The1954 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented theUniversity of Alabama in the1954 college football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 60th overall and 21st season as a member of theSoutheastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coachHarold Drew, in his eighth year, and played their home games atDenny Stadium inTuscaloosa,Legion Field inBirmingham,Ladd Stadium inMobile and at theCramton Bowl inMontgomery, Alabama. They finished with a record of four wins, five losses and two ties (4–5–2 overall, 3–3–2 in the SEC).

After a second consecutive season-opening loss toMississippi Southern, Alabama reeled off a four-game winning streak that included shutout victories overLSU,Tulsa andTennessee. However, the Crimson Tide followed their streak by scoring only 14 points over the final six games of the 1954 season. After their win over Tennessee, Alabama lost toMississippi State, and in the loss began a streak of 16 consecutive scoreless quarters that tied the all-time school record. Consecutive scoreless ties againstGeorgia andTulane followed, despite quarterbackBart Starr's attempted comeback from a brutal pre-season hazing injury.^[1] The season ended with losses toGeorgia Tech,Miami andAuburn by a combined score of 71–7. Their record of 4–5–2 was only Alabama's second losing season in 50 years.

After the conclusion of the season, on December 2, Harold Drew resigned as head coach of the Crimson Tide.^[2] During his tenure as head coach, Drew had a winning record going 54–28–7 in seven years. Drew's teams won one conference title and played in three bowl games in eight years. On the day of Drew's resignation,Jennings B. Whitworth was introduced as his successor as head coach after he served in the same capacity atOklahoma A&M.^[2][3]

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 17	Mississippi Southern*	No. 14	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL		L 2–7	21,000	[4]
September 25	atLSU		Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA (rivalry)		W 12–0	40,000	[5]
October 2	Vanderbilt		Ladd Memorial Stadium Mobile, AL		W 28–14	25,000	[6]
October 9	Tulsa*		Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL		W 40–0	17,000	[7]
October 16	atTennessee		Shields–Watkins Field Knoxville, TN (Third Saturday in October)		W 27–0	41,800	[8]
October 23	Mississippi State		Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)		L 7–12	30,000	[9]
October 30	Georgia		Legion Field Birmingham, AL (rivalry)		T 0–0	30,000	[10]
November 6	atTulane		Tulane Stadium New Orleans, LA		T 0–0	22,000	[11]
November 13	atGeorgia Tech		Grant Field Atlanta, GA (rivalry)	ABC	L 0–20	40,000	[12]
November 19	at No. 16Miami*		Burdine Stadium Miami, FL		L 7–23	61,423	[13]
November 27	vs. No. 15Auburn		Legion Field Birmingham, AL (Iron Bowl)		L 0–28	43,167	[14]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings fromAP Poll released prior to the game

^[15]

To open the 1954 season, Alabama wasupset by theMississippi SouthernSoutherners, for the second consecutive year, 7–2 at the Cramton Bowl on a Friday night.^[16][17] The only touchdown of the game was scored by the Golden Eagles in the first quarter on an 18-yard Brooks Tisdale touchdown run.^[16] For the remainder of the game, both defenses were dominant with the only points coming in the fourth quarter when Douglas Potts blocked a Southernpunt into the end zone for asafety and made the final score 7–2.^[16] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi Southern to 6–2.^[18]

To open conference play for the 1954 season, Alabama defeatedLSU 12–0 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.^[17][19] After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama scored their first touchdown on a 15-yardBart Starr pass to Thomas Tharp for a 6–0 halftime lead.^[19] On the first play of the final period,Hootie Ingram scored on a 69-yard run and made the final score 12–0.^[19] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against LSU to 15–6–4.^[20]

At Ladd Stadium, the Crimson Tide defeated theVanderbiltCommodores by a final score of 28–14 in Mobile.^[17][21] Vanderbilt took a 7–0 first quarter lead after Charley Horton scored on a five-yard touchdown run.^[21] The Crimson Tide responded with a 30-yardHootie Ingram touchdown pass to Thomas Tharp to tie the game 7–7 in the second quarter. However, the Commodores responded to take a 14–7 halftime lead after 28-yard Horton touchdown run.^[21] Early in the third, a blocked Vandy punt gave Alabama possession at the Commodores 16-yard line. Four plays later, William Stone tied the game at 14–14 with his two-yard touchdown run.^[21] Alabama then closed with a pair of touchdowns to win the game 28–14. In the third, Albert Elmore threw a seven-yard touchdown pass toBobby Luna and in the fourth, Tharp scored on a 10-yard run.^[21] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 18–14–1.^[22]

