1969 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1969 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1969 NCAA University Division football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 75th overall and 36th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference. The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his 12th year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished season with six wins and five losses and with a loss against Colorado in the Liberty Bowl.
Alabama opened the season ranked No. 13 and defeated VPI at Blacksburg and in the first regular season game played at Denny Stadium on AstroTurf. In their third game, the Crimson Tide defeated an Archie Manning led Ole Miss squad 33–32 in a record-breaking game before a nationally televised audience. Alabama then lost consecutive game for the first time during Bryant's tenure as head coach against Vanderbilt and Tennessee.
After their loss to Tennessee, Alabama rebounded with victories at Clemson and at Mississippi State before they lost their third game of the season at LSU. They rebounded the next week with a homecoming victory over Miami but then lost to Auburn in the Iron Bowl. In the December that followed, Alabama lost 47–33 to Colorado in the Liberty Bowl.
The 1969 season marked the 100th anniversary of the start of college football, and as such Alabama commemorated the event by altering their helmet design. Instead of the player number, the helmet for the 1969 season featured the number "100" inside a football to commemorate the anniversary of the first college football game.
Schedule
- Source: Rolltide.com: 1969 Alabama football schedule
Game summaries
VPI
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In the third quarter, George Ranager scored what was the game-winning touchdown on a 10-yard run and a 45-yard Simcsak field goal in the fourth provided for the final margin in the 17–13 Crimson Tide victory. The 42,000 in attendance was the largest crowd to date to witness a football game in the commonwealth of Virginia and required the addition of 7,000 temporary seats to accommodate demand. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Virginia Tech to 5–0.
Southern Miss
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Alabama opened the third quarter with a two-yard Musso touchdown run, and then Southern scored their other touchdown on a six-yard Danny Palmer pass to Billy Mikel that made the score 42–14. The Crimson Tide then closed the game with a pair of Neb Hayden touchdown runs from one and four-yards and by Benny Rippetoe on a four-yard run that made the final score 63–14. The game was the first played on an AstroTurf surface between Denny Field opponents as it was installed during the previous spring. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Southern Miss to 11–2–1.
Ole Miss
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At the end of the third quarter, Alabama retained a 21–20 lead after the teams again traded touchdowns. The Rebels scored first on an 11-yard Manning pass to Floyd Franks, followed by a one-yard Musso run and a 17-yard Manning run. Both teams then traded fourth-quarter touchdowns with the Crimson Tide coming out on top 33–32. Ole Miss touchdowns were scored on a two-yard Manning pass to Riley Myers and a one-yard Manning run, and Alabama touchdowns were scored on a one-yard Scott Hunter run and 14-yard Hunter pass to George Ranager.
Records set in this game included a new national record for passes completed between both teams with 55. Conference records set in the game by Rebels quarterback Archie Manning included most passing yards, attempts and completions in a single game by going 33 of 52 for 436 yards in addition to most total offense by a single player with 540 yards. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Ole Miss to 21–4–2.
Vanderbilt
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Vanderbilt opened the second half with possession of the football. Mathews fumbled the ball and Alabama's defensive end, Wayne Rhodes made the recovery at the Vanderbilt 19-yard line. On the first play, George Ranger swept around the right end for a Crimson Tide touchdown. With just 1:35 elapsed in the third quarter, Dean's conversion gave Alabama a 10-7 margin. In the third quarter, Vanderbilt, chewed up the clock, combining on short passes and running the ball, cutting nine minutes off the clock in a 25-play drive. With the ball on the 1-yard line, the Commodores failed to get the ball into the end zone. Vanderbilt's field goal attempt, sailed to the left of the uprights.
