1926 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

1926 Alabama Crimson Tide football
National champion (QPRS, Billingsley, CFRA, Poling) Co-national champion (Helms, NCF) SoCon champion Champ Pickens Trophy
Rose Bowl, T 7–7 vs. Stanford
Conference	Southern Conference
1926 record	9–0–1 (8–0 SoCon)
Head coach	Wallace Wade (4th year)
Offensive scheme	Single-wing
Captain	Bruce Jones
Home stadium	Denny Field Rickwood Field Cramton Bowl
Uniform

1926 Southern Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Alabama $	8	–	0	–	0			9	–	0	–	1
Tennessee	5	–	1	–	0			8	–	1	–	0
Vanderbilt	4	–	1	–	0			8	–	1	–	0
South Carolina	4	–	2	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Georgia	4	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Virginia	4	–	2	–	1			6	–	2	–	2
VPI	3	–	2	–	1			5	–	3	–	1
Washington and Lee	3	–	2	–	1			4	–	3	–	2
Georgia Tech	4	–	3	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
North Carolina	3	–	3	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Auburn	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
LSU	3	–	3	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
Ole Miss	2	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Mississippi A&M	2	–	3	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
VMI	2	–	4	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Tulane	2	–	4	–	0			3	–	5	–	1
Maryland	1	–	3	–	1			5	–	4	–	1
Clemson	1	–	3	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
Florida	1	–	4	–	1			2	–	6	–	2
Kentucky	1	–	4	–	1			2	–	6	–	1
NC State	0	–	4	–	0			4	–	6	–	0
Sewanee	0	–	5	–	0			2	–	6	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The 1926 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1926 college football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 33rd overall and 5th season as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon). The team was led by head coach Wallace Wade, in his fourth year, and played their home games at Denny Field in Tuscaloosa, at Rickwood Field in Birmingham and at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. They finished the season with a record of nine wins, zero losses and one tie (9–0–1 overall, 8–0 in the SoCon), as Southern Conference champions. They tied undefeated Stanford in the Rose Bowl. The 1926 Alabama team was retroactively named as the 1926 national champion by Berryman QPRS, Billingsley Report, College Football Researchers Association, and Poling System, and as a co-national champion by the Helms Athletic Foundation and National Championship Foundation.^[1]

Before the season

As they entered the season, only ten lettermen returned from the 1925 squad that won the Rose Bowl.^[2] Key players such as Pooley Hubert, Johnny Mack Brown, Bill Buckler and other stars from the 1925 team were not part of the 1926 squad.^[2]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
September 24	Millsaps*	Denny Field • Tuscaloosa, AL	W 54–0
October 2	at Vanderbilt	Dudley Field • Nashville, TN	W 19–7
October 9	at Mississippi A&M	Meridian Fairgrounds • Meridian, MS (Rivalry)	W 26–7
October 16	at Georgia Tech	Grant Field • Atlanta, GA	W 21–0
October 23	Sewanee	Rickwood Field • Birmingham, AL	W 2–0
October 30	LSU	Denny Field • Tuscaloosa, AL (Rivalry)	W 24–0
November 6	Kentucky	Rickwood Field • Birmingham, AL	W 14–0
November 13	Florida	Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, AL	W 49–0
November 25	Georgia	Rickwood Field • Birmingham, AL	W 33–6
January 1, 1927	vs. Stanford*	Rose Bowl Stadium • Pasadena, CA (Rose Bowl)	T 7–7
*Non-conference game. Homecoming.

• Source: Rolltide.com: 1925 Alabama football schedule^[3]

Game notes

Millsaps

Week 1: Millsaps at Alabama

1 2 3 4 Total Millsaps 0 0 0 0 0 • Alabama 14 6 15 19 54 Date: September 24 Location: Denny Field Tuscaloosa, AL Game attendance: 4,000 Referee: Charles Kittleman Source:[4]

Alabama opened their 1926 season against Millsaps College on a Friday at Denny Field, and defeated the Majors 54–0 in what was the first meeting between the schools.^[4][5][6] The Crimson Tide played nearly every player on their sideline in the contest, and Millsaps only once threatened to score.^[4] Tolbert Brown starred for Alabama in the contest and scored three touchdowns on runs of 92, 70 and 30 yards. David Rosenfeld and Red Barnes each scored two and Herschel Caldwell one touchdown for the Crimson Tide in the victory.^[5]

