1991 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
Encyclopedia
The 1991 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama
in the 1991 college football season
. The team was led by head coach Gene Stallings
who was in his second season at Alabama. The team played their home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium
, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
, and at Legion Field
in Birmingham, Alabama
. The team competed in the Southeastern Conference
.
The team improved upon a 7–5 record from Stallings's first season
as they ended with a 11–1 overall record, while going 6–1 in their conference games. The September 21st win against Georgia would prove to be the first in a school record tying 28 game winning streak and a school record 31 game unbeaten streak.
. It also cost Alabama an SEC title as the Gators went undefeated in conference play. However, it would be the last game Alabama lost until November 1993, as the next week's 10–0 victory over Georgia began a 28-game winning streak.
After lopsided victories over Vanderbilt, Chattanooga, and Tulane, the Tide started winning a series of squeakers. Against Tennessee the Tide trailed 6–3 in the fourth quarter when starting QB Danny Woodson left the game with a strained hamstring. Behind backup Jay Barker
, Alabama rallied for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and won 24–19. It was the Crimson Tide's sixth victory in a row in the Third Saturday in October
rivalry. Barker assumed the starting job when Woodson was suspended for violating team rules before the LSU game.
Late in the fourth quarter of the Mississippi State game, the Bulldogs drove down to the Alabama 1, but Stacy Harrison's end-zone interception preserved a 13–7 victory. Against LSU, David Palmer
ran a punt back 90 yards for a touchdown and Antonio London blocked a field goal with 2:39 to go to preserve a 20–17 Alabama victory. Bama eked out a 10–7 victory over lowly Memphis State after the Memphis kicker missed two second-half field goals and Alabama end John Copeland forced a fumble by the Memphis QB at the Tide 27 with 3:51 to go. The season ended with Alabama's fifth straight victory by six points or less, as the Tide defeated Auburn in the Iron Bowl
13–6. Alabama faced off against Colorado in the Blockbuster Bowl and won another nailbiter 30–25 behind a punt return TD and 146 all-purpose yards from Palmer. Alabama's 11–1 record was its best since the 1979 team went 12–0 and won the national championship.
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
in the 1991 college football season
1991 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split champion for the second consecutive season. Both the Miami Hurricanes and the Washington Huskies finished the season undefeated and with the top ranking in a nationally recognized poll...
. The team was led by head coach Gene Stallings
Gene Stallings
Eugene Clifton Stallings, Jr. is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at Texas A&M University , where he was one of the "Junction Boys", and later served as the head coach at his alma mater from 1965 to 1971. Stallings was also the head coach of the St...
who was in his second season at Alabama. The team played their home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium
Bryant-Denny Stadium
Bryant–Denny Stadium, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is the home stadium for the University of Alabama football team. The stadium opened in 1929, and was originally named Denny Stadium, in honor of former Alabama president George Hutchenson Denny...
, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, and at Legion Field
Legion Field
Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak...
in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. The team competed in the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
.
The team improved upon a 7–5 record from Stallings's first season
1990 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1990 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 1990 college football season. The Crimson Tide was led by first-year head coach Gene Stallings, replacing Bill Curry who left for the University of Kentucky....
as they ended with a 11–1 overall record, while going 6–1 in their conference games. The September 21st win against Georgia would prove to be the first in a school record tying 28 game winning streak and a school record 31 game unbeaten streak.
Summary
In the opener against Temple, Chris Anderson had a 96-yard touchdown run from scrimmage, setting an all-time team record that still stands. One week later, Alabama traveled to Florida and got blown out, 35–0. It was the worst Tide loss in 34 years, since a 40–0 loss in 1957 to Auburn that ended the disastrous coaching tenure of J.B. WhitworthJennings B. Whitworth
-Additional sources:* Stoddard, Tom, Turnaround, 1996, The Black Belt Press, ISBN 1-881320-70-7* Hooper, Matt "". Birmingham Weekly-External links:...
. It also cost Alabama an SEC title as the Gators went undefeated in conference play. However, it would be the last game Alabama lost until November 1993, as the next week's 10–0 victory over Georgia began a 28-game winning streak.
After lopsided victories over Vanderbilt, Chattanooga, and Tulane, the Tide started winning a series of squeakers. Against Tennessee the Tide trailed 6–3 in the fourth quarter when starting QB Danny Woodson left the game with a strained hamstring. Behind backup Jay Barker
Jay Barker
Jay Barker is a former professional American football quarterback, and a current Birmingham radio personality.- Football career :...
, Alabama rallied for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and won 24–19. It was the Crimson Tide's sixth victory in a row in the Third Saturday in October
Third Saturday in October
The Third Saturday in October, also known as the Alabama–Tennessee football rivalry, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and the Tennessee Volunteers football team of the University of Tennessee...
rivalry. Barker assumed the starting job when Woodson was suspended for violating team rules before the LSU game.
Late in the fourth quarter of the Mississippi State game, the Bulldogs drove down to the Alabama 1, but Stacy Harrison's end-zone interception preserved a 13–7 victory. Against LSU, David Palmer
David Palmer (American football)
David Lee Palmer is a retired American football player from Birmingham, Alabama. He played the position of wide receiver in college at the University of Alabama and professionally for seven seasons with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.Palmer was a star quarterback for...
ran a punt back 90 yards for a touchdown and Antonio London blocked a field goal with 2:39 to go to preserve a 20–17 Alabama victory. Bama eked out a 10–7 victory over lowly Memphis State after the Memphis kicker missed two second-half field goals and Alabama end John Copeland forced a fumble by the Memphis QB at the Tide 27 with 3:51 to go. The season ended with Alabama's fifth straight victory by six points or less, as the Tide defeated Auburn in the Iron Bowl
Iron Bowl
The Iron Bowl is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University. The series is considered one of the best and most hard-fought rivalries in all of sports...
13–6. Alabama faced off against Colorado in the Blockbuster Bowl and won another nailbiter 30–25 behind a punt return TD and 146 all-purpose yards from Palmer. Alabama's 11–1 record was its best since the 1979 team went 12–0 and won the national championship.
Schedule
Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Poll AP Poll The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation... |
22 | 20 | 16 | NR | 22 | 20 | 19 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 |
Overall
| Alabama | Opponents |
|---|
| 26.7 | 10.7 |
| 136 | 84 |
| 63 | 78 |
| 18 | 11 |
| 2,772 | 1,452 |
| 1,508 | 1,851 |
| 24 | 4 |
| 7 | 9 |
| 6 | 0 |
| 42.6 | 33.8 |
Scoring
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|
| 70 | 59 | 87 ! 294 |
| 35 | 25 | 51 ! 118 |
Passing
| Name | G | Comp–Att | TD | Int | Yards | Pct. | Long |
|---|
| 64–101 | 4 | 3 | 882 | 63.4 | 59 |
| 33–56 | 1 | 3 | 554 | 58.9 | 75 |
| 3–4 | 2 | 1 | 57 | 75.0 | 26 |
| 1–1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 100 | 15 |
External links
- All-time Football Results at RollTide.com