1954 Alabama Crimson Tide football team The 1954 Alabama Crimson Tide football team ( variously " