. Behind strong performances on both sides of the ball, Alabama defeated the Yellow Jackets 27–11 at Legion Field.

Auburn

Birmingham, AL

• Sources: In the week prior to their game against Auburn, Alabama moved into the No. 6 position in the AP poll and the Tigers were in the No. 9 position. In the annual Iron Bowl game, Alabama was defeated by the Tigers for the first time since the 1958 season in this 10–8 loss at Legion Field. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Auburn to 13–14–1.

Miami (FL)

Miami, FL

• Sources: This game against the Miami was originally scheduled to be played on Friday, October 18, but was subsequently moved to December 7 in order to be televised on CBS. Due to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the annual Army–Navy Game was pushed back to December 7. As such, CBS requested the Miami-Alabama game be postponed to December 14 in order to avoid conflict that would result from televising both games on the same day. The rescheduling of this game also pushed back the start of the annual Orange Blossom Classic from the afternoon to evening of December 14.

After their loss against Auburn, Alabama dropped into the No. 8 position in the final AP poll of the 1963 season. In the week that led to their game at Miami, coach Bryant suspended starting quarterback Joe Namath for both this game and the Sugar Bowl as he violated team rules. On homecoming at the Orange Bowl, Alabama survived a late Miami rally and defeated the Hurricanes 17–12.

The Crimson Tide took a 14–0 first quarter lead after touchdowns were scored by Gary Martin on a 100-yard kickoff return and by Benny Nelson on a one-yard Benny Nelson run. A 35-yard Tim Davis field goal in the second quarter made the halftime score 17–0 in favor of the Crimson Tide. The score remained unchanged until Miami rallied with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns that made the final score 17–12. The first came on a nine-yard George Mira pass to Nick Spinelli and the second on a one-yard Pete Banaszak run. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Miami to 5–2.

Ole Miss

New Orleans, LA

• Sources: After their loss in the Iron Bowl on November 30, Alabama officially accepted an invitation to play the SEC champion Ole Miss Rebels for the first time since the 1944 season in a Sugar Bowl that featured a pair of SEC teams. As each team entered the game, Mississippi finished in the No. 7 position and Alabama in the No. 8 position in the final AP poll of the season. With starting quarterback Joe Namath still suspended, the Crimson Tide offense struggled, but four Tim Davis field goals proved to be enough for Alabama to win 12–7 over the Rebels.

Davis gave the Crimson Tide a 12–0 lead as then entered the fourth quarter after connecting from 31-yards in the first, 46 and 22-yards in the second and 48-yards in the third quarter. Ole Miss responded in the fourth quarter with their only points on a five-yard Perry Lee Dunn touchdown pass to Larry Smith that made the final score 12–7. For his four field goal performance, Davis was named the Sugar Bowl MVP. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Ole Miss 17–3–2.

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 1963 season, the Alabama freshmen squad was coached by Sam Bailey and finished their season with a record of three wins and one loss (3–1). After a 10–6 loss to Mississippi State to open the season, Alabama rebounded with a 3–0 victory over Tulane at Denny Stadium. Dudley Kerr scored the Tide's only points with his 29-yard field goal in the second quarter.

In their third game, the Baby Tide defeated Auburn 21–14 at Cliff Hare Stadium. Alabama took an early 6–0 lead when Wayne Trimble threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Kent Busbee in the first quarter. They extended it to 21–0 with second-quarter touchdowns scored by John Mosely on a pair of one-yard runs. Auburn responded with a 21-yard Tom Bryan touchdown run that made the halftime score 21–7. After a scoreless third, the Tigers made the final score 21–14 after Bryan threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Scotty Long.

Alabama then closed the season with a 17–16 victory over a previously undefeated Ole Miss freshmen team in Tuscaloosa. The Rebels' scored on their opening possession on an 18-yard Joe Graves touchdown pass to James McCraney for a 7–0 lead. After a 41-yard Jimmy Keys field goal late in the second extended the Ole Miss lead to 10–0, Graves threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to McCraney with only 0:04 remaining in the first half for a 16–0 halftime lead. Alabama rallied in the third quarter with a pair of touchdowns that cut the Rebels' lead to 16–14. The first came when Louis Thompson recovered a Graves fumble in the endzone and the second on a 48-yard Wayne Trimble pass to Kent Busbee. A game-winning, 36-yard Dudley Kerr field goal late in the fourth quarter made the final score 17–16.

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

Coaching staff

NFL/AFL draft

Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1962 squad were drafted into the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL) between the 1963 and 1965 drafts. These players included the following:

