The2003 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented theUniversity of Alabama as a member of theSoutheastern Conference (SEC) during the2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by first-year head coachMike Shula, the Crimson Tide compiled an overall record of 4–9 with a mark of 2–6 in conference play, placing fifth in the SEC's Western Division. To date, this is the last season in which Alabama had a losing record and failed to becomebowl eligible. The team played home games atBryant–Denny Stadium inTuscaloosa, Alabama, andLegion Field inBirmingham, Alabama.

At the conclusion of the2002 season,Dennis Franchione resigned as head coach and took the same position withTexas A&M. After a two-week-long coaching search,Washington State head coachMike Price was hired as Franchione's replacement. Price then signed the 2003 recruiting class and led the Crimson Tide through spring practice. However, he was fired in May 2003 due to detrimental conduct as an employee of the university. Less than a week later,Mike Shula was hired as head coach of the Crimson Tide.

The Crimson Tide opened the season with what turned out to be their final game ever played atLegion Field with a victory overSouth Florida. After a loss to No. 1Oklahoma in the second week of the season, the Crimson Tide entered the rankings at No. 21 following a victory overKentucky. However, they dropped out the next week after being upset byNorthern Illinois. They then lost toArkansas andGeorgia before they defeatedSouthern Miss on homecoming. Alabama then lost consecutive games toOle Miss and then in five overtimes toTennessee before they won atMississippi State. The Crimson Tide then closed the season with losses toLSU,Auburn andHawaii and finished with an overall record of 4–9.

The 2003 schedule was anomalous for a variety of reasons. With a two-year bowl ban imposed by the NCAA in 2002 through 2004, Alabama added 13th game againstHawaii inHonolulu to the 2002 and 2003 schedules that the university hoped to serve as an effective replacement for a bowl game. The 2003 season marked just the fifth time since 1947 that theIron Bowl was not Alabama's final regular season game. With the exception of the2002 game at Hawaii, all previous instances were postponements:the 2001 game vs. Southern Miss due to theSeptember 11 attacks;the 1988 game at Texas A&M due toHurricane Gilbert; andthe 1963 game at Miami at request byCBS and later due to theassassination of John F. Kennedy.

Also beginning in 2003, the SEC altered its scheduling methodology—permanent cross-division opponents were reduced from two to one. Instead of Alabama playingTennessee andVanderbilt annually, the Tide would only face Tennessee every year while the Commodores would rotate onto Alabama's schedule along with the rest of the SEC Eastern Division teams. This change resulted in Alabama not playing Vanderbilt for the first time since 1952. Finally, the Crimson Tide played their final home game atLegion Field, which had hosted many Alabama games over the previous century, including the entire1987 home schedule.

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
August 30	2:00 p.m.	South Florida*		Legion Field Birmingham, AL	ESPN	W 40–17	76,780
September 6	6:45 p.m.	No. 1Oklahoma*		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (College GameDay)	ESPN	L 13–20	83,818
September 13	6:45 p.m.	Kentucky		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL	ESPN	W 27–17	83,818
September 20	6:00 p.m.	Northern Illinois*	No. 21	Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL	PPV	L 16–19	83,818
September 27	2:30 p.m.	No. 9Arkansas		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL	CBS	L 31–342OT	83,818
October 4	2:30 p.m.	at No. 11Georgia		Sanford Stadium Athens, GA (rivalry)	CBS	L 23–37	92,058
October 11	2:30 p.m.	Southern Miss*		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL	PPV	W 17–3	83,818	[1]
October 18	11:30 a.m.	atOle Miss		Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS (rivalry)	JPS	L 28–43	60,825
October 25	2:30 p.m.	No. 22Tennessee		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (Third Saturday in October)	CBS	L 43–515OT	83,818
November 8	11:30 a.m.	atMississippi State		Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS (rivalry)	JPS	W 38–0	48,242
November 15	6:45 p.m.	No. 3LSU		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)	ESPN	L 3–27	83,818
November 22	6:45 p.m.	atAuburn		Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, AL (Iron Bowl)	ESPN	L 23–28	86,063
November 29	6:45 p.m.	atHawaii*		Aloha Stadium Halawa, HI	ESPN	L 29–37	43,477
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings fromAP Poll released prior to the game All times are inCentral time

^[2][3][4]

The 2003 season was impacted by sanctions imposed by theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for violations that dated as far back as the late 1990s. On February 1, 2002, the NCAA imposed a two-year bowl ban, a reduction inathletic scholarships of 21 over a three-year period and five years of probation.^[5][6] The NCAA sanctioned the university after they found 11 major violations and five minor ones as part of their investigation that included boosters who provided players and coaches with improper benefits in violation of NCAA rules.^[5][6] On September 17, 2002, the NCAA rejected Alabama's appeal to reduce the severity of the sanctions.^[7] At that time, the NCAA stated they felt that the sanctions were appropriate and that it was only because of the cooperation of the university that thedeath penalty for the football program was not considered.^[7] As the appeal was denied, for the 2003 season Alabama saw a smaller recruiting class and was ineligible for both the2003 SEC Championship Game andbowl games.^[7] The latter penalty would end up being meaningless due to the Tide going 4–9.

Late in the 2002 season, rumors were abound that head coachDennis Franchione was going to resign from Alabama to take the head coaching position withTexas A&M.^[8][9] On December 2, 2002, A&M head coachR. C. Slocum was fired after he served 14 seasons in the position.^[10] Three days later, Franchione left Tuscaloosa and formally accepted the Aggies coaching vacancy on December 6.^[11][12]

Immediately after the resignation of Franchione, athletic directorMal Moore started the search for his replacement. In the week of December 9,South Florida head coachJim Leavitt was interviewed and thenNew Orleans Saints assistant coachMike Riley was actually offered the Alabama coaching position, which he later declined.^[13] After Riley turned down the position, Moore considered several other candidates. Included in the search were head coachesLes Miles ofOklahoma State,Rich Rodriguez ofWest Virginia andMike Price ofWashington State.^[13][14] On December 17, Price was officially named as the new head coach for the Crimson Tide.^[15][16] Price did not fully assume his duties as head coach until January 4, after he coachedWashington State in the2003 Rose Bowl.^[17]

In addition to completing the 2003 recruiting class, Price worked to assemble his staff in the weeks after he arrived in Tuscaloosa. Four of his assistants from Washington State came with Price to coach at Alabama:Chris Ball, Bob Connelly, Kasey Dunn and Aaron Price.^[18] The remainder of the staff was filled in the weeks that followedNational Signing Day.

The 2003 spring practices started on March 3, and concluded with the annual A-Day game on March 29.^[24] During the month of practice, offensively the team began the transition from Franchione'soption offense to Price's passing attack.^[25] For the A-Day game, the Crimson team ofoffensive starters defeated the White team of defensive starters by a final score of 47–0 before 34,000 fans in Bryant–Denny Stadium.^[26] For their performances,Antwan Odom earned theDwight Stephenson Lineman of the A-Day Game Award andBrodie Croyle earned theDixie Howell Memorial Most Valuable Player of the A-Day Game Award.^[26]

On May 3, 2003, university presidentRobert Witt announced the firing of Price immediately as the head coach of the Crimson Tide.^[27][28] Although both the university and Price were in agreement in principle to his seven-year, $10 million contract, Price never signed it and thus was not awarded any severance pay with his dismissal.^[28] Later, a story inSports Illustrated stated Price had been seen at astrip club "making it rain" and yelling "Roll Tide, Roll!".^[29] He allegedly later checked into a local hotel with at least oneexotic dancer from the club, and the magazine further alleged Price had sex with one of the strippers, a claim which Price denied, although he acknowledged being intoxicated on the evening in question.^[29] He filed a $20 million libel and defamation suit againstSports Illustrated.^[29]

After the dismissal of Price, Alabama interviewed only three candidates to serve as his successor:Sylvester Croom,Richard Williamson andMike Shula.^[30] On May 9, 2003, Alabama hired Mike Shula as their fourth head coach in four years.^[30][31]

After he was hired, Shula retained much of the coaching staff put in place by Price; however, he did make several changes. On May 13,David Rader was hired to serve as bothoffensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach as the replacement for both Aaron Price and Eric Price.^[32][33] On May 23, Dave Ungerer was hired to serve as special teams coach as the replacement for Aaron Price.^[32][34] The final coach added was Charlie Harbison as running backs coach as the replacement for Kasey Dunn.^[35][36]

In 2000, the NCAA voted to allow its member schools to schedule a 12th game for both the 2002 and 2003 seasons.^[38] As such, in June 2000 Alabama scheduled theSouth FloridaBulls to open the 2003 season in the first all-time meeting between the schools.^[38] In what was the first game of the Mike Shula era,Shaud Williams scored three touchdowns in this 40–17 victory atLegion Field.^[39][40] After each team tradedpunts to open the game, the Bulls took an early 7–0 lead when Ronnie Banks threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Brian Fisher.^[40][41] The Crimson Tide tied the game at 7–7 later in the first quarter afterCharlie Peprahintercepted a Banks pass and returned it 51-yards for the touchdown.^[37][40] South Florida responded in the second quarter and took a 17–7 lead on a 17-yard Brian Fisher touchdown run and 45-yard Santiago Gramáticafield goal.^[37][40] Alabama then tied the game 17–17 at halftime after they scored ten points in the final 0:26 of the half. AfterBrodie Croyle threw a 10-yard touchdown pass toTriandos Luke, the Bulls'J. R. Reedfumbled thekickoff that ensued and gave the Crimson Tide possession at the USF 24-yard line.^[40][41] Three plays later the score was tied after Brian Bostick connected on a 40-yard field goal as time expired.^[37][40]

Alabama took their first lead of the game after they scored on a 25-yard Brian Bostick field goal early in the third quarter.^[37][40] After the Crimson Tide defense held the Bulls to athree-and-out on their first second half possession,Shaud Williams returned a punt 73-yards for a touchdown and a 27–17 lead.^[40][41] Williams then scored his second touchdown on Alabama's next offensive possession with his three-yard run, and after a blockedextra point led 33–17.^[40][41] After Gramática missed a 19-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, the Crimson Tide went on a 15-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in Williams' third touchdown of the game on a one-yard run and made the final score 40–17.^[40][41] For his 98-yards rushing and two touchdowns, Williams was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week.^[42]

This game is also notable for being the final home game played by the Crimson Tide at Legion Field. Although Alabama was scheduled to playMiddle Tennessee at Legion to open the2005 season and was under contract to play one final game in either the2007 or2008 seasons, in August 2004 the eastern upper deck at the stadium was declared structurally unsound and unsafe to use.^[43][44] As such, on August 19, 2004, Alabama and Birmingham officials canceled their contract to play the final two games at Legion Field and thus made the game against the Bulls the final for the Crimson Tide in Birmingham.^[45]

In what was the first game ever played byOklahoma in the state of Alabama, the Crimson Tide nearly upset the No. 1 rankedSooners only to lose 20–13 at Bryant–Denny Stadium.^[46][47] Oklahoma took a 6–0 first quarter lead after Trey DiCarlo connected onfield goals of 34 and 40 yards.^[40][46] Midway through the second quarter, the Crimson Tide cut the Sooners' lead in half to 6–3 on a 44-yard Brian Bostick field goal.^[40][46] However, Oklahoma responded on their next possession whenJason White threw a 46-yard touchdown pass toMark Clayton and gave the Sooners a 13–3 halftime lead.^[40][46]

After DiCarlo missed a 31-yard field goal late in the third quarter, the Crimson Tide scored their only touchdown of the game on the drive that ensued on a 20-yardBrodie Croyle pass toTriandos Luke and made the score 13–10.^[40][46] Oklahoma responded almost immediately on the next drive with a 47-yard White touchdown pass toBrandon Jones and extended their lead back to ten points at 20–10.^[40][46] The final points of the game came late in the fourth quarter on a 36-yard Bostick field goal that made the final score 20–13.^[40][46] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Sooners to 1–2–1.^[48]