The Commodores defense, led by Pat Toomay, put pressure on Alabama throughout the game. Vanderbilt began its march to the winning touchdown with 7:30 left in the game. Denny Painter began the drive at quarterback for Vanderbilt and hit Curt Chesley on passes of 18, 6, and 17 yards to get the drive rolling, then a key pass to David Strong of 19 yards extended the drive. Watson Brown, who turned down a scholarship from Bryant, came into the game for Painter in a first-down situation at the Tide's 21-yard line. On Brown's first play, he handed off to Mathews who bulled his way for 11 yards down to the 10, but on the next play, Daniel Lipperman failed to gain a yard on a running play, setting up a second-and-long situation. Brown turned to his right, faked a hand-off, quickly turned and threw a strike to tight end Jim Cunningham. Cunningham, stayed on the line of scrimmage, caught the ball and ran into the end zone. Pandemonium broke out in the stands as the crowd reacted to the dramatic finish. The conversion was successful and Vanderbilt took the lead, 14–10.
However, there were still two minutes on the clock, plenty of time for gunslinger Scott Hunter to move the ball into scoring range. Vandys' defense forced Alabama into a fourth down situation on its own 21-yard line. On Alabama's final desperation pass attempt, Commodore defender Les Lyle broke through the line and slammed Hunter to the ground for a sack. Vanderbilt fans believed the game over, yet a flag was thrown on Lyle for being offsides. Alabama still needed two more yards for a first down, since the offsides penalty did not give Alabama the much-needed first down. The next play, defensive tackle, Buzz Hamilton exploded through the line hitting Hunter and forcing him to throw an underhanded pass that landed untouched on the ground. Vanderbilt won the game, 14–10. This would be the last time that Vanderbilt has won a game against Alabama in Nashville as of 2017.
Years later Watson Brown said in a 2007 interview of coach Bryant. “Coach Bryant, before the game, walked by and was cutting up with me.” “He said, ‘you couldn’t throw when I recruited you, you can’t throw now and you’ll never be able to throw.’ He just kept walking and patted me on the head. Then after we won the game, he found me in all the melee and it was melee. He gave me a hug and didn't say anything and strolled into the locker room.”
“When I couldn’t play anymore and decided I wanted to coach, Coach Bryant really got me started and I called him for advice on every job I was offered until the day he died. He kind of took me under his wing and said, ‘I’ll help you go here, maybe don’t go here.’ It was real neat that I didn't play for him, but he took care of me until he passed away.”
The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 26–17–4.
Tennessee
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After Scott brought the Volunteers' lead to 34–0 with his two-yard touchdown run in the fourth, Alabama scored their first points on a one-yard Johnny Musso run. The game then closed with a six-yard Richard Callaway run for Tennessee and a six-yard Musso run for a touchdown that made the final score 41–14. The loss was the first time Coach Bryant lost three consecutive games to the same opponent as Alabama's head coach. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 23–22–7.
Clemson
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After a scoreless third quarter, the Crimson Tide extended their lead to 38–7 on a one-yard Musso touchdown run and a 39-yard Oran Buck field goal. The Tigers then closed the game with a two-yard Ray Yauger touchdown run that made the final score 38–13. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Clemson to 10–3.
Mississippi State
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In the fourth, both teams traded a pair of touchdowns with Alabama eventually winning the game 23–19. Crimson Tide touchdowns were scored on Johnny Musso runs of four and 25-yards and State touchdowns were scored on a six-yard Tommy Pharr run and a two-yard Pharr pass to Bob Young. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi State to 41–10–3.
LSU
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In the fourth, the teams traded touchdowns with the Tigers' ultimately winning 20–15. Fourth-quarter touchdowns were scored by LSU on a second one-yard Shorey run and by Alabama on Scott Hunter passes of 37-yards to Hunter Husband and 34-yards to David Bailey. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against LSU to 20–9–4.
Miami
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After Miami scored their only points of the game early in the third on an eight-yard Kelly Cochrane touchdown pass to Joe Schmidt that made the score 28–6. Alabama then closed the game with a three-yard Phil Chaffin touchdown run in the third and on an 18-yard Stephen Doran touchdown reception from Benny Rippetoe in the fourth that made the final score 42–6. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Miami to 7–2.
