The1940 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented theUniversity of Alabama in the1940 college football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 47th overall and 8th season as a member of theSoutheastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coachFrank Thomas, in his tenth year, and played their home games atDenny Stadium inTuscaloosa andLegion Field inBirmingham,Alabama. They finished the season with a record of seven wins and two losses (7–2 overall, 4–2 in the SEC).

The Crimson Tide opened the 1940 season with three consecutive, non-conference victories overSpring Hill,Mercer andHoward. However, Alabama was defeated 27–12 byTennessee in their conference opener in week four. The Crimson Tide then rebounded with four consecutive conference victories overKentucky,Tulane,Georgia Tech andVanderbilt. Alabama then closed their season with a loss againstMississippi State onhomecoming at Denny Stadium.

Alabama was ranked at No. 24 (out of 697 college football teams) in the final rankings under theLitkenhous Difference by Score system for 1940.^[1]

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance
September 27	atSpring Hill*		Murphy High School Stadium Mobile, AL	W 26–0	7,500
October 5	Mercer*		Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL	W 20–0	6,000
October 12	Howard (AL)*		Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL	W 31–0	4,500
October 19	No. 5Tennessee		Legion Field Birmingham, AL (Third Saturday in October)	L 12–27	24,500
November 2	atKentucky		McLean Stadium Lexington, KY	W 25–0	13,000
November 9	Tulane		Legion Field Birmingham, AL	W 13–6	20,000
November 16	atGeorgia Tech	No. 14	Grant Field Atlanta, GA (rivalry)	W 14–13	25,000
November 23	Vanderbilt	No. 17	Legion Field Birmingham, AL	W 25–21
November 30	No. 11Mississippi State	No. 17	Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)	L 0–13	18,500
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings fromAP Poll released prior to the game

^[2]

To open the 1940 season, Alabama defeatedSpring Hill College 26–0 atMurphy High School Stadium in Mobile.^[3][4] After a scoreless first quarter, the Crimson Tide scored their first touchdown on a one-yard Paul Spencer run in the second quarter and held a 7–0 halftime lead.^[3] In the third quarter, Alabama extended their lead to 20–0 with touchdowns scored runs of two-yards by Spencer and 31-yards by Dave Brown.^[3] They then closed the game with a five-yard Herschel Mosley touchdown run in the fourth quarter for the 26–0 victory.^[3] The victory was Alabama's final game played against the Badgers and improved their all-time record against Spring Hill to 3–0.^[5] This contest is also notable for being the firstnight game ever played by an Alabama football team.^[3][4][6]

In their first home game of the season, Alabama shutout theMercerBears 20–0 on an unseasonably warm afternoon that saw temperatures in excess of 90 degrees.^[4][7] Paul Spencer scored both of the Crimson Tide's first half touchdowns on runs of six and five yards for a 13–0 halftime lead.^[7] The final score came in the third quarter on a six-yard Dave Brown touchdown run.^[7] In the victory, the Alabama defense only allowed the Bears one first down and held their offense to net yardage of minus 17.^[7] The victory was Alabama's final game played against the Bears until 2017 and improved their all-time record against Mercer to 2–0.^[8]

At Denny Stadium, Alabama defeated Howard (nowSamford University) 31–0 for their third consecutiveshutout to open the season.^[4][9] Paul Spencer scored first with his one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter followed by a six-yard Dave Brown touchdown run in the second quarter for a 13–0 halftime lead.^[9] After Spencer scored again in the third on a seven-yard run, Jimmy Nelsonintercepted a Jimmy Tarrant pass and returned it 88-yards for a touchdown.^[9] Don Salls then scored the final points of the game in the fourth quarter on a ten-yard run for the 31–0 victory.^[9] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Howard to 18–0–1.^[10]

On the Monday prior to their annual game against theVolunteers, Tennessee was selected to the No. 5 position in the firstAP Poll of the 1940 season.^[12] In the game, Alabama was defeated byrivalTennessee 27–12 before an overflow crowd of 24,500 at Legion Field.^[4][11] After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama took their only lead of the game early in the second quarter on a 14-yard fakereverse by Jimmy Nelson for a touchdown.^[11] The Volunteers responded with a pair ofJohn Butler touchdowns to take a 14–6 halftime lead. The first came on an 11-yard Butler pass to Al Hurst and the second on a 19-yard Butlerpunt return.^[4][11]