To open conference play for the 2003 season, Alabama hosted theKentuckyWildcats and behindShaud Williams' second three touchdown game of the season won 27–17.^[49][50][51] After Brian Bostick missed a 27-yardfield goal on the opening possession of the game, several punts were traded before Williams scored his first touchdown on a 15-yard run to give Alabama a 7–0 first quarter lead.^[51][52] After a 43-yard Bostick field goal extended the Alabama lead to 10–0 early in the second quarter, the Wildcats made the halftime score 10–7 after Draak Davis scored on a one-yard touchdown run.^[49][50] Alabama threatened to score a touchdown just before halftime, but theBrodie Croyle pass wasintercepted in the endzone by Chad Anderson for a touchback.^[52]

In the third quarter Bostick scored on a 30-yard field goal and Taylor Begley scored on a 27-yard field goal for the Wildcats that made the score 13–10 as the teams entered the fourth quarter.^[49][50] On the first play of the fourth, Williams scored his second touchdown of the game on a two-yard run for a 20–10 Crimson Tide lead.^[50][51] Begley missed a 49-yard field goal later in the quarter, and on the Alabama drive that ensued, Williams scored his third touchdown of the game on a seven-yard run and made the score 27–10.^[50][51] Kentucky then made the final score 27–17 whenJared Lorenzen threw a 24-yard touchdown pass toDerek Abney late in the fourth quarter.^[49][50] For his 174-yards rushing and three touchdowns, Williams was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time of the season.^[53] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Wildcats to 32–2–1.^[54]

Although the No. 21 Crimson Tide were two touchdown favorites overNorthern Illinois, they were upset 19–16 in what was the first all-time win over a SEC team for theHuskies.^[55][56] Late in the first quarter, Alabama scored a touchdown on a 28-yardBrodie Croyle pass to Zach Fletcher. However, theextra point was blocked by Jason Frank and returned by Kevin Woods for adefensive two-point conversion and a 6–2 Crimson Tide lead.^[56][57] In the second quarter, the Huskies scored on a 51-yard Steve Azarfield goal before Brian Bostick kicked a field goal from 35 yards out and made the halftime score 9–5.^[55][56]

Northern then took a 12–9 lead midway through the third quarter when Josh Haldi threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Shatone Powers.^[55][56] After a series of punts, midway through the fourth quarter, Haldi threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Dan Sheldon and extended the Huskies' lead to 19–9.^[55][56] Alabama responded on their next possession with a 54-yardShaud Williams touchdown run that made the score 19–16.^[55][56] However this proved to be the final points of the game in their defeat.

Although the Crimson Tide ledArkansas by three touchdowns late in the third quarter, theRazorbacks rallied to tie the game at the end of regulation and win on afield goal in the second overtime period by a final score of 34–31.^[59][60] Arkansas took an early 7–0 lead afterMatt Jones scored a touchdown on a 39-yard run on the opening drive of the game.^[58][60] After David Carlton missed a 32-yard field goal on their second possession, Alabama tied the game on the drive that ensued whenBrodie Croyle threw a 16-yard touchdown pass toTriandos Luke.^[59][61] After Carlton missed his second field goal of the game early in the second quarter, Chris Balseiro gave the Razorbacks a 10–7 lead on their next possession with his 38-yard field goal.^[61] The Crimson Tide responded on their next possession with a 48-yard Brian Bostick field goal as time expired to tie the game 10–10 at halftime.^[58][59]

Alabama opened the third quarter with a 71-yard Croyle touchdown pass to Dre Fulgham for a 17–10 lead.^[58][60] On their first offensive play of the second half, Jones threw aninterception toAnthony Madison that was returned to the Arkansas 23-yard line.^[61] Three plays later the Crimson Tide led 24–10 when Croyle connected with Fulgham on a 12-yard touchdown pass.^[58][59] Alabama then scored their third consecutive touchdown on their next possession on an 80-yardShaud Williams touchdown run for a 31–10 lead.^[58][60] Arkansas then responded with three straight touchdowns of their own to tie the game at the end of regulation. The first came late in the third quarter on a five-yardCedric Cobbs touchdown run and the final pair came in the fourth quarter on a two-yard Mark Pierce run and a three-yardRichard Smith reception from Jones.^[58][59]

In the first overtime period, Charles Jones intercepted a Jones pass to keep Arkansas scoreless. However, Alabama also failed to convert a 36-yard Bostick field goal to send the game into a second overtime.^[61] On the first play of the second overtime, Croyle was intercepted by Jimarr Gallon to again keep Alabama scoreless. Seven plays into their possession, Arkansas connected on a 19-yard Balseiro field goal and won the game 34–31.^[58][59][60] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Razorbacks 8–6 (9–5 without an NCAA forfeit).^[62]

In what was their first road game of the season, Alabama traveled to Athens where theGeorgiaBulldogs scored 31 points in the second quarter en route to a 37–23 victory.^[63][64][65] After the Crimson Tide took an early 3–0 lead on a 42-yard Brian Bostickfield goal, Georgia responded with a trio of Billy Bennett field goals from 27, 44 and 52-yards to take a 9–3 lead early in the second quarter.^[63][65] Georgia then extended their lead to 37–10 by halftime with four second-quarter touchdowns.

The Bulldogs scored first when Jarrett Berry blocked a Bo Freelendpunt that was returned seven-yards byThomas Davis for a touchdown.^[64][65] The Georgia defense then held the Crimson Tide and forced a change of possession on downs to give the Bulldogs the ball at the Alabama 44-yard line.^[66] Five plays later,D. J. Shockley threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jamario Smith for a 23–3 lead.^[64][65] AfterRamzee Robinsonfumbled thekickoff that ensued, Georgia took possession and four plays later led 30–3 whenKregg Lumpkin scored on a one-yard run.^[64][66] On their next possession, Alabama managed to score their first touchdown on an 18-yard Spencer Pennington pas to Dre Fulgham that made the score 30–10.^[64][65] The Crimson Tide defense did get a stop on their next possession to force a Georgia punt; however, on the first offensive play for Alabama, Pennington fumbled to give the Bulldogs possession at their 29-yard line.^[66] With only 0:30 left in the quarter, Georgia made the halftime score 37–10 whenDavid Greene threw a three-yard touchdown pass toBenjamin Watson.^[64][65]

Although the Alabama defense held Georgia scoreless in the second half, so did the Georgia defense and the only second half points came on a pair of defensive touchdowns for the Crimson Tide. In the third quarter, Charles Jonesintercepted a Greene pass and returned it 30-yards for a touchdown, and early in the fourth Juwan Garth recovered a fumble and returned it 10-yards to make the final score 37–23.^[64][65] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Bulldogs 35–24–4.^[67]

Onhomecoming in Tuscaloosa, Alabama defeated theSouthern MissGolden Eagles 17–3 in what was the first all-time start for quarterback Brandon Avalos.^[68][69][70] The Crimson Tide took a 7–0 first quarter lead whenShaud Williams scored on a 44-yard touchdown run.^[69][70] After a series ofpunts, late in the second quarter, Alabama connected on a 23-yard Brian Bostickfield goal and Southern Miss on a 27-yard Darren McCaleb field goal that made the halftime score 10–3.^[69][70]

After a scoreless third quarter, Bostick missed a 36-yard field goal before Chris James blocked a Luke Johnson punt that gave the Crimson Tide possession at the Golden Eagles' one-yard line.^[71] On the next play, Williams made the score 17–3 with his one-yard touchdown run.^[69][70] The game concluded with a pair of lost fumbles by Southern Miss and an Avalosinterception with a final score of 17–3.^[71] In the game, Williams rushed for 170 yards on 28 carries and was responsible for both of Alabama's touchdowns in the game.^[69] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Golden Eagles to 32–6–2 (33–5–2 without an NCAA forfeit).^[72]

In their annualrivalry game againstOle Miss, theRebels took a 24–0 first quarter lead that they did not relinquish in their 43–28 victory at Oxford.^[73][74][75] The Rebels took a 3–0 lead early in the first afterJonathan Nichols connected on a 52-yardfield goal.^[73][75] On Alabama's first offensive series,Brodie Croyle threw aninterception to Travis Johnson that gave the Rebels possession at their 23-yard line.^[76] On the next play, Ole Miss took a 10–0 lead afterEli Manning threw a 23-yard touchdown pass toTaye Biddle.^[74][75] The Ole Miss defense then forced a punt, and Manning followed with a 55-yard touchdown pass to extend their lead to 17–0.^[74][75] The Rebels then closed the first quarter with a 10-yard Brandon Jacobs touchdown run that made the score 24–0.^[74][75]

The Crimson Tide cut into the Ole Miss lead and made the score 24–10 after they scored on their first two possessions of the second quarter.Shaud Williams scored first on a three-yard touchdown run followed by a 32-yard Brian Bostick field goal.^[74][75] The Rebels responded later in the quarter when Manning threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Kerry Johnson 41-yard pass that made the halftime score 31–10.^[74][75]

The Ole Miss defense held the Crimson Tide to athree-and-out to open the second half, and the offense extended their lead to 38–10 after Manning scored on a three-yard touchdown run.^[75][76] Later in the quarter, Chris James blocked a Cody Ridgewaypunt and returned it 32-yards for a touchdown that made the score 38–16.^[74][75] Early in the fourth, the Rebels scored their final points of the game on a 19-yard Nichols field goal.^[74][75] Later in the fourth, Alabama scored a pair of touchdowns that made the final score 43–28. The first came on a 22-yard Croyle pass toRay Hudson and the second on a five-yard Croyle pass to Williams after a successfulonside kick.^[75][76] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Rebels to 40–9–2 (41–8–2 without an NCAA forfeit).^[77]

In what is the longest game ever played by the Crimson Tide to date, Alabama lost in fiveovertime periods to theTennesseeVolunteers 51–43 in their annualrivalry game.^[78][79][80] The first scoring opportunity of the afternoon came early in the first quarter whenMark Jonesfumbled a Bo Freelendpunt that was recovered by Roberto McBride to give Alabama possession at the Tennessee 26-yard line.^[81] Seven plays later the Crimson Tide took a 3–0 lead on a 33-yard Brian Bostickfield goal.^[79][80] Neither team would score again until late in the second quarter whenJames Wilhoit connected on a 31-yard field goal for the Vols and Bostick connected on a 48-yard field goal that made the halftime score 6–3.^[79][80]

In the third quarter, Tennessee took a 10–6 lead after James Banks scored on a 25-yard run to open the half.^[79][80] After Corey Campbellintercepted aBrodie Croyle pass on the Alabama possession that ensued, the Vols extended their lead to 13–6 with a 38-yard Wilhoit field goal.^[79][80] The Crimson Tide tied the game 13–13 later in the quarter on a 36-yard Croyle touchdown pass toTriandos Luke.^[79][80] In the fourth, Alabama scored on a two-yardRay Hudson touchdown run and Tennessee responded to tie the game 20–20 late on a one-yardCasey Clausen touchdown pass toTroy Fleming that sent the game into overtime.^[79][80]

In the first overtime period, the Vols scored on a six-yard Clausen touchdown pass to Derrick Tinsley. The Crimson Tide responded with a six-yard Croyle pass to Dre Fulgham that sent the game into a second overtime tied at 27–27.^[79][80] In the second overtime,Tim Castille scored on a 12-yard touchdown run for Alabama. Tennessee then scored on a five-yard Clausen touchdown pass to Banks that sent the game into a third overtime tied 34–34.^[79][80] In the third overtime, Clausen threw his second touchdown pass to Banks from 25-yards out for the Vols. The Crimson Tide responded with a 12-yard Williams touchdown run that sent the game into a fourth overtime tied 40–40.^[79][80] In the fourth overtime, each team traded field goals that made the score 43–43 as they entered the fifth overtime.^[79][80] In the fifth and final overtime period, Clausen scored on a one-yard touchdown run and Alabama failed to score that resulted in a 51–43 Tennessee victory.^[79][80] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Volunteers to 44–35–7 (44–34–8 without an NCAA forfeit).^[82]

Two weeks after their five overtime loss against Tennessee, the Crimson Tide rebounded with this 38–0 victory over theMississippi StateBulldogs in their annualrivalry game at Starkville.^[83][84][85] Alabama opened the game with an 86-yardBrodie Croyle touchdown pass to Zach Fletcher for an early 7–0 Crimson Tide lead.^[84][85] On the Bulldogs' possession that ensued,Charlie Peprahintercepted a Kevin Fant pass at the State 33-yard line.^[86] Three plays later, the Crimson Tide led 14–0 after Croyle threw a 17-yard touchdown pass toTyrone Prothro.^[84][85] In the second quarter, Alabama scored on a 38-yard Brian Bostickfield goal and a 32-yard Croyle pass to Fletcher for a 24–0 halftime lead.^[84][85]

After a scoreless third quarter, a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns made the final score 38–0. The first came on a three-yardShaud Williams touchdown run and the second on a six-yardTim Castille touchdown run.^[84][85] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Bulldogs to 69–16–3 (70–15–3 without NCAA forfeit).^[87] This was also Alabama's first win in Starkville since 1994.

In what was the final home game of the season, against the eventual national championLSUTigers, Alabama lost 27–3.^[88][89] LSU took an early 3–0 lead when Chris Jackson connected on a 20-yardfield goal on their first possession.^[88][89] After a defensivethree-and-out, the Tigers extended their lead to 10–0 whenMatt Mauck threw a 23-yard touchdown pass toMichael Clayton.^[88][89] The second quarter saw each quarterback throw aninterception and LSU score on a three-yard Mauck touchdown pass toEric Edwards for a 17–0 halftime lead.^[88][89]

After Brian Bostick missed a 45-yard field goal early in the third, the Tigers extended their lead to 24–0 on a four-yard Alley Broussard touchdown run.^[89][90] After a 33-yard Jackson field goal made the score 27–0, Alabama prevented the shutout with a 27-yard Brian Bostick field goal late in the fourth quarter that made the final score 27–3.^[88][89] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Tigers to 44–19–5.^[91]

In the 2003 edition of theIron Bowl against theAuburn, theTigers won for the second consecutive year with this 28–23 victory.^[92][93][94] Auburn took a 7–0 lead on the first offensive play of the game on an 80-yardCadillac Williams touchdown run.^[93][94] After an Alabamapunt was downed at the Auburn one-yard line, Williams was tackled in the end zone on the next play for asafety that made the score 7–2.^[93][94] The Tigers' defense then forced athree-and-out, and three plays laterJason Campbell threw a 64-yard touchdown pass toBen Obomanu and after thetwo-point conversion led 15–2.^[93][94] A 22-yard John Vaughnfield goal then made the score 18–2 at the end of the first quarter, and remained the same at halftime after a scoreless second quarter.^[93][94]

The Crimson Tide opened the second half with a touchdown on the first play of the third quarter on a 96-yard Brandon Brookskickoff return that made the score 18–9.^[93][94] After the Alabama defense forced an Auburn punt, the Crimson Tide cut the Tigers' lead to 18–16 afterShaud Williams scored on a six-yard touchdown run.^[93][94] A 32-yard Vaughn field goal made the score 21–16 in favor of the Tigers as they entered the fourth quarter.^[93][94] In the final quarter, Auburn scored on a one-yard Williams run and Alabama on a 14-yardBrodie Croyle pass to Lance Taylor that made the final score 28–23.^[93][94] The Loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Tigers to 39–29–1.^[95]

As a result of the two-year bowl ban imposed by the NCAA in 2002 and NCAA rules that allow schools to add a 13th game if it is played atHawaii, the Crimson Tide closed the season atAloha Stadium, and in the game, theWarriors defeated the Crimson Tide 37–29.^[96][97][98] The Crimson Tide took a 7–0 first quarter lead afterShaud Williams scored on a one-yard touchdown run.^[97][98] Early in the second quarter, Alabama extended their lead to 14–0 on a two-yardBrodie Croyle touchdown pass to Clint Johnston before the Warriors rallied and scored a pair of touchdowns to tie the game 14–14 at halftime.^[97][98] Hawaii touchdowns were scored on Jason Whieldon passes of 48-yards to Jeremiah Cockheran and four-yards to Se'e Poumele.^[97][98]

The Warriors then took their first lead in the third after Lance Samuseva sackedBrodie Croyle for asafety.^[97][98] On the Hawaii drive that ensued, Anthony Madison blocked a Nolan Miranda field goal attempt that was returned byRoman Harper for a touchdown to give Alabama a 21–16 lead.^[97][98] The Warriors then scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns and won the game 37–29. The first to be scored were on Whieldon touchdown passes of 47-yards to Cockheran and 20-yards to Clifton Herbert before he scored their final points on an 18-yard run.^[97][98] Alabama then made the final score 37–29 after Croyle threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Lance Taylor late in the game.^[97][98] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Hawaii to 1–1.^[99]

As part of the NCAA imposed penalties related to theAlbert Means recruiting scandal that dated back to 1999, Alabama had the total number of football scholarships it could award reduced by seven to 18 instead of the standard 25.^[100] As such, the 2003 class only had eighteen members, with most being from within the state of Alabama.^[101] With the departure of Franchione, the Alabama recruiting coordinator Randy Ross helped keep the class together during the transition period prior to the arrival of Price.^[101]

College recruiting information

Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Matt Caddell WR	McCalla, Alabama	McAdory High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.4	Nov 26, 2002
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
Chris Capps OL	Fairburn, Georgia	Landmark Christian School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	270 lb (120 kg)	5.3	Feb 2, 2003
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
Tim Castille RB	Birmingham, Alabama	Briarwood Christian School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	4.5	Aug 17, 2002
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
D. J. Chambers CB	Highland Home, Alabama	Highland Home High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.4	Feb 26, 2002
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
Cliff Davis QB	Eupora, Mississippi	Eupora High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	4.8	Feb 5, 2002
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
Chris Felder CB	Thomasville, Alabama	Thomasville High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	167 lb (76 kg)	4.5	Feb 26, 2002
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
Eric Gray CB	Trinity, Alabama	West Morgan High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.45	Aug 16, 2002
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
Terrence Jones LB	Northport, Alabama	Tuscaloosa County High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	199 lb (90 kg)	4.6	Feb 3, 2003
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
Dominic Lee DT	Birmingham, Alabama	Huffman High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	295 lb (134 kg)	5.2	Oct 21, 2002
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
Le'Ron McClain RB	Northport, Alabama	Tuscaloosa County High School	6 ft 0.5 in (1.84 m)	242 lb (110 kg)	4.59	Feb 3, 2003
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
Justin Moon OL	Guntersville, Alabama	Guntersville High School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	295 lb (134 kg)	5.3	Feb 26, 2003
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
Ernest Nance LB	Courtland, Alabama	Courtland High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	4.4
	Recruit ratings:Rivals:
Eric Packer RB	Camden, Alabama	Wilcox Central High School	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	178 lb (81 kg)	4.38	Feb 25, 2002
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
Tyrone Prothro CB	Heflin, Alabama	Cleburne County High School	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	4.4	Jan 24, 2003
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
William Roach CB	Killen, Alabama	Brooks High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	4.6	Nov 20, 2002
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
DeMarcus Waldrop S	Pinson, Alabama	Pinson Valley High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.4	Jan 23, 2003
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
Travis West OL	Laurel, Mississippi	Northeast Jones High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	275 lb (125 kg)	5.2	Jul 11, 2002
	Recruit ratings:Scout:    Rivals:
Overall recruit ranking:   Scout: 45   Rivals: 49   ESPN: NA
‡ Refers to40-yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Scout.com Football Recruiting: Alabama". Scout. RetrievedOctober 2, 2012. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout. RetrievedOctober 2, 2012. "2003 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. RetrievedOctober 2, 2012.