Coaches No. 4 1965 record 9–1–1 (6–1–1 SEC) Captain Steve Sloan | AP No. 1 Head coach Bear Bryant (8th year) | |
Conference Southeastern Conference | ||
The 1965 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1965 college football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 71st overall and 32nd season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his eighth year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Legion Field in Birmingham and Ladd Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. They finished season with nine wins, one loss and one tie (9–1–1 overall, 6–1–1 in the SEC), as SEC champions and with a victory over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Alabama was also recognized as national champions by the AP Poll after their Orange Bowl win.
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Alabama opened the season ranked No. 5, but were upset by Georgia 18–17 in the first game of the season. They rebounded with their first win of the season over Tulane and followed that with a 17–16 win over Ole Miss in a game in which Alabama had to rally from a nine-point fourth quarter deficit for the victory. The next week, the Crimson Tide defeated Vanderbilt in Nashville before they returned home for their rivalry game against Tennessee. Against the Volunteers, the score was deadlocked 7–7 in the closing seconds, but Alabama had driven to the Tennessee four-yard line. Ken Stabler believing that it was third down, threw the ball out of bounds with six seconds left to stop the clock. However, it was actually fourth down, possession went to Tennessee, and the game ended in a tie.
After the tie, the Crimson Tide won five in a row over Florida State, Mississippi State, LSU, South Carolina and Auburn en route to Bryant's fourth SEC title at Alabama. Because the Associated Press was holding its vote until after the bowl games instead of before for the first time, No. 4 Alabama still had a chance to win the national championship when they played No. 3 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. On New Year's Day, No. 1 Michigan State lost in the Rose Bowl and No. 2 Arkansas lost in the Cotton Bowl Classic, and Alabama defeated Nebraska 39–28 in the Orange Bowl and captured its third AP National Championship in five years.
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National championship claim
The NCAA recognizes consensus national champions as the teams that have captured a championship by way of one of the major polls since the 1950 college football season. As they entered the Orange Bowl, the Crimson Tide was ranked fourth by the AP behind Michigan State, Arkansas and Nebraska. After losses by the Spartans an Razorbacks in their bowl game coupled with an Alabama victory over Nebraska in their contest, the Crimson Tide vaulted into the No. 1 position in the final AP poll of the season and won the national championship. Michigan State was also recognized as national champions by various other selectors for the 1965 season, including the UPI.
NFL/AFL Draft
Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1965 squad were drafted into the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL) between the 1966 and 1968 drafts. These players included the following:
Freshman squad
Prior to the 1972 college football season, NCAA rules prohibited freshmen from participating on the varsity team, and as such many schools fielded freshmen teams. The Alabama freshmen squad finished the 1965 season with a record of three wins and one loss (3–1). The Baby Tide opened their season with a 7–6 loss at Mississippi State. After a scoreless first quarter, the Bulldogs took a 7–0 lead in the second when Ronnie Coleman thew an 11-yard touchdown pass to Harry Ivey. Although the Alabama defense only allowed State only two first downs for the remainder of the game, the Baby Tide lost 7–6 after a failed two-point conversion attempt that followed a 26-yard Joe Kelley touchdown pass to Donnie Sutton.
Alabama then won their first game of the season at Denny Stadium with a 27–14 victory over Ole Miss. Ole Miss took an early 7–0 lead on a 12-yard Jimmy Wallis touchdown pass to Glenn Cannon. Alabama responded with the next four touchdowns and took a 27–7 lead. Touchdowns were scored on runs of 19-yards by Dave Beddingfield, 25-yards by Mickey Lee, three-yards by Frank Chambers run and on a 61-yard Kelley pass to Conrad Fowler. The Rebels then scored their final points as time expired on a 73-yard Terry Collier touchdown pass to Cannon. In their third game, Alabama defeated Tennessee 19–8 at Neyland Stadium. Alabama took an early 7–0 lead after Donnie Johnston scored on a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. After a pair of Myles Prestige field goals, the Baby Tide extended their lead to 19–0 with a second half touchdown. Tennessee responded late with their only touchdown on a four-yard Nick Showalter touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Two weeks later, Alabama closed the season with a 30–6 victory over rival Auburn at Cliff Hare Stadium. After Baby Tide took a 7–0 first quarter lead on short Frank Chambers run, Auburn scored their only points on a 96-yard return by Larry Ellis on the kickoff that ensued. The Baby Tide then closed the game with 23 unanswered points scored on a one-yard Kelley run, a 20-yard Prestige field goal, a 52-yard Don Matthews punt return and on a nine-yard Johnston reverse.