1947 Alabama Crimson Tide football team The 1947 Alabama Crimson Tide football team ( variously " Alabama " , " UA " or " Bama " ) represented the University of Alabama in the 1947 college football season . It was the Crimson Tide ' s 53rd overall and 14th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) . The team was led by head coach Harold Drew , in his first year , and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham , Alabama . They finished with a record of eight wins and three losses ( 8 – 3 overall , 5 – 2 in the SEC ) and with a loss in the Sugar Bowl . After the Crimson Tide opened the season with a victory over , Alabama lost consecutive . games against Tulane and to open the season 1 – 2 . However , the Crimson Tide rebounded to win their final seven games against , Tennessee , Georgia , Kentucky , , and . Alabama then lost to Texas in the Sugar Bowl to finish the season 8 – 3 . The 1947 season also marked the first for Harold Drew as head coach for the Crimson Tide . Drew was hired as the replacement for long - time head coach Frank Thomas after he resigned his post due to personal health conditions in January 1947 . Game notes . Mississippi Southern . To open the 1946 season , the Crimson Tide defeated the Mississippi Southern Golden Eagles at Legion Field 34 – 7 in what was the first all - time meeting between the schools . The Crimson Tide took a 6 – 0 lead in the first quarter when Harry Gilmer threw a 33 - yard touchdown pass to Rebel Steiner . Norwood Hodges extended the Alabama lead to 13 – 0 at halftime with his eight - yard touchdown run in the second quarter . Early in the third quarter , Mississippi scored their only points of the game on a 66 - yard Bubba Phillips touchdown run to cut the Crimson Tide lead to 13 – 7 . Alabama responded with 21 unanswered points for the 34 – 7 victory . Touchdowns were scored on a four - yard Gilmer run in the third and on a two - yard Hodges and one - yard Ed Salem run in the fourth quarter . Tulane . To open conference play , Alabama traveled to New Orleans and lost to the Tulane Green Wave 21 – 20 . After a scoreless first quarter , the Crimson Tide took a 6 – 0 lead after Norwood Hodges scored on a one - yard touchdown run . However , the Green Wave responded on the kickoff that ensued when Ed Price returned it 101 - yards for a 7 – 6 Tulane lead . A Bennie Ellender touchdown pass as the second quarter ended gave the Green Wave a 14 – 6 halftime lead . Ray Prats extended the Tulane lead to 21 – 6 early in the third quarter after he returned an interception 65 - yards for a touchdown . The Crimson Tide responded with a pair of third quarter touchdowns , but lost by a single point . Alabama touchdowns in the third were scored by Hodges on a two - yard run and by Billy Cadenhead on an eight - yard run . The loss brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Tulane to 15 – 5 – 1 . Vanderbilt . Against Vanderbilt , Alabama lost 14 – 7 at Dudley Field in a game dominated by the Commodores ' pass defense . Vanderbilt scored the only points of the first half when Jamie Wade threw a 61 - yard touchdown pass to John North for a 7 – 0 lead . In the fourth quarter , Robert Berry scored for the Commodores on an 11 - yard run after they intercepted a Harry Gilmer pass . A late 23 - yard Gilmer touchdown pass to Carl Mims to make the final score 14 – 7 and breakup the Vanderbilt shutout attempt . The loss brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Vanderbilt to 16 – 11 . Duquesne . In what was the first all - time game against Duquesne , the Dukes lost 26 – 0 in the first Denny Stadium game of the season . After a scoreless first quarter , the Crimson Tide took a 7 – 0 halftime lead after Billy Cadenhead scored on a six - yard run . The Alabama lead was extended further in the third quarter after a 58 - yard Norman Mosley punt return and a one - yard Norwood Hodges touchdown run to make the score 20 – 0 as they entered the final period . In the fourth , Travis Hicks scored the final points of the game and made the final score 26 – 0 . Tennessee . Against Tennessee , the Crimson Tide shutout Volunteers 10 – 0 before a sellout crowd at Legion Field . After a scoreless first half , a nine - yard Billy Cadenhead touchdown run in the third and a seven - yard Hugh Morrow field goal in the fourth provided for the 10 – 0 margin of victory . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Tennessee to 17 – 9 – 3 . Georgia . Against Georgia , the Crimson Tide defeated the Bulldogs 17 – 7 before 48 , 000 fans at Sanford Stadium . The Crimson Tide took an early 7 – 0 lead after Harry Gilmer returned a punt 80 - yards for a touchdown . The Bulldogs responded in the second quarter with their only points on an 83 - yard John Rauch touchdown pass to Eli Maricich to tie the game 7 – 7 at halftime . Alabama retook the lead in the third on an 84 - yard run that saw Lowell Tew run 44 - yards before he tossed a lateral pass to Billy Cadenhead who took it the final 40 - yards for the touchdown . A seven - yard Hugh Morrow field goal in the fourth made the final score 17 – 7 . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Georgia to 16 – 14 – 3 . Kentucky . In Lexington , the Crimson Tide defeated the Wildcats 13 – 0 at McLean Stadium who were led by former Crimson Tide player Bear Bryant . Alabama scored all of their points on a pair of touchdowns in the first half . The first came on a three - yard Harry Gilmer run in the first quarter and the second on a two - yard Billy Cadenhead run in the second quarter . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Kentucky 24 – 1 – 1 . Georgia Tech . Against the Yellow Jackets , the Crimson Tide had their second consecutive upset victory with their 14 – 7 at Legion Field . Alabama took a 14 – 0 lead into the fourth quarter after a five - yard Harry Gilmer touchdown pass to Rebel Steiner in the first quarter and on a one - yard Gilmer run in the second quarter . Tech scored their only points late in the fourth quarter on a four - yard Robert McCoy touchdown run to make the final score 14 – 7 . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Georgia Tech to 14 – 12 – 3 . LSU . On homecoming in Tuscaloosa , Alabama defeated LSU 41 – 12 to close out conference play for the season . Immediately following the win , the Crimson Tide accepted an invitation to play in the 1948 Sugar Bowl . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against LSU to 13 – 4 – 3 . Miami . This game against the Miami Hurricanes was originally scheduled to be played on Friday , September 28 . However , severe weather and poor field conditions postponed its being played until the following evening , and in what was their final regular season game , Alabama defeated Miami 21 – 6 at Burdine Stadium . Miami took a 6 – 0 lead in the first quarter after Harold Schuler threw a 33 - yard touchdown pass to Ed Houck . The Crimson Tide then responded with 21 unanswered points to win the game 21 – 6 . Touchdowns were scored on a three - yard Harry Gilmer pass to Rebel Steiner in the second quarter and on runs by Gilmer and Jim Cain in the third quarter . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Miami to 2 – 0 . Texas . Against the Texas Longhorns , the Crimson Tide were defeated 27 – 7 in the 1948 Sugar Bowl . The loss brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Texas to 0 – 4 . References . General Specific