Vanderbilt

Week 2: Alabama at Vanderbilt

1 2 3 4 Total • Alabama 13 0 0 6 19 Vanderbilt 0 0 0 7 7 Date: October 2 Location: Dudley Field Nashville, TN Referee: Finley Source:[7]

Alabama opened conference play with a 19–7 victory against the Vanderbilt Commodores, that saw coach Wade against his former mentor Dan McGugin^[5][7] After each team traded fumbles, the Crimson Tide took a 7–0 lead on an eight-yard Hoyt Winslett touchdown pass to Herschel Caldwell. They extended it further to 13–0 later in the first on a 21-yard Red Barnes touchdown run.^[7] Neither team scored again until the fourth quarter when the Commodores scored their only points on a three-yard Bill Hendrix touchdown run. Alabama then made the final score 19–7 on a 36-yard Winslett touchdown pass to Caldwell.^[7] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 2–6.^[8]

The starting lineup was Enis (left end), Perry (left tackle), Hagler (left guard), Holmes (center), Bowdoin (right guard), Pickhard (right tackle), Winslett (right end), Barnes (quarterback), T. Brown (left halfback), Caldwell (right halfback), Johnson (fullback).^[7]

Mississippi A&M

Week 3: Alabama at Mississippi A&M

1 2 3 4 Total • Alabama 7 0 7 12 26 Mississippi A&M 0 7 0 0 7 Date: October 9 Location: Meridian Fairgrounds Meridian, MS Referee: Charles Kittleman Sources:[9][10]

Against Mississippi A&M, Alabama had seven interceptions en route to a 26–7 victory at the Meridian Fairgrounds.^[5][9][10] The Crimson Tide took a 7–0 lead in the first quarter behind a one-yard Red Barnes touchdown run. The Aggies responded in the second with a ten-yard J. H. Meeks touchdown pass to W. B. Ricks that tied the game 7–7 at halftime.^[9][10]

Alabama then took a 14–7 lead in the third quarter behind a Hoyt Winslett touchdown pass to Archie Taylor. They then closed the game with a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter that made the final score 26–7. The first was scored by Barnes on a 90-yard interception return and by Melvin Vines on a second interception return.^[9][10] The victory brought Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi A&M to 11–4–2.^[11]

The starting lineup was Winslett (left end), Pickhard (left tackle), Hagler (left guard), Pearce (center), Leslie Payne (right guard), Perry (right tackle), Enis (right end), Barnes (quarterback), T. Brown (left halfback), Caldwell (right halfback), Johnson (fullback).^[9][10]

Georgia Tech

Week 4: Alabama at Georgia Tech

1 2 3 4 Total • Alabama 7 7 0 7 21 Georgia Tech 0 0 0 0 0 Date: October 16 Location: Grant Field Atlanta, GA Game attendance: 20,000 Referee: Arthur R. Hutchins Sources:[12][13]

In a game that saw Alabama hold Georgia Tech to only a pair of first downs, the Crimson Tide defeated the Golden Tornado 21–0 at Grant Field in Atlanta.^[5][12][13]

After an exchange of punts, Alabama scored their first touchdown on a 14-yard Hoyt Winslett pass to Melvin Vines for a 7–0 lead. On the first offensive play after a Red Barnes interception in the second quarter, Winslett connected with Archie Taylor on a 38-yard touchdown pass and a 14–0 lead.^[12][13]

Barnes then made the final score 21–0 with his four-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.^[12][13] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia Tech to 5–7–2.^[14]

Sewanee

Week 5: Sewanee at Alabama

1 2 3 4 Total Sewanee 0 0 0 0 0 • Alabama 0 0 0 2 2 Date: October 23 Location: Rickwood Field Birmingham, AL Referee: Everett Strupper Sources:[15][16]

Against Sewanee, Alabama had multiple scoring chances but could not convert and only defeated the Tigers by a score of 2–0.^[5][15][16] Orin Helvey provided most of Sewanee's defense. Once Bama was stopped at the Sewanee nine-yard line, and in the fourth quarter Alabama was stopped at the Sewanee one-yard line. Sewanee did not move the ball as much as Alabama did but reached the Alabama 6 in the second quarter before a 15-yard penalty threw them back. The game almost ended in a scoreless tie, but late in the fourth Fred Pickhard blocked a Sewanee punt which rolled out the back of the end zone for a safety and a 2–0 Tide victory.^[15][16]

Alabama's win over Sewanee was the last close game in a series that dated all the way back to 1893, was dominated by Sewanee early (9–1–1 Tiger advantage between 1893 and 1915), and was one of the Tide's biggest rivalries.^[17] Sewanee was dominant in the South in the early days of college football, but in the 1920s the Tigers were left behind by the growing football powers of the Southern Conference. The Alabama-Sewanee series continued as a series of blowouts periodically through 1938; Sewanee now competes in Division III of the NCAA.^[17]

The starting lineup was Enis (left end), Perry (left tackle), Hagler (left guard), Pearce (center), Bowdoin (right guard), Pickhard (right tackle), Winslett (right end), Barnes (quarterback), Vines (left halfback), Caldwell (right halfback), Johnson (fullback).^[15]

LSU

Week 6: LSU at Alabama

1 2 3 4 Total LSU 0 0 0 0 0 • Alabama 0 3 7 14 24 Date: October 30 Location: Denny Field Tuscaloosa, AL Referee: Everett Strupper Sources:[18][19]

On homecoming in Tuscaloosa, Alabama defeated the LSU Tigers 24–0.^[5][18][19] After a scoreless first quarter, the Crimson Tide took a 3–0 halftime lead behind a 17-yard Herschel Caldwell field goal.^[18][19] Both defenses still played well into the third quarter with Alabama scoring their first touchdown after Fred Pickhard blocked a Charlie Mason punt that was returned by Hoyt Winslett for a 10–0 Crimson Tide lead.^[18][19]

In the fourth quarter, Pickhard blocked a second punt and Ben Enis returned it 15-yards for a touchdown. The Crimson Tide then made the final score 24–0 late in the fourth after Red Barnes scored the only offensive touchdown of the game on a short run.^[18][19] The victory brought Alabama's all-time record against LSU to 9–3–1.^[20]

The starting lineup was Winslett (left end), Pickhard (left tackle), Pearce (left guard), Holmes (center), Hagler (right guard), Perry (right tackle), Enis (right end), Barnes (quarterback), T. Brown (left halfback), Caldwell (right halfback), Reverra (fullback).^[18]

Kentucky

Week 7: Kentucky at Alabama

1 2 3 4 Total Kentucky 0 0 0 0 0 • Alabama 0 7 7 0 14 Date: November 6 Location: Rickwood Field Birmingham, AL Sources:[21][22]

At Rickwood Field, the Crimson Tide defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 14–0.^[5][21][22] After a scoreless first quarter, Hoyt Winslett gave Alabama a 7–0 halftime lead with his one-yard touchdown run. Winslett then scored the other Crimson Tide touchdown of the game early in the third quarter that made the final score 14–0.^[21][22] The victory brought Alabama's all-time record against Kentucky to 5–1.^[23]

The starting lineup was Winslett (left end), Perry (left tackle), Pearce (left guard), Holmes (center), Hagler (right guard), Pickhard (right tackle), Enis (right end), Barnes (quarterback), T. Brown (left halfback), Caldwell (right halfback), Reverra (fullback).^[21]

Florida

Week 8: Florida at Alabama

1 2 3 4 Total Florida 0 0 0 0 0 • Alabama 7 14 14 14 49 Date: November 13 Location: Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL Referee: Springer Sources:[24][25]

At the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama scored in all four quarters en route to a 49–0 victory over the Florida Gators.^[5][24][25] Tolbert Brown scored the Crimson Tide's first three touchdowns and gave Alabama a 21–0 halftime lead. He scored in the first quarter on a short run, and on a second short run and reception from Hoyt Winslett in the second.^[24][25]

Brown continued his scoring in the third quarter with his 47-yard touchdown run. Red Barnes then made the score 35–0 at the end of the third with his short touchdown run. The Crimson tide then closed the game with a short Robert Lee Hamner touchdown run and an Earl Smith touchdown reception from Raymond Pepper that made the final score 49–0.^[24][25] The victory brought Alabama's all-time record against Florida to 3–2.^[26]

The starting lineup was Winslett (left end), Perry (left tackle), Bowdoin (left guard), Holmes (center), Hagler (right guard), Pickhard (right tackle), Enis (right end), Barnes (quarterback), T. Brown (left halfback), Vines (right halfback), Caldwell (fullback).^[24][25]

Georgia

Week 9: Georgia at Alabama

1 2 3 4 Total Georgia 0 0 0 6 6 • Alabama 12 0 6 15 33 Date: November 25 Location: Rickwood Field Birmingham, AL Game attendance: 17,000 Referee: Springer Source:[27]

