| 1965Alabama Crimson Tide football | |
|---|---|
AP poll national champion FWAA co-national champion SEC champion Orange Bowl champion | |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 4 |
| AP | No. 1 |
| Record | 9–1–1 (6–1–1 SEC) |
| Head coach |
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| Captains | |
| Home stadium | Denny Stadium Legion Field Ladd Stadium |
Seasons | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1Alabama $ | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7Tennessee | 3 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 1 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Miss | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8LSU | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The1965 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented theUniversity of Alabama in the1965 NCAA University Division football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 71st overall and 32nd season as a member of theSoutheastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coachBear Bryant, in his eighth year, and played their home games atDenny Stadium inTuscaloosa,Legion Field inBirmingham andLadd Stadium inMobile, Alabama. They finished season with nine wins, one loss and one tie (9–1–1 overall, 6–1–1 in the SEC), as SEC champions and with a victory overNebraska in theOrange Bowl. Alabama was also recognized asnational champions by theAP Poll after their Orange Bowl win.
Alabama opened the season ranked No. 5, but were upset byGeorgia 18–17 in the first game of the season. They rebounded with their first win of the season overTulane and followed that with a 17–16 win overOle Miss in a game in which Alabama had to rally from a nine-point fourth quarter deficit for the victory. The next week, the Crimson Tide defeatedVanderbilt in Nashville before they returned home for their rivalry game againstTennessee. Against the Volunteers, the score was deadlocked 7–7 in the closing seconds, but Alabama had driven to the Tennessee four-yard line.Ken Stabler believing that it was third down, threw the ball out of bounds with six seconds left to stop the clock. However, it was actually fourth down, possession went to Tennessee, and the game ended in a tie.
After the tie, the Crimson Tide won five in a row overFlorida State,Mississippi State,LSU,South Carolina andAuburn en route to Bryant's fourth SEC title at Alabama. Because the Associated Press was holding its vote until after the bowl games instead of before for the first time, No. 4 Alabama still had a chance to win the national championship when they played No. 3Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. On New Year's Day, No. 1Michigan State lost in theRose Bowl and No. 2Arkansas lost in theCotton Bowl Classic, and Alabama defeated Nebraska 39–28 in the Orange Bowl and captured its third AP National Championship in five years.
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 18 | atGeorgia | No. 5 | NBC | L 17–18 | 42,500 | [1] | |
| September 25 | Tulane | W 27–0 | 33,321 | [2] | |||
| October 2 | Ole Miss | W 17–16 | 65,677 | [3] | |||
| October 9 | atVanderbilt | W 22–7 | 29,268 | [4] | |||
| October 16 | Tennessee |
| T 7–7 | 65,680 | [5] | ||
| October 23 | Florida State* | W 21–0 | 43,066 | [6] | |||
| October 30 | atMississippi State | No. 10 | W 10–7 | 45,876 | [7] | ||
| November 6 | atLSU | No. 5 | NBC | W 31–7 | 58,953 | [8] | |
| November 13 | South Carolina* | No. 5 |
| W 35–14 | 38,776 | [9] | |
| November 27 | vs.Auburn | No. 5 |
| W 30–3 | 66,333 | [10] | |
| January 1, 1966 | vs. No. 3Nebraska* | No. 4 | NBC | W 39–28 | 72,214 | [11] | |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #5 Alabama | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| •Georgia | 0 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 18 |
To open the 1965 season, the No. 5 Crimson Tide were upset by theGeorgiaBulldogs 18–17 at Athens.[13][14][15] After a scoreless first quarter, Georgia took a 10–0 lead on a 37-yardBob Etterfield goal and when George Pattonintercepted aSteve Sloan pass and returned it 55-yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Alabama then made the halftime score 10–3 with a 26-yardDavid Ray field goal.[13][14] The Crimson Tide then tied the game in the third on an eight-yard Steve Bowman run and took their only lead of the game in the fourth on a two-yard Sloan touchdown run. The Bulldogs then scored their second touchdown late in the fourth quarter whenPat Hodgsonlateraled a Kirby Moore pass to Bob Taylor who took it 73-yards for a touchdown. Georgia then successfully made atwo-point conversion that gave them an 18–17 victory.[13][14] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Georgia to 28–19–4.[16]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulane | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| •Alabama | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
After their loss to Georgia in the season opener, the Crimson Tide dropped out of the rankings prior to their game againstTulane.[19] AtMobile, the Crimson Tide shutout theGreen Wave 27–0 in their annual Ladd Stadium game of the season.[15][17][18] The Crimson Tide took a 10–0 first quarter lead on a 37-yardDavid Rayfield goal followed by a one-yardLeslie Kelley touchdown run, and then extended it to 17–0 at halftime with a 29-yardSteve Sloan touchdown pass to Tommy Tolleson in the second.[17][18] Alabama then closed the game with a 15-yard Sloan touchdown pass to Richard Thompson in the third and a 25-yard Ray field goal in the fourth for the 27–0 win.[17][18] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tulane to 23–10–3.[20]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ole Miss | 3 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
| •Alabama | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
For their third game of the season, Alabama metrivalOle Miss during the regular season for the first time since the1944 season.[23] In a night game at Legion Field, a nine-yardSteve Sloan touchdown run with just over a minute left in the game gave Alabama a 17–16 victory over theRebels.[15][21][22] Ole Miss took an early 3–0 lead on a 34-yard Jimmy Keyesfield goal in the first quarter and then extended it to 9–0 in the second on an eight-yard James Heidel touchdown pass to Donald Street.[21][22] Sloan then got Alabama on the scoreboard near the end of the second quarter on a five-yard touchdown run that made the halftime score 9–7. After a scoreless third, the Rebels extended their lead to 16–7 on a one-yard Heidel touchdown run before the Crimson Tide rallied for the victory.[21][22]
David Ray scored first with his 37-yard field goal that made the score 16–10 in favor of Ole Miss, and then with 1:19 left in the game Sloan scored the game-tying touchdown on a nine-yard run.[21][22] On the next play, Ray successfully converted theextra point and gave Alabama a 17–16 lead. The Crimson Tide then secured the victory on the next play when the Rebels' Stan Mossfumbledkickoff that was recovered by Alabama who then ran out the clock and won the game.[21][22] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Ole Miss 18–3–2.[24]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •Alabama | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 22 |
| Vanderbilt | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
After they trailed for the majority of the game, Alabama rallied with 22 fourth quarter points and defeated theCommodores 22–7 at Nashville.[15][25][26] After a scoreless first quarter, the Commodores took a 7–0 lead after Charles Boyd returned apunt 69-yards for a touchdown in the second. Vanderbilt remained in the lead through the fourth quarter when Alabama scored a trio of touchdowns. Steve Bowman scored first on a two-yard run, followed by a 35-yard John Reitzinterception return and then on a 57-yard Bowman run late in the game.[25][26] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 23–16–4.[27]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Alabama | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
In a game that saw multiple turnovers result in failed touchdown opportunities, Alabama tied the rivalTennesseeVolunteers 7–7 at Legion Field.[15][28][29] After a scoreless first quarter, both teams scored their only touchdown in the second. Stan Mitchell scored first for the Vols on a one-yard run andSteve Sloan followed for Alabama with his one-yard run.[28][29] The Crimson Tide had a chance to win the game in the final minute of the game. With only 0:36 remaining in the game, Alabama had possession at the Tennessee six-yard line.[30] However, Alabama quarterbackKen Stabler thought the Tide gained a first down on the previous play and threw the ball out-of-bounds on a fourth down play and turned the ball over on downs back to the Vols. Tennessee then ran out the clock for the tie.[30] The tie brought Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 22–19–7.[31]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| •Alabama | 7 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 21 |
In what was their first all-time game againstFlorida State, the Crimson Tide shutout theSeminoles 21–0 onhomecoming in Tuscaloosa.[32][33][34] Alabama took a 13–0 halftime lead afterLeslie Kelley scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the first andSteve Sloan scored on a two-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.[32][33] After a scoreless third, the Crimson Tide closed the game with a second one-yard Kelley touchdown run in the fourth quarter coupled with aKen Stablertwo-point conversion that made the final score 21–0.[32][33]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •#10 Alabama | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Mississippi State | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
At theMississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, a pair ofBobby Johns turnovers in the fourth quarter preserved a 10–7 win over theMississippi StateBulldogs.[15][35][36] The Crimson Tide took an early 7–0 lead afterSteve Sloan threw a 65-yard touchdown pass toDennis Homan in the first quarter. They then extended their lead to 10–0 in the third quarter on a 27-yardDavid Rayfield goal before the Bulldogs scored their only points on an eleven-yard Ashby Cook touchdown pass to Marcus Rhoden later in the quarter.[35][36] In the fourth, Johns preserved the Crimson Tide win with his blocked field goal andinterception late in the game.[35][36] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi State to 37–10–3.[37]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •#5 Alabama | 7 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| LSU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
After their victory over Mississippi State, Alabama moved into the No. 5 position in theAP Poll prior to their game againstLSU.[40] Against theTigers, the Crimson Tide won 31–7 at Tiger Stadium.[15][38][39] Alabama scored their first touchdown early on a 45-yardSteve Sloan pass toDennis Homan for a 7–0 first quarter lead.[38][39] 17 second quarter points scored on a two-yard Steve Bowman run, a six-yard Sloan pass toDavid Ray and a 41-yard Rayfield goal made the halftime score 24–0 in favor of the visitors.[38][39] After Bowman scored on a 35-yard run in the third, LSU scored their only points in the fourth on a 53-yardPat Screen touchdown pass to Joe Labruzzo that made the final score 31–7.[38][39] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against LSU to 17–8–4.[41]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| •#5 Alabama | 7 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 35 |
In their second non-conference game of the season, Alabama defeated theSouth CarolinaGamecocks 35–14 at Denny Stadium.[15][42][43] The Crimson Tide took an early 7–0 lead afterSteve Sloan scored on a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.[42][43] After they extended their lead on a two-yard Steve Bowman touchdown run, the Gamecocks responded with their first touchdown on a seven-yardMichael L. Fair pass toJ. R. Wilburn that made the score 14–7.[42][43] Alabama then scored a pair of touchdowns on Sloan passes toDennis Homan, the first from 50 and the second from 39 yards. South Carolina answered with a two-yard Phil Branson touchdown run and then Alabama with a two-yardKen Stabler touchdown run that made the final score 35–14.[42][43] In the game, Sloan eclipsed the previous team records for both pass completions and yardage in a single season formerly held byJoe Namath.[43] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against South Carolina to 5–0.[44]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| •#5 Alabama | 6 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 30 |
In the annualIron Bowl game, Alabama defeated theAuburnTigers 30–3 and secured their second consecutive SEC championship.[15][45][46] Alabama took a 15–0 lead late into the second quarter withSteve Sloan touchdown passes of 11-yards to Tommy Tolleson, 33-yards toRay Perkins and a 27-yardDavid Rayfield goal. Auburn then ended the shutout bid just before halftime on a 44-yard Don Lewis field goal that made the score 15–3.[45][46] The Crimson Tide then closed the game with a two-yardLeslie Kelley touchdown in the third and a 29-yard Sloan touchdown pass to Don Shankles in the fourth that made the final score 30–3.[45][46] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Auburn to 15–14–1.[47]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •#4 Alabama | 7 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 39 |
