1940 Alabama Crimson Tide football team The 1940 Alabama Crimson Tide football team ( variously " Alabama " , " UA " or " Bama " ) represented the University of Alabama in the 1940 college football season . It was the Crimson Tide ' s 47th overall and 8th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) . The team was led by head coach Frank Thomas , in his tenth year , and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham , Alabama . They finished the season with a record of seven wins and two losses ( 7 – 2 overall , 4 – 2 in the SEC ) . The Crimson Tide opened the 1940 season with three consecutive , non - conference victories over , and . However , Alabama was defeated 27 – 12 by Tennessee in their conference opener in week four . The Crimson Tide then rebounded with four consecutive conference victories over , Tulane , and . Alabama then closed their season with a loss against on homecoming at Denny Stadium . Game notes . Spring Hill . To open the 1940 season , Alabama defeated Spring Hill College 26 – 0 at Murphy High School Stadium in Mobile . After a scoreless first quarter , the Crimson Tide scored their first touchdown on a one - yard Paul Spencer run in the second quarter and held a 7 – 0 halftime lead . In the third quarter , Alabama extended their lead to 20 – 0 with touchdowns scored runs of two - yards by Spencer and 31 - yards by Dave Brown . They then closed the game with a five - yard Herschel Mosley touchdown run in the fourth quarter for the 26 – 0 victory . The victory was Alabama ' s final game played against the Badgers and improved their all - time record against Spring Hill to 3 – 0 . This contest is also notable for being the first night game ever played by an Alabama football team . Mercer . In their first home game of the season , Alabama shutout the Mercer Bears 20 – 0 on an unseasonably warm afternoon that saw temperatures in excess of 90 degrees . Paul Spencer scored both of the Crimson Tide ' s first half touchdowns on runs of six and five yards for a 13 – 0 halftime lead . The final score came in the third quarter on a six - yard Dave Brown touchdown run . In the victory , the Alabama defense only allowed the Bears one first down and held their offense to net yardage of minus 17 . The victory was Alabama ' s final game played against the Bears and improved their all - time record against Mercer to 2 – 0 . Howard . At Denny Stadium , Alabama defeated Howard ( now Samford University ) 31 – 0 for their third consecutive shutout to open the season . Paul Spencer scored first with his one - yard touchdown run in the first quarter followed by a six - yard Dave Brown touchdown run in the second quarter for a 13 – 0 halftime lead . After Spencer scored again in the third on a seven - yard run , Jimmy Nelson intercepted a Jimmy Tarrant pass and returned it 88 - yards for a touchdown . Don Salls then scored the final points of the game in the fourth quarter on a ten - yard run for the 31 – 0 victory . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Howard to 18 – 0 – 1 . Tennessee . On the Monday prior to their annual game against the Volunteers , Tennessee was selected to the No . 5 position in the first AP Poll of the 1940 season . In the game , Alabama was defeated by rival Tennessee 27 – 12 before an overflow crowd of 24 , 500 at Legion Field . After a scoreless first quarter , Alabama took their only lead of the game early in the second quarter on a 14 - yard fake reverse by Jimmy Nelson for a touchdown . The Volunteers responded with a pair of John Butler touchdowns to take a 14 – 6 halftime lead . The first came on an 11 - yard Butler pass to Al Hurst and the second on a 19 - yard Butler punt return . Alabama then cut the lead to 14 – 12 in the third quarter after Dave Brown returned a Tennessee punt 57 - yards for a touchdown . The Volunteers responded with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to seal the victory . The first came on a five - yard Buss Warren pass to Mike Balitsaris and the second on a 24 - yard Warren to Balitsaris pass . The loss brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Tennessee to 13 – 8 – 2 . Kentucky . On what was homecoming for Kentucky , the Crimson Tide shutout the Wildcats 25 – 0 at Lexington . After a scoreless first , Alabama started their first scoring drive of the game after Joe Domnanovich recovered a Kentucky fumble to give the Crimson Tide possession at the Wildcats ' ten - yard line . Dave Brown then scored on a one - yard run for a 7 – 0 lead . Jimmy Nelson scored later in the quarter on a 63 - yard touchdown run to give Alabama a 13 – 0 halftime lead . The Crimson Tide then closed the game with a pair of second half touchdowns for the 25 – 0 victory . The first came on a 39 - yard Nelson run in the third and on a 40 - yard Don Salls interception return in the fourth . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Kentucky 18 – 1 – 1 . Tulane . In Birmingham , the Crimson Tide defeated the Green Wave 13 – 6 before a crowd of 20 , 000 at Legion Field . After a scoreless first , Alabama took a 6 – 0 halftime lead when Paul Spencer scored a touchdown on a short run after Holt Rast recovered a fumbled punt at the Tulane three - yard line . Early in the third quarter , Dave Brown extended the Alabama lead to 13 – 0 with his 12 - yard touchdown run . Tulane did start a comeback in the fourth quarter with a touchdown , but was stopped late in the game when Ed Hickerson intercepted a Harry Hays pass at the Alabama eight - yard line to seal the Crimson Tide win . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Tulane to 13 – 4 – 1 . Georgia Tech . Prior to their final road game of the season against Georgia Tech , Alabama entered the AP Poll for the first time of the season at No . 14 . Against the Yellow Jackets , the Crimson Tide won on a missed extra point 14 – 13 at Grant Field . Tech scored first on a nine - yard J . W . Bosch touchdown pass to R . L . Ison ; however , C . P . Goree missed the extra point that would later prove to be the final margin of loss . Alabama responded on the kickoff that ensued when Jimmy Nelson scored on a 94 - yard touchdown return . Each team then traded third quarter touchdowns . Alabama scored first on a short Paul Spencer run followed by a C . R . Bates touchdown pass to G . I . Webb . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Georgia Tech to 12 – 11 – 3 . Vanderbilt . As a result of their unexpectedly close contest against Georgia Tech , Alabama dropped three spots to the No . 17 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Vanderbilt . In their game against the Commodores , Alabama rallied from a 14 – 0 deficit to defeat Vanderbilt 25 – 21 in the final Legion Field game of the 1940 season . The Commodores took a 14 – 0 halftime lead with touchdowns scored in the first on a 39 - yard Charlton Davis pass to Binks Bushmiaer and in the second on a six - yard George Marlin run . Alabama responded in the third quarter with a pair of touchdowns to cut the leas to 14 – 13 . Touchdowns were scored on a 12 - yard Jimmy Nelson pass to Hal Newman and on a short Dave Brown run . In the fourth , Vanderbilt extended their lead to 21 – 13 with an Art Rebrovich touchdown run , but ten gave up a pair of late touchdowns to give Alabama the 25 – 21 win . Alabama ' s final touchdowns were scored on a pair of Nelson passes , first to Holt Rast and the second to Russ Craft for the win . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Vanderbilt to 13 – 9 . Mississippi State . In the final game of the season , Alabama was shutout 13 – 0 against the Mississippi State Maroons on homecoming at Denny Stadium . The Maroons scored both of their touchdowns on runs of nine - yards by Harvey Johnson in the first quarter and 23 - yards by Charles Yancey in the fourth quarter . The loss brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Mississippi State to 19 – 6 – 2 . After the season . NFL Draft . Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1940 squad were drafted into the National Football League ( NFL ) between the 1941 and 1943 drafts . These players included the following : References . General Specific