References

General

Specific

References

1. (September 22, 1963). "Bama whips Georgia 32–7 in SEC duel". The Paducah Sun-Democrat.
2. (September 29, 1963). "Crimson Tide rolls early, hangs on to beat Tulane". The Montgomery Advertiser.
3. (October 6, 1963). "Vandy falls to Alabama in SEC game". The Jackson Sun.
4. (October 13, 1963). "Underdog Gators in 10–6 football shocker over 3rd ranked Bama". The Decatur Daily.
5. (October 20, 1963). "Bama passes crush Tennessee by 35–0". The Courier-Journal.
6. (October 27, 1963). "Injury-riddled Tide pounds Houston, 21–13". Waco Tribune-Herald.
7. (November 3, 1963). "Tide's Bryant proud after Alabama rally". The Montgomery Advertiser.
8. (November 17, 1963). "Infantry wins day for Tide". The Birmingham News.
9. (December 1, 1963). "Auburn gets Tide, Orange bid". The Nashville Tennessean.
10. (December 15, 1963). "Miami bows to Alabama". The Baltimore Sun.
11. (January 2, 1964). "Davis boots Bama over Rebels, 12–7". The Selma Times-Journal.
12. "1963 Alabama football schedule". University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
13. Land, Charles. (September 22, 1963). "Alabama whips Georgia, 32–7". The Tuscaloosa News.
14. (September 22, 1963). "Crimson Tide powers over Georgia Bulldogs, 32 to 7". Rome News-Tribune.
15. 1963 Season Recap
16. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Georgia". College Football Data Warehouse.
17. Land, Charles. (September 29, 1963). "Tide rolls over Tulane, 28–0". The Tuscaloosa News.
18. Atkins, Stan. (September 29, 1963). "Alabama rips Tulane 28–0 in second half". Ocala Star-Banner.
19. (September 24, 1963). "Tide second in grid poll". The Tuscaloosa News.
20. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Tulane". College Football Data Warehouse.
21. Halbrooks, Hap. (October 6, 1963). "Vandy tries, but fails". The Florence Times.
22. (October 6, 1963). "Benny Nelson paces Bama victory, 21–6". The Miami News.
23. Chandler, John. (October 1, 1963). "Sooners capture top spot in poll". The Tuscaloosa News.
24. Martin, Buddy. (October 13, 1963). "Biggest Gator victory yet". Ocala Star-Banner.
25. Crittenden, John. (October 13, 1963). "Florida holds on to upset Alabama". The Miami News.
26. (October 8, 1963). "Bama third in grid poll". The Tuscaloosa News.
27. Land, Charles. (October 20, 1963). "Namath fires Tide to 35–0 win over Vols". The Tuscaloosa News.
28. (October 20, 1963). "Alabama crushes Tennessee 35–0 with bruising defense". Spartanburg Herald-Journal.
29. (October 15, 1963). "Texas climbs into college poll lead". Eugene Register-Guard.
30. Thomas, Ronnie. (October 27, 1963). "Nelson, Namath pace Bama by snarling Cougars, 21–13". The Gadsden Times.
31. (October 27, 1963). "Tide rises over tough Cougars, 21–13". St. Petersburg Times.
32. (October 22, 1963). "Eyes of poll pretenders still look up to Texas". The Evening Independent.
33. (November 3, 1963). "Alabama wins, 20–19 on Namath passes". The Pittsburgh Press.
34. Thomas, Ronnie. (November 3, 1963). "State washed by Tide". The Gadsden Times.
35. Fullerton, Hugh Jr.. (October 29, 1963). "Auburn moves past Tide into fifth place in poll". The Tuscaloosa News.
36. Halbrooks, Hap. (November 17, 1963). "'Bama hammers Tech, 27–11". The Florence Times.
37. (November 17, 1963). "Mighty Bama crushes Tech in 27–11 tilt". Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal.
38. (November 8, 1963). "Tide still seventh". The Tuscaloosa News.
39. Land, Charles. (December 1, 1963). "Hungry Tigers arrive, smite Tide 10–8". The Tuscaloosa News.
40. Griffin, John Chandler. (2001). "Alabama vs. Auburn: Gridiron Grudge Since 1893". Hill Street Press.
41. (November 26, 1962). "Tide moves up to sixth". The Tuscaloosa News.
42. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Auburn". College Football Data Warehouse.
43. Fitzgerald, Tommy. (December 15, 1963). "Alabama overcomes Mira, Miami, 17–12". The Miami News.
44. (December 15, 1963). "'Bama withstands Mira passes for 17–12 win". Spartanburg Herald-Journal.
45. Devine, Tommy. (November 29, 1963). "U-M, Bama switch to December 14". The Miami News.
46. (November 30, 1963). "Tide-Miami game shifted to December 14". The Tuscaloosa News.
47. Rathet, Mike. (December 10, 1963). "Texas nails down title; Alabama finished eighth". The Tuscaloosa News.
48. Land, Charles. (December 10, 1963). "Namath suspended, to miss Miami and Bowl". The Tuscaloosa News.
49. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Miami (FL)". College Football Data Warehouse.
50. Land, Charles. (January 2, 1964). "Crimson Tide, Davis surprise Rebels 12–7". The Tuscaloosa News.
51. (January 2, 1964). "Mississippi upset by Tide, 12–7". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
52. "How Alabama and Ole Miss met in the 1964 Sugar Bowl". Allstate Sugar Bowl.
53. (January 2, 1964). "Davis top player". The Tuscaloosa News.
54. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Mississippi". College Football Data Warehouse.
55. Kersey, Jason. (August 27, 2012). "NCAA's decision to allow freshman eligibility changed football landscape". The Oklahoman.
56. Reed, Delbert. (January 21, 1972). "Unanimous vote makes SEC frosh eligible". The Tuscaloosa News.
57. Land, Charles. (November 16, 1963). "Kerr boots Tide by Rebs, 17–16". The Tuscaloosa News.
58. Land, Charles. (October 27, 1963). "Alabama freshmen stop Tulane, 3–0". The Tuscaloosa News.
59. (November 5, 1963). "Alabama freshmen beat Auburn, 21–14". The Tuscaloosa News.
60. ''2012 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book'', pp. 187–201
61. ''2012 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book'', pp. 202–203
62. "Draft History by School–Alabama". National Football League.
63. "1964 AFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
64. "1965 AFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
65. "1966 AFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com.