| #3 Nebraska | 0 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 28 |
For the second year in a row, Alabama played in the Orange Bowl. In the 1966 edition of the game, the Crimson Tide defeated theNebraskaCornhuskers 39–28 and finished the season 9–1–1 and as AP national champions.[48][49]
The NCAA recognizes consensus national champions as the teams that have captured a championship by way of one of the major polls since the1950 NCAA University Division football season.[50][51] As they entered theOrange Bowl, the Crimson Tide was ranked fourth by the AP behindMichigan State,Arkansas andNebraska.[52] After losses by the Spartans and Razorbacks in their bowl game coupled with an Alabama victory over Nebraska in their contest, the AP, voting after the bowls for the first time, vaulted the Crimson Tide into the No. 1 position in the final poll of the season and won the national championship.[52] Michigan State was also recognized as national champions by various other selectors for the 1965 season, including the UPI Coaches Poll.[50]
Several players that werevarsity lettermen from the 1965 squad were drafted into theNational Football League (NFL) and theAmerican Football League (AFL) between the 1966 and 1968 drafts. These players included the following:
| Year | Round | Overall | Player name | Position | NFL/AFL team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 NFL draft [53] | 11 | 156 | Steve Sloan | Quarterback | Atlanta Falcons |
| 15 | 216 | Tom Tolleson | Wide receiver | Atlanta Falcons | |
| 15 | 226 | Steve Bowman | Running back | New York Giants | |
| 1966 AFL draft [54] | 17 | 150 | Tom Tolleson | Wide receiver | New York Jets |
| 20 | 179 | Steve Bowman | Halfback | Oakland Raiders | |
| 1967 NFL/AFL draft [53] | 1 | 26 | Leslie Kelley | Running back Linebacker | New Orleans Saints |
| 4 | 82 | Louis Thompson | Defensive tackle | New York Giants | |
| 4 | 91 | Wayne Trimble | Defensive tackle | San Francisco 49ers | |
| 9 | 230 | Cecil Dowdy | Linebacker | Cleveland Browns | |
| 1968 NFL/AFL draft [53] | 1 | 20 | Dennis Homan | Wide receiver | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2 | 52 | Ken Stabler | Quarterback | Oakland Raiders | |
| 12 | 320 | Bobby Johns | Defensive back | Kansas City Chiefs |
Prior to the1972 NCAA University Division football season, NCAA rules prohibitedfreshmen from participating on the varsity team, and as such many schools fielded freshmen teams.[55][56] The Alabama freshmen squad finished the 1965 season with a record of three wins and one loss (3–1).[57] The Baby Tide opened their season with a 7–6 loss at Mississippi State.[58] After a scoreless first quarter, the Bulldogs took a 7–0 lead in the second when Ronnie Coleman threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Harry Ivey. Although the Alabama defense only allowed State only two first downs for the remainder of the game, the Baby Tide lost 7–6 after a failedtwo-point conversion attempt that followed a 26-yard Joe Kelley touchdown pass to Donnie Sutton.[58]
Alabama then won their first game of the season at Denny Stadium with a 27–14 victory over Ole Miss.[59] Ole Miss took an early 7–0 lead on a 12-yard Jimmy Wallis touchdown pass to Glenn Cannon. Alabama responded with the next four touchdowns and took a 27–7 lead.[59] Touchdowns were scored on runs of 19-yards by Dave Beddingfield, 25-yards by Mickey Lee, three-yards by Frank Chambers run and on a 61-yard Kelley pass to Conrad Fowler. The Rebels then scored their final points as time expired on a 73-yard Terry Collier touchdown pass to Cannon.[59] In their third game, Alabama defeated Tennessee 19–8 atNeyland Stadium.[60] Alabama took an early 7–0 lead after Donnie Johnston scored on a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.[60] After a pair of Myles Prestigefield goals, the Baby Tide extended their lead to 19–0 with a second half touchdown. Tennessee responded late with their only touchdown on a four-yard Nick Showalter touchdown run in the fourth quarter.[60]
Two weeks later, Alabama closed the season with a 30–6 victory over rival Auburn atCliff Hare Stadium.[57] After Baby Tide took a 7–0 first quarter lead on short Frank Chambers run, Auburn scored their only points on a 96-yard return by Larry Ellis on thekickoff that ensued.[57] The Baby Tide then closed the game with 23 unanswered points scored on a one-yard Kelley run, a 20-yard Prestige field goal, a 52-yard Don Matthewspunt return and on a nine-yard Johnstonreverse.[57]
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