In the first Denny Stadium game of the season, Alabama shutout theTulsaGolden Hurricane 40–0 in a contest that saw the Crimson Tide throw five touchdown passes.^[17][23] Alabama took a 14–0 first quarter lead after a 22-yardHootie Ingram pass to William Hollis and on a 26-yard Ollie Yates pass to Curtis Lynch.^[23] Another pair of touchdowns in the second quarter on a four-yard Jerry Watford run and an 18-yard Yates pass to Billy Lumpkin made the halftime score 26–0 in favor of the Crimson Tide.^[23] Alabama then closed their scoring with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns on a 17-yard Albert Elmore pass to Paul Donaldson and finally on an 88-yard Elmore pass toBobby Luna that made the final score 40–0.^[23] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tulsa to 2–0.^[24]

In their annual rivalry game against theTennessee, Alabama shutout theVolunteers 27–0 and handed the Vols their worst home loss to date.^[17][25] After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama took a 7–0 halftime lead after Albert Elmore threw an 11-yard touchdown pass toBobby Luna late in the second quarter.^[25] A pair of Elmore touchdown passes in the third quarter, seven-yards to Thomas Tharp and 25-yards to Nicholas Germanos, extended the Crimson Tide lead to 21–0.^[25] The final points came late in the fourth quarter when Tharp returned aninterception 96-yards for touchdown and the 27–0 victory.^[25] The return remained the longest in Alabama history through the1991 season whenMark McMillian had a 98-yard return againstChattanooga.^[26] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 18–13–5.^[27]

Onhomecoming in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide were defeated by theMississippi StateMaroons 12–7 at Denny Stadium.^[17][28] After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama took a 7–0 halftime lead when Albert Elmore threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Tharp with only 0:25 left in the second.^[28] The Maroons scored their first touchdown in the third quarter whenBobby Collins returned aBobby Lunapunt 56-yards to cut the Crimson Tide lead to 7–6.^[28] State then scored the game-winning touchdown on a 30-yard Joe Silveri run in the fourth and gave the Maroons the 12–7 victory.^[28] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi State to 28–8–3.^[29]

At Birmingham, the Crimson Tide battled theGeorgiaBulldogs to a scoreless tie in the first Legion Field game of the season.^[17][30] The tie brought Alabama's all-time record against Georgia to 21–15–4.^[31]

For their game againstTulane, Alabama traveled toNew Orleans and played theGreen Wave to a scoreless tie, the second for the Crimson Tide in two weeks.^[17][32] The tie brought Alabama's all-time record against Tulane to 16–7–2.^[33]

AgainstGeorgia Tech, Alabama extended their scoreless streak to 14 quarters before a nationally televised audience against theYellow Jackets 20–0 at Grant Field.^[17][34] Tech took a commanding 13–0 lead in the first quarter with touchdowns scored on runs of 45-yards by Paul Rotenberry and seven-yards by E. O. Thompson.^[34] The Jackets then scored their final points in the third on a six-yard Thompson run for the 20–0 victory.^[34] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Georgia Tech to 18–15–3.^[35]

On a Friday evening in Miami, Alabama was defeated by theMiamiHurricanes 23–7 at Burdine Stadium.^[17][36] After a scoreless first, Miami took a 10–0 halftime lead after Porky Oliver kicked afield goal and on a six-yard Whitey Rouviere touchdown run in the second quarter.^[36] The Crimson Tide then ended a 16 quarter shutout streak in the third quarter whenBart Starr scored on a one-yard run and made the score 10–7.^[36] The Hurricanes then closed the game with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns and won the game 23–7.^[36] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Miami to 3–1.^[37]

For the first time since the1949 season, Alabama was defeated by the rivalAuburnTigers 28–0 at Legion Field.^[17][38][39] Auburn led 7–0 at halftime with the only first half touchdown scored on a one-yardBobby Freeman run in the first quarter.^[38][39] After a 41-yard Freeman run gave the Tigers a 14–0 lead in the third, a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns gave Auburn the 28–0 victory.^[38][39] The final points came on a one-yardJoe Childress run and a three-yard Freeman run.^[38][39] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Auburn to 9–9–1.^[40]

General

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• 1954 Southeastern Conference football season
• Alabama Crimson Tide football seasons
• 1954 in sports in Alabama

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