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 , and , Alabama ' s 14 - game winning streak was snapped when they lost to Tennessee 12 – 0 . One week later , the Crimson Tide faced off against and their young new coach , Bear Bryant , and won by a score of 21 – 7 , before they lost consecutive games to Georgia and . Alabama then closed the season with a victory over , a loss to in their first game ever played in New England , and an upset victory over 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 . Game notes . Furman . 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 . 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 . Against the South Carolina Gamecocks , Alabama won their third game of the season with this 14 – 6 at Carolina Stadium . The Gamecocks took a 6 – 0 first quarter lead after Bo Hagan threw a 42 - yard touchdown pass to Earl Dunham . Alabama responded with a one - yard Hal Smith touchdown run for a 7 – 6 halftime lead . After a scoreless third , the Crimson Tide closed the game with a one - yard Fred Grant touchdown run for the 14 – 6 win . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against South Carolina to 4 – 0 . Southwestern Louisiana . After they opened the season with three consecutive victories , Alabama was recognized with the No . 6 ranking in the first AP Poll for the 1946 season in the week that led to their game against the Southwestern Louisiana Institute . Against the Bulldogs , that were led by former Tide great Johnny Cain , Alabama won their fourth game of the season with their 54 – 0 shutout at Denny Stadium . Alabama took a 6 – 0 first - quarter lead after Lowell Tew scored on a 28 - yard touchdown run . They extended their lead 20 – 0 at halftime after Johnny August threw a 15 - yard touchdown pass to Bob Hood and Lionel W . Noonan scored on a three - yard run . In the third quarter , Tew scored his second touchdown on a seven - yard run and Fred Grant scored on a three - yard run for a 34 – 0 lead . The Crimson Tide then concluded the afternoon with a trio of touchdowns in the fourth quarter . The touchdowns were scored on a Clem Welsh run , a 46 - yard Norman Mosley punt return and an 87 - yard D . Joe Gambrell reception from Theo Fakier for the 54 – 0 victory . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against the Bulldogs to 3 – 0 . Tennessee . Although they defeated Southwestern Louisiana in their previous game , Alabama dropped to the No . 7 position in the second AP Poll of the season . Against Tennessee , the Crimson Tide were shutout Volunteers 12 – 0 at Shields - Watkins Field . The Tennessee points were scored on short Bob Lund touchdown runs in the second and third quarters . The loss brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Tennessee to 16 – 9 – 3 . Kentucky . After their loss against Tennessee , Alabama dropped four spots to the No . 11 ranking prior to their game against Kentucky . In Montgomery , the Crimson Tide defeated the Wildcats 21 – 7 at the Cramton Bowl . After a scoreless first quarter , Alabama took a 14 – 0 halftime lead after touchdowns were scored on a one - yard Harry Gilmer run and on a 37 - yard Gilmer pass to Hugh Morrow in the second quarter . Kentucky responded in the third with their only points when Bill Chambers intercepted a Gilmer pass and returned it 65 - yards for a touchdown . The Crimson Tide then made the final score 21 – 7 in the fourth on an eight - yard Gilmer pass to Ted Cook . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Kentucky 23 – 1 – 1 . Georgia . Although the Crimson Tide defeated Kentucky the previous week , Alabama dropped four spots to the No . 15 ranking for their game against Georgia . Against the Bulldogs , the Crimson Tide were shutout 14 – 0 before 30 , 000 fans at Sanford Stadium . Georgia All - American halfback Charley Trippi was responsible for both of the Bulldogs ' touchdowns . The first came on a nine - yard Trippi pass to Dan Edwards and later on a 46 - yard Trippi run . The loss brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Georgia to 15 – 14 – 3 . LSU . To open conference play for the 1945 season , the Crimson Tide traveled to play LSU and left Baton Rouge with a 26 – 7 victory . The loss brought Alabama ' s all - time record against LSU to 12 – 4 – 3 . Vanderbilt . Against the Vanderbilt Commodores , Alabama won 12 – 7 at Legion Field in Birmingham . After a scoreless first quarter , the Crimson Tide took a 12 – 0 halftime lead after touchdowns were scored in the second quarter on a short Hal Self run and a 20 - yard Harry Gilmer pass to Hugh Morrow . The Commodores scored their lone touchdown late in the fourth quarter on a one - yard Robert Berry touchdown run on fourth - and - goal to make the final score 12 – 7 . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Vanderbilt to 16 – 10 . Boston College . Against the Boston College Eagles , Alabama lost 13 – 7 in what was the first game ever played by the Crimson Tide in New England . After a scoreless first quarter , each team scored second quarter touchdowns . The Eagles scored first on a one - yard James Benedetto run and Alabama responded with a 38 - yard Harry Gilmer pass to Ted Cook to make the halftime score 7 – 7 . Boston then scored the game winning touchdown early in the final period on a 39 - yard Maurice Poissant run . The loss brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Boston College to 1 – 1 . In addition to being their first game played in New England , this game also marked the first time that an Alabama squad traveled to an away game by way of airplane . Mississippi State . On what was both homecoming and the final game of the season at Denny Stadium , Alabama upset the Mississippi State Maroons 24 – 7 . After a scoreless first quarter , Alabama took a 10 – 0 halftime lead after a six - yard Hugh Morrow field goal and a two - yard Lionel W . Noonan touchdown run in the second quarter . They extended their lead further to 17 – 0 in the third after John Wozniak returned a blocked punt 38 - yards for a touchdown . The game then concluded with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns . The first was scored by Alabama on a one - yard Harry Gilmer run and the second for State on a short Wallace Matulich run . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Mississippi State to 23 – 7 – 2 . Thomas resignation . The struggles of the 1946 team might have been caused in part by the deteriorating health of coach Frank Thomas . High blood pressure left him bedridden for most of the 1946 season , unable to stand for long periods , and forced to ride in a trailer to conduct many Alabama practices . After the 1946 season his ill health forced his resignation when he was only 48 years old , and Thomas later died in Tuscaloosa on May 10 , 1954 . During his fifteen seasons as head coach at Alabama , Thomas won four SEC championships and compiled an overall record of 115 wins , 24 losses and seven ties ( 115 – 24 – 7 ) record , for an winning percentage . Prior to the conclusion of the season , speculation began as to who would succeed Thomas as the head coach of the Crimson Tide . In early November , sources indicated that former Thomas player , and then head coach at Kentucky , Bear Bryant was to become the next head coach of the Crimson Tide . On November 11 , Bryant stated that he had not been in contact about the Alabama job and indicated his focus was on the Wildcats . After an exhaustive search , on January 14 , 1947 , former Thomas assistant and then head coach at Ole Miss , Harold Drew was introduced as the new head coach of the Crimson Tide . Personnel . Coaching staff . References . General Specific