1946 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1946 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1946 college football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 52nd overall and 13th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Frank Thomas, in his 15th year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Legion Field in Birmingham and at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. They finished with a record of seven wins and four losses (7–4 overall, 4–3 in the SEC). After the Crimson Tide opened the season with four consecutive victories over , Tulane, South Carolina and Southwestern Louisiana, Alabama's 14-game winning streak was snapped when they lost to Tennessee 12–0. One week later, the Crimson Tide faced off against Kentucky and their young new coach, Bear Bryant, and won by a score of 21–7, before they lost consecutive games to Georgia and LSU. Alabama then closed the season with a victory over Vanderbilt, a loss to Boston College in their first game ever played in New England, and an upset victory over Mississippi State on homecoming in the season finale. Over the course of the season, Frank Thomas was riddled with health issues that ultimately led to his resignation as head coach. In January 1947, Harold Drew was named as the 17th head coach of the Crimson Tide. Schedule Game summaries Furman Source: To open the 1946 season, the Crimson Tide played the Furman Purple Hurricane, who fielded their first team since the 1942 season, on a Friday night at Legion Field. Against the Purple Hurricane, Alabama won 26–7 before a crowd of 25,000 in Birmingham. In the first quarter, Alabama took a 6–0 lead after Norwood Hodges intercepted a Skeeter Coyle pass and returned it 27-yards for a touchdown. On the kickoff that ensued, Charlie Truluck returned it 95-yards to give Furman a 7–6 lead. The Crimson Tide responded with a pair of second-quarter touchdowns to take a 19–7 halftime lead. The first came on a 29-yard Harry Gilmer pass to Ted Cook and the second on a six-yard Johnny August run. Alabama then scored their final points of the game in the third quarter on a 15-yard Gilmer run. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Furman to 2–0. Tulane Source: To open conference play, Alabama traveled to New Orleans and defeated the Tulane Green Wave 7–6 in what was described as a "torrential downpour" throughout the game. Alabama scored their only points on a two-yard Hal Self touchdown run in the first quarter, and Tulane scored on a 24-yard Jim Keeton pass to John Sims in the second quarter. At the time, the announced crowd of 64,317 in attendance for the game was the largest for a regular season game in the Southern United States. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tulane to 15–4–1. South Carolina Source: Against the South Carolina Gamecocks, Alabama won their third game of the season with this 14–6