Alabama then cut the lead to 14–12 in the third quarter after Dave Brown returned a Tennessee punt 57-yards for a touchdown.^[4][11] The Volunteers responded with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to seal the victory. The first came on a five-yardBuss Warren pass to Mike Balitsaris and the second on a 24-yard Warren to Balitsaris pass.^[4][11] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 13–8–2.^[13]

On what washomecoming forKentucky, the Crimson Tide shutout the Wildcats 25–0 at Lexington.^[4][14] After a scoreless first, Alabama started their first scoring drive of the game afterJoe Domnanovich recovered a Kentuckyfumble to give the Crimson Tide possession at the Wildcats' ten-yard line. Dave Brown then scored on a one-yard run for a 7–0 lead.^[14] Jimmy Nelson scored later in the quarter on a 63-yard touchdown run to give Alabama a 13–0 halftime lead.^[4][14] The Crimson Tide then closed the game with a pair of second half touchdowns for the 25–0 victory. The first came on a 39-yard Nelson run in the third and on a 40-yard Don Sallsinterception return in the fourth.^[14] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Kentucky 18–1–1.^[15]

In Birmingham, the Crimson Tide defeated theGreen Wave 13–6 before a crowd of 20,000 at Legion Field.^[4][16] After a scoreless first, Alabama took a 6–0 halftime lead when Paul Spencer scored a touchdown on a short run afterHolt Rast recovered a fumbled punt at the Tulane three-yard line.^[16] Early in the third quarter, Dave Brown extended the Alabama lead to 13–0 with his 12-yard touchdown run.^[16] Tulane did start a comeback in the fourth quarter with a touchdown, but was stopped late in the game when Ed Hickerson intercepted a Harry Hays pass at the Alabama eight-yard line to seal the Crimson Tide win.^[16] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tulane to 13–4–1.^[17]

Prior to their final road game of the season againstGeorgia Tech, Alabama entered the AP Poll for the first time of the season at No. 14.^[19] Against theYellow Jackets, the Crimson Tide won on a missedextra point 14–13 at Grant Field.^[4][18] Tech scored first on a nine-yard J. W. Bosch touchdown pass to R. L. Ison; however, C. P. Goree missed the extra point that would later prove to be the final margin of loss.^[18] Alabama responded on thekickoff that ensued when Jimmy Nelson scored on a 94-yard touchdown return.^[4][18] Each team then traded third-quarter touchdowns. Alabama scored first on a short Paul Spencer run followed by a C. R. Bates touchdown pass to G. I. Webb.^[18] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia Tech to 12–11–3.^[20]

As a result of their unexpectedly close contest against Georgia Tech, Alabama dropped three spots to the No. 17 position in the AP Poll prior to their game againstVanderbilt.^[22] In their game against theCommodores, Alabama rallied from a 14–0 deficit to defeat Vanderbilt 25–21 in the final Legion Field game of the 1940 season.^[4][21] The Commodores took a 14–0 halftime lead with touchdowns scored in the first on a 39-yard Charlton Davis pass to Binks Bushmiaer and in the second on a six-yard George Marlin run.^[21] Alabama responded in the third quarter with a pair of touchdowns to cut the lead to 14–13. Touchdowns were scored on a 12-yard Jimmy Nelson pass to Hal Newman and on a short Dave Brown run.^[21] In the fourth, Vanderbilt extended their lead to 21–13 with an Art Rebrovich touchdown run, but ten gave up a pair of late touchdowns to give Alabama the 25–21 win. Alabama's final touchdowns were scored on a pair of Nelson passes, first toHolt Rast and the second toRuss Craft for the win.^[21] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 13–9.^[23]

In the final game of the season, Alabama was shutout 13–0 against theMississippi StateMaroons onhomecoming at Denny Stadium.^[4][24] The Maroons scored both of their touchdowns on runs of nine-yards byHarvey Johnson in the first quarter and 23-yards by Charles Yancey in the fourth quarter.^[24] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi State to 19–6–2.^[25]

Several players that werevarsity lettermen from the 1940 squad were drafted into theNational Football League (NFL) between the 1941 and 1943 drafts.^[26][27] These players included the following:

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