In their final regular season game, Alabama defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 33–6 and clinched their third consecutive Southern Conference championship.^[5][27] The Crimson Tide took a 12–0 first quarter lead behind short touchdown runs from Hoyt Winslett and Red Barnes.^[27] After a scoreless second quarter, Winslett extended their lead to 18–0 in the third quarter with his touchdown pass to Archie Taylor.^[27]

The Crimson Tide then closed the game with 15 fourth quarter points on a 42-yard Taylor run, a 20-yard Jimmy Johnson interception return and when the Bulldogs' punter Frank Dudley was tackled in the endzone for a safety.^[27] Georgia then scored their first points against Alabama in four years on the final play of the game when a Crimson Tide punt was blocked by Olin Huff and recovered by Harvey Hill in the endzone for a touchdown and a final score of 33–6.^[27] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia to 9–9–3.^[28]

The starting lineup was Winslett (left end), Perry (left tackle), Pearce (left guard), Holmes (center), Hagler (right guard), Pickhard (right tackle), Enis (right end), Barnes (quarterback), T. Brown (left halfback), Vines (right halfback), Caldwell (fullback).^[27]

Postseason

Stanford

Rose Bowl

1 2 3 4 Total Alabama 0 0 0 7 7 Stanford 7 0 0 0 7 Date: January 1 Location: Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA

Again the season was extended as Alabama received another invitation to play in the Rose Bowl. The 1927 Rose Bowl was the first sporting event to ever be nationally broadcast on radio.^[29] Alabama's opponent was the Stanford Cardinal, also 9–0 and coached by football legend Pop Warner. Stanford mounted a 63-yard drive in the first quarter to take a 7–0 lead.^[30] Stanford dominated play for much of the rest of the game, outgaining Alabama 305 yards to 98, but could not score again.^[31] Late in the fourth Bama got the big play it needed: Clark Pearce blocked a punt by Frankie Wilton of Stanford, setting up the Tide at the Cardinal 14. Five plays later, with only seconds remaining, Alabama punched it in from the 1 to make the score 7–6. The two-point conversion would not become a rule in college football for another 32 years, so Alabama lined up for the game-tying extra point. As the teams came to the line, Emile Barnes of Alabama shouted "Signals off!". Stanford took that to mean that Alabama was resetting and relaxed. Instead, Alabama promptly snapped and kicked the extra point to tie the game. Stanford ran only two plays before time expired and the game ended a 7–7 tie.^[30]

Awards and honors

The NCAA retroactively named Alabama and Stanford co-national champions for 1926^[32] due to each being chosen by several of the ranking authorities.^[33] It was a second consecutive national championship for Wallace Wade and the Crimson Tide. The tie with Stanford snapped a 20-game winning streak that remains the second-longest in school history, behind two 28-game winning streaks from 1978 to 1980 and another from 1991 to 1993.^[34]

Personnel

Depth chart

The following chart provides a visual depiction of Alabama's lineup during the 1926 season with games started at the position reflected in parenthesis. The chart mimics a single wing on offense.

LE Hoyt Winslett (5) Ben Enis (2) Earl Smith (0)	LG Ellis Hagler (3) Clark Pearce (3) James Bowdoin (1)	C Sherlock Holmes (5) Clark Pearce (2)	RG Ellis Hagler (4) James Bowdoin (2) Leslie Payne (1)	LT Claude Perry (5) Fred Pickhard (2)	RT Fred Pickhard (5) Claude Perry (2)	RE Ben Enis (5) Hoyt Winslett (2) Melvin Vines (0)
				QB Red Barnes (7)			RHB Herschel Caldwell (5) Melvin Vines (2) David Rosenfeld (0)
			FB James Johnson (3) Herschel Caldwell (2) Reverra (2) William Morrison (0) Ray Pepper (0)
	LHB Red Brown (6) Melvin Vines (1) Robert Lee Hamner (0) Archie Taylor (0)

Varsity letter winners

Line

Player	Hometown	Position
Ben Enis	Fayette, Alabama	End
Gordon Holmes	Springville, Alabama	Center
Leslie Payne	Bay Minette, Alabama	Tackle
Clark Pearce	Winfield, Alabama	Tackle
Fred Pickhard	Mobile, Alabama	Tackle
Earl Smith	Haleyville, Alabama	End
Melvin Vines	Bessemer, Alabama	End
Hoyt "Wu" Winslett	Dadeville, Alabama	End

Backfield

Player	Hometown	Position
Red Barnes	Grove Hill, Alabama	Halfback
Tolbert "Red" Brown	Dothan, Alabama	Halfback
Herschel Caldwell	Blytheville, Arkansas	Halfback
Robert Lee Hamner	Fayette, Alabama	Back
William Morrison	Selma, Alabama	Fullback
Ray Pepper	Albany, Alabama	Fullback
David Rosenfeld	Birmingham, Alabama	Halfback
Archie Taylor	Savannah, Georgia	Back

Other

Player	Hometown	Position
Hugh Dowling		Manager

^[35]

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Seasons at Alabama	Alma mater
Wallace Wade	Head coach	4	Brown (1917)
Hank Crisp	Assistant coach	6	VPI (1920)
Russell Cohen	Assistant coach	4	Vanderbilt (1916)
Clyde "Shorty" Propst	Assistant coach	2	Alabama (1924)
William T. Van de Graaff	Assistant coach	6	Alabama (1916)

^[36]

References

General

• "1926 Season Recap" (PDF). RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved October 8, 2016.

Specific

1. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2015). "National Poll Rankings" (PDF). NCAA Division I Football Records. NCAA. p. 108. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
2. "Millsaps to face Alabama". Winston-Salem Journal. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. September 24, 1926. p. 15.
3. "1926 Alabama football schedule". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
4. "Alabama opens with 54–0 win over Millsaps". The Advocate. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. Associated Press. September 25, 1926. p. 10.
5. 1926 Season Recap
6. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Millsaps (MS)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
7. "Crimson Tide drowns Vandy; Score 19 to 7". The Times-Picayune. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. Associated Press. October 3, 1926. p. 6.1.
8. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Vanderbilt". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
9. "Crimson Tide sweeps over Mississippi Aggies 26 to 7". The Times-Picayune. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. Associated Press. October 10, 1926. p. 6.1.
10. "Crimson Tide submerges Mississippi Aggies by 26 to 7". The Advocate. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. Associated Press. October 10, 1926. p. 12.
11. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Mississippi State". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
12. "Alabama's Crimson Tide defeats Golden Tornado by 21 to 0 score". The Times-Picayune. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. October 17, 1926. p. 6.1.
13. "Alabama wallops Georgia Tech team by score of 21 to 0". Richmond Times-Dispatch. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. Associated Press. October 17, 1926. p. 21.
14. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Georgia Tech". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
15. "Alabama's Tide a mere ripple". Cleveland Plain Dealer. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. Associated Press. October 24, 1926. p. 7B.
16. "Alabama wins from Sewanee by narrow margin of 2 to 0". The Times-Picayune. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. October 24, 1926. p. 6.1.
17. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Sewanee (TN)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
18. "Alabama turns back Louisiana State by 24 to 0 score". The Times-Picayune. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. Associated Press. October 31, 1926. p. 6.1.
19. "Bengal defense crumbles before Tide attack, 24–0". The Advocate. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. October 31, 1926. p. 1.
20. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs LSU". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
21. "Alabama downs Kentucky, climbing another step to Southern title". The Times-Picayune. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. November 7, 1926. p. 6.1.
22. "Crimson Tide of Alabama pushes nearer Dixie title as Kentucky falls, 14 to 0". The Evansville Courier & Journal. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. Associated Press. November 7, 1926. p. 8B.
23. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Kentucky". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
24. "Bama sweeps over Gators 49 to 0". The Times-Picayune. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. November 14, 1926. p. 6.3.
25. "Alabama beats Gators badly in Montgomery". Sarasota Herald. Google News Archives. Associated Press. November 14, 1926. p. 2.1. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
26. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Florida". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
27. "Alabama retains clean slate, downing Georgia Bulldogs". The Times-Picayune. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. Associated Press. November 26, 1925. p. 18.
28. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Georgia". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
29. Rose Bowl History
30. "The 1927 Rose Bowl: Alabama vs. Stanford
31. 1927 Rose Bowl
32. "NCAA History", Retroactive Poll Champions
33. NCAA Football, Football Bowl Subdivision Records, p. 79
34. University of Alabama Sports Information Department, "This is Alabama Football", p. 126
35. "All-Time Tide Football Lettermen". 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office. 2011. pp. 127–141.
36. "All-Time Assistant Coaches". 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office. 2011. pp. 142–143.