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1975 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

1975 Alabama Crimson Tide football
National champion (Mathews Grid)
SEC champion
Sugar Bowl champion
Sugar Bowl, W 13–6 vs. Penn State
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 3
APNo. 3
Record11–1 (6–0 SEC)
Head coach
Captains
Home stadiumDenny Stadium
Legion Field
Seasons
← 1974
1976 →
1975 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Alabama $ 6 0 0 11 1 0
Florida 5 1 0 9 3 0
No. 19 Georgia 5 1 0 9 3 0
Ole Miss 5 1 0 6 5 0
Tennessee 3 3 0 7 5 0
Vanderbilt 2 4 0 7 4 0
LSU 2 4 0 5 6 0
Auburn 2 4 0 3 6 2
Mississippi State 1 4 1 6 4 1
Kentucky 0 6 0 2 8 1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Mississippi State later forfeited 4 1975 wins and one tie due to NCAA violations.
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1975 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1975 NCAA Division I football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 81st overall and 42nd season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his 18th year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished season with eleven wins and one loss (11–1 overall, 6–0 in the SEC), as SEC champions and with a victory over Penn State in the Sugar Bowl.

The 1975 squad entered the season with the No. 2 ranking in the AP Poll and as one of the favorites to compete for the national championship. Their championship hopes were dashed after they were upset by an unranked Missouri team in their season opener at Legion Field. Although Alabama dropped into the No. 14 position prior to their second game against Clemson, they would not lose another game during the season as they climbed up the polls back into a top five position by season's end.

After their shutout over Clemson, Alabama traveled to Nashville in the first road game of the season where they defeated Vanderbilt. The Crimson Tide then returned to Birmingham and defeated Ole Miss the week before their victory over Washington in the first meeting between the schools since the 1926 Rose Bowl. They followed this with wins over Tennessee, TCU, Mississippi State, LSU and Southern Miss on homecoming in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide then closed the season with wins against Auburn in what was Ralph Jordan's final game as the Tigers' head coach and Penn State in the Sugar Bowl that ended an eight-game winless streak (0–7–1) in bowl games, and started a bowl winning streak that went six years.

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 8Missouri*No. 2ABCL 7–2063,000
September 20Clemson*No. 14W 56–058,383
September 27at VanderbiltNo. 11W 40–734,000
October 4Ole MissNo. 9
  • Legion Field
  • Birmingham, AL (rivalry)
W 32–670,000
October 11Washington*No. 7
  • Denny Stadium
  • Tuscaloosa, AL
W 52–058,000
October 18No. 16 TennesseeNo. 6
W 30–772,000
October 25TCU*No. 6
  • Legion Field
  • Birmingham, AL
W 45–052,000
November 1at Mississippi StateNo. 6W 21–1046,000
November 8at LSUNo. 5W 23–1065,047
November 15Southern Miss*daggerNo. 5
  • Denny Stadium
  • Tuscaloosa, AL
W 27–658,000
November 29vs. AuburnNo. 4
ABCW 28–063,500
December 31vs. No. 8 Penn State*No. 4ABCW 13–675,212
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[1]

Roster

1975 Alabama Crimson Tide football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
RB Jeff Barnes So
RB 38 Duffy Boles Sr
RB 38 Randy Bonner So
OT Jim Bradford So
TE Jerry Brown Sr
OT Woody Buchanan So
G Max Busby Jr
RB Pete Cavan So
G Bob Cryder So
FB 33 Calvin Culliver Jr
OT Bobby Davis So
FB Johnny Davis So
G Fred Dawson So
FB Donnie Faust So
C Doug Folmar Jr
QB 12 Robert Farley Sr
C Louis Green So
HB John Gunnels So
SE 84 Joe Dale Harris Sr
TE Bill Henderson So
C Tom Hufstetler So
OT Tim Hurst So
QB Kevin Jones So
C Terry Jones So
OT Larry Kennedy So
HB John LaBue Jr
G Buford Lambert Jr
OT K. J. Lazenby Jr
OT Ralph McElreath Jr
G Barry McGee Sr
G David McIntyre Jr
TE Rick McLain Jr
TE Sam Maddox So
OT Ray Maxwell Sr
SE 82 Ozzie Newsome So
QB Jack O'Rear Jr
G Gary Oser So
OT 79 Buddy Pope Sr
TE 88 George Pugh Sr
G 70 Larry Ruffin Sr
G David Sadler So
SE Russ Schamun Jr
OT Mike Sebastian So
HB 30 Willie Shelby Sr
C Sid Smith Jr
HB 32 Mike Stock Sr
HB Mike Sutton So
HB 27 James Taylor Sr
OT Chip Tillman Jr
QB 14 Richard Todd Sr
HB John Turpin So
G Russ Waddell Jr
QB Bob Walker So
HB Jim Ward Jr
OT Jerry Washco Sr
FB Rick Watson Jr
SE Stan Williams So
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DB Phil Allman So
DT 91 Bob Baumhower Jr
S 17 Ray Bolden Sr
LB Tom Bouck Jr
LB Dale Bragan Jr
LB Neil Callaway Jr
DT Kelley Callies So
DE Danny Collins So
DE 98 Leroy Cook Sr
S John Crowe So
DB Allen Crumbley So
LB Mike Dottorey So
LB Conley Duncan Sr
S Robert Durkee So
DB Thad Flanagan Jr
S Les Fowler So
DE Robert Gartman So
DT Dave Gerasimchuk Jr
DB Andy Gothard Jr
DT Charles Hannah Jr
DE Paul Harris Jr
DT Bill Harrison Jr
DE Bruce Hodges So
LB Colenzo Hubbard Jr
DB Chuck Justice Jr
DB Tyrone King Sr
DB Mike Kramer So
LB Mark Lipari So
LB 47 Woodrow Lowe Sr
DT James McArthur So
DT Willie McCray So
DE Bobby Mikel So
LB Dewey Mitchell So
LB Greg Montgomery Sr
LB Danny Neal So
DE John Niehaus Jr
S Alan Pizzitola Sr
DE Tom Prestwood Sr
S Scott Price So
SS 31 Mark Prudhomme Sr
LB Gary Reynolds So
DB 45 Wayne Rhodes Sr
DT Calvin Richardson So
DT Walter Robelot So
LB Jack Smalley So
DB 21 Mike Tucker Jr
DE Dick Turpin Sr
LB Gus White Jr
LB Rich Wingo So
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
PK Bucky Berrey Jr
PK Mike Davis Jr
PK Danny Ridgeway Sr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster
Last update: February 24, 2024

Game summaries

Missouri

1 234Total
Missouri 10 1000 20
#2 Alabama 0 007 7
  • Date: September 8
  • Location: Legion Field
    Birmingham, Alabama
  • Game attendance: 63,000

As they entered their first game of the 1975 season, Alabama was ranked as the nations No. 2 team prior to their Monday night game against Missouri.[6] Before a nationally televised audience, the Crimson Tide fell behind to the Tigers 20–0 at halftime and were ultimately defeated 20–7 in the first major upset of the season.[4][5][7] The loss brought Alabama's record against Missouri to 0–2 up to that point in time.[8]

Clemson

1 234Total
Clemson 0 000 0
#14 Alabama 16 19714 56
  • Date: September 20
  • Location: Denny Stadium
    Tuscaloosa, Alabama
  • Game attendance: 58,383

After their loss against Missouri, the Crimson Tide had a bye prior their game against Clemson, and entered the contest as the No. 14 team prior to their game against the Tigers. At Denny Stadium, Alabama ran for 437 yards and eight touchdowns in this 56–0 shutout of Clemson.[7][9][10] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Clemson to 11–3.[11]

Vanderbilt

1 234Total
#11 Alabama 10 10614 40
Vanderbilt 0 070 7
  • Date: September 27
  • Location: Dudley Field
    Nashville, Tennessee
  • Game attendance: 34,000

After their victory over Clemson, Alabama moved into the No. 11 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Vanderbilt.[14] In their first road game of the season, the Crimson Tide score on their first four possession en route to a 40–7 victory over the Commodores at Nashville.[7][12][13] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 32–17–4.[15]

Ole Miss

1 234Total
Ole Miss 0 006 6
#9 Alabama 0 16610 32
  • Date: October 4
  • Location: Legion Field
    Birmingham, Alabama
  • Game attendance: 70,000

After their victory over Vanderbilt, Alabama moved into the No. 9 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Ole Miss at Legion Field.[18] Against the Rebels, the Crimson Tide scored twice in a 0:44 span early in the game en route to a 32–6 victory at Birmingham.[7][16][17] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Ole Miss to 24–5–2.[19]

Washington

1 234Total
Washington 0 000 0
#7 Alabama 24 14140 52
  • Date: October 11
  • Location: Denny Stadium
    Tuscaloosa, Alabama
  • Game attendance: 58,000

After their victory over Ole Miss, Alabama moved into the No. 7 position in the AP Poll prior to their non-conference game against Washington.[22] Playing the Huskies for the first time since the 1926 Rose Bowl, Alabama had 496 yards of total offense and seven touchdowns in this 52–0 shutout of Washington.[7][20][21] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Washington to 2–0.[23]