Auburn
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In the third quarter, Auburn extended their lead to 28–10 on touchdown runs of four-yards by Pat Sullivan and one-yard by Mickey Zofko before George Ranager had a 100-yard kickoff return that made the score 28–17 as they entered the fourth quarter. After Buck connected on a 27-yard field goal early in the fourth for Alabama, Auburn scored three consecutive touchdowns that extended their lead to 49–20. These were scored by Zofko on a nine-yard run, by Clark on a three-yard run and by Connie Frederick on an 84-yard run. The Crimson Tide closed the game with a seven-yard Scott Hunter touchdown pass to David Bailey that made the final score 49–26. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Auburn to 18–15–1.
Colorado
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Against the Buffaloes, Alabama lost 47–33 and completed the first five loss season during Bryant's tenure as head coach in the first all-time meeting between the schools.
The Buffaloes took a 10–0 first quarter lead on a 13-yard Ward Walsh touchdown run and 30-yard Dave Haney field goal. After they extended their lead further to 17–0 on a three-yard Bobby Anderson touchdown run early in the second, Alabama responded with a pair of touchdown runs that cut the Colorado lead to 17–13. The first was on a 31-yard Scott Hunter run and the second on a six-yard George Ranager run. The teams then traded two more touchdowns on runs of 15-yards by Walsh for Colorado and two-yards by Johnny Musso before Steve Engel had 91-yard kickoff return that made the halftime score 31–19.
The Crimson Tide then rallied and took a 33–31 lead in the third quarter on a pair of Neb Hayden touchdown throws. The first was to Griff Langston from 51-yards and the second to Musso from ten-yards. Colorado then responded with a pair of unanswered touchdowns and a safety in the fourth quarter and won the game 47–33. Touchdowns were scored on Anderson runs of two and three-yards with a combined quarterback sack of Hayden for a safety by Bill Brundige and Herb Orvis providing the final margin.
NFL Draft
Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1969 squad were drafted into the National Football League in the 1971 and 1972 drafts. These players included the following:Year | Round | Overall | Player name | Position | NFL team |
1971 NFL Draft | 6 | 140 | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers | |
1972 NFL Draft | 3 | 62 | Running back | Chicago Bears | |
1972 NFL Draft | 11 | 266 | Wide receiver | Green Bay Packers | |
1972 NFL Draft | 15 | 386 | Linebacker | Baltimore Colts | |
1972 NFL Draft | 16 | 411 | Defensive back | Washington Redskins |
Freshman squad
Prior to the 1972 NCAA University Division football season, NCAA rules prohibited freshmen from participating on the varsity team, and as such many schools fielded freshmen teams. The Alabama freshmen squad was led by coach Clem Gryska for the 1969 season and finished with a record of three wins and two losses. The Baby Tide opened their season with a 13–7 loss against Mississippi State at Scott Field. After Alabama took a 7–0 lead on a one-yard Steve Wade run in the second, Billy Baker threw for both of the State touchdowns. The first was from 39-yards to Emil Petro in the third and the second was from 56-yards to Lewis Grubbs in the fourth for the 13–7 victory. In their second game, the Alabama freshmen defeated Vanderbilt 12–8 at Denny Stadium. After a scoreless first, Butch Hobson gave Alabama a 7–0 halftime lead with his short touchdown run, and a pair of Randy Moore field goals in the second half accounted for the 12 Crimson points. The Commodores scored their only touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 44-yard Pete Power touchdown pass to Cliff Flemore.In their third game, the Alabama freshmen defeated Ole Miss 13–6 at Denny Stadium. After a 30-yard Randy Moore field goal gave Alabama a 3–0 first quarter lead, Johnny Sharpless scored on an eight-yard touchdown run in the second for a 10–0 halftime lead. Moore connected on a 33-yard field goal in the third and then Ole Miss scored their only points in the final minute of the game on a one-yard Norris Weese touchdown run. After a 35–0 victory at Tennessee, the Baby Tide closed the season with a 17–9 loss to Auburn at Cliff Hare Stadium