Tennessee

Third Saturday in October
1 234Total
#16 Tennessee 0 700 7
#6 Alabama 7 6107 30
  • Date: October 18
  • Location: Legion Field
    Birmingham, Alabama
  • Game attendance: 72,000

After their blowout victory over Washington, Alabama moved into the No. 6 position prior to their game against Tennessee.[26] Against the Volunteers, Richard Todd ran for three and threw for a fourth touchdown in this 30–7 victory at Legion Field.[7][24][25] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 28–23–7.[27]

TCU

1 234Total
TCU 0 000 0
#6 Alabama 7 14240 45
  • Date: October 25
  • Location: Legion Field
    Birmingham, Alabama
  • Game attendance: 52,000

After their victory over Tennessee, Alabama retained their No. 6 position prior to their match-up against Texas Christian University (TCU) of the Southwest Conference at Legion Field.[30] Against the Horned Frogs, Alabama posted its third shutout of the season with this 45–0 victory over TCU.[7][28][29] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against TCU to 2–3.[31]

Mississippi State

1 234Total
#6 Alabama 7 077 21
Mississippi State 0 1000 10
  • Date: November 1
  • Location: Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
    Jackson, Mississippi
  • Game attendance: 46,000

As they entered their game against Mississippi State, Alabama retained their No. 6 position in the AP Poll.[34] At Jackson, the Crimson Tide overcame a 10–7 halftime deficit and came-from-behind and defeated the Bulldogs 21–10.[7][32][33] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi State to 47–10–3.[35]

LSU

1 234Total
#5 Alabama 7 736 23
LSU 7 300 10
  • Date: November 8
  • Location: Tiger Stadium
    Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Game attendance: 65,047

After their victory over Mississippi State, Alabama moved into the No. 5 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against LSU.[38] With this 23–10 victory over the rival Tigers, the Crimson Tide secured the 1975 conference championship.[7][36][37] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against LSU to 25–10–4.[39]

Southern Miss

1 234Total
Southern Miss 0 006 6
#5 Alabama 7 1037 27
  • Date: November 15
  • Location: Denny Stadium
    Tuscaloosa, Alabama
  • Game attendance: 58,000

After they clinched the conference championship with their victory over LSU, Alabama retained the No. 5 position of the AP Poll prior to their game against Southern Miss.[42] On homecoming against the Golden Eagles, the Crimson Tide captured the 600th win in school history with this 27–6 win at Denny Stadium.[7][40][41] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Southern Miss to 15–2–1.[43]

Auburn

Iron Bowl
1 234Total
#4 Alabama 7 0147 28
Auburn 0 000 0
  • Date: November 29
  • Location: Legion Field
    Birmingham, Alabama
  • Game attendance: 63,500
  • Television network: ABC

As they entered the annual Iron Bowl, Alabama moved into the No. 4 position in the AP Poll prior to their match-up at Legion Field.[46] In what was the final game ever coached by Ralph Jordan as the head coach of the Tigers, the Crimson Tide were victorious with this 28–0 shutout at Birmingham.[7][44][45] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Auburn to 22–17–1.[47]

Penn State

Sugar Bowl
1 234Total
#7 Penn State 0 033 6
#3 Alabama 3 073 13
  • Date: December 31
  • Location: Louisiana Superdome
    New Orleans
  • Game attendance: 75,212
  • Television network: ABC

Playing the first Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome, Alabama defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions 13–6 and ended a seven-game bowl losing streak in the process.[48][49] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Penn State to 1–1.[50]

NFL Draft

Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1975 squad were drafted into the National Football League (NFL) in the 1976, 1977 and 1978 drafts. These players included:

Year Round Overall Player name Position NFL team
1976 NFL draft
[51]
1 6 Richard Todd Quarterback New York Jets
4 108 Wayne Rhodes Defensive back Chicago Bears
5 131 Woodrow Lowe Linebacker San Diego Chargers
5 138 Willie Shelby Running back Cincinnati Bengals
10 290 Leroy Cook Defensive end Dallas Cowboys
12 341 Joe Dale Harris Wide receiver Cincinnati Bengals
1977 NFL draft
[51]
2 40 Bob Baumhower Nose tackle Miami Dolphins
3 57 Charley Hannah Offensive guard Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6 159 Paul Harris Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers
8 212 Calvin Culliver Running back Denver Broncos
1978 NFL draft
[51]
1 18 Bob Cryder Guard New England Patriots
1 23 Ozzie Newsome Tight end Cleveland Browns
2 30 Johnny Davis Running back Tampa Bay Buccaneers
11 284 Terry Jones Nose tackle Green Bay Packers

References

General

Specific

  1. ^ "1975 Alabama football schedule". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Archived from the original on November 25, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  2. ^ "1975 Season Roster" (PDF). RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  3. ^ 2012 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book, pp. 202–203
  4. ^ a b Browning, Al (September 9, 1975). "Spell Tide misery Missouri". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 1. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  5. ^ a b "Missouri shocks Alabama, 20–7". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Associated Press. September 9, 1975. p. B3. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  6. ^ McKenzie, Mike (September 8, 1974). "Bets on Bama in opener with Missouri". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 9. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 1975 Season Recap
  8. ^ DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Missouri". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  9. ^ a b McKenzie, Mike (September 22, 1975). "High Tide swamps Clemson". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 1. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  10. ^ a b Timms, Leslie (September 22, 1975). "Alabama rolls past Clemson, 56–0". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. p. B1. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  11. ^ DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Clemson". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  12. ^ a b Browning, Al (September 28, 1975). "Potent Tide rips Vandy, 40–7". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 1. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  13. ^ a b Johnson, Randy (September 28, 1975). "Tide continues slaughter, 40–7". The Gadsden Times. p. 29. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  14. ^ "Buckeyes, Trojans move up in poll". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. September 23, 1975. p. 12. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  15. ^ DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Vanderbilt". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  16. ^ a b Browning, Al (October 5, 1975). "Tide gets 32–6 win". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 1. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  17. ^ a b "Fumbles help Alabama to 32–6 win". The Ledger. Associated Press. October 5, 1975. p. 3C. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  18. ^ "Sooners stay on top, Alabama ninth". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. September 30, 1975. p. 10. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  19. ^ DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Mississippi". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  20. ^ a b Browning, Al (October 12, 1975). "Fifty years later: Alabama romps". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 1A. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  21. ^ a b "Shelby hot as Crimson rip dogs". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. October 12, 1975. p. D1. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  22. ^ "Ohio State moves to the top, Tide 7th". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. October 7, 1975. p. 7. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  23. ^ DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Washington". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  24. ^ a b Browning, Al (October 19, 1975). "Tide winner in tough tilt". The Tuscaloosa News. p. A1. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  25. ^ a b Smothers, Jimmy (October 19, 1974). "Alabama defense gets credit for 30–7 drubbing of Vols". The Gadsden Times. p. 35. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  26. ^ "Ohio State stays on top". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. October 14, 1975. p. 8. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  27. ^ DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Tennessee". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  28. ^ a b McKenzie, Mike (October 26, 1975). "Winners get there with losers". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 1B. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  29. ^ a b "Bama swamps Horned Frogs, 45–0". The Victoria Advocate. Associated Press. October 26, 1975. p. 1B. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  30. ^ "Colorado moves into top ten". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. October 21, 1975. p. 8. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  31. ^ DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Texas Christian". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  32. ^ a b Browning, Al (November 2, 1975). "Flying Tiders get 3 scares". The Tuscaloosa News. p. B1. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  33. ^ a b Saggus, James (November 2, 1975). "Alabama beats scrappy 'Dogs". The Florence Times. Associated Press. p. 22. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  34. ^ "Nebraska moves up". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. October 28, 1975. p. 9. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  35. ^ DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Mississippi State". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  36. ^ a b McKenzie, Mike (November 9, 1975). "Alabama thieves put down Tigers". The Tuscaloosa News. p. B1. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  37. ^ a b Shearer, Ed (November 10, 1975). "Alabama wins another SEC crown". Daily News. Associated Press. p. 9. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  38. ^ "Southern Cal tumbles to ninth in poll". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. November 4, 1975. p. 7. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  39. ^ DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Louisiana State". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  40. ^ a b McKenzie, Mike (November 16, 1975). "Saturday was a beauty until..." The Tuscaloosa News. p. 1B. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  41. ^ a b "Alabama rolls over Eagles, 27–6". Palm Beach Post-Times. Associated Press. November 16, 1975. p. E6. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  42. ^ "Michigan overtakes Alabama in poll". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. November 11, 1975. p. 11. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  43. ^ DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Southern Mississippi". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  44. ^ a b Browning, Al (November 30, 1975). "Shug has memories, Todd has victories". The Tuscaloosa News. p. B1. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  45. ^ a b "Bama whips Auburn for SEC title, 28–0". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press International. November 30, 1975. p. D1. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  46. ^ "Tide moves up a notch". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. November 25, 1975. p. 9. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  47. ^ DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Auburn". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  48. ^ a b "Tide breaks the drought on 13–6 win over Lions". The Ledger. Associated Press. January 1, 1976. p. 2B. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  49. ^ a b "Bear finds winning secret". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. January 1, 1976. p. 16. Retrieved August 25, 2014 – via Google News Archives.
  50. ^ DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Penn State". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  51. ^ a b c "Draft History by School–Alabama". National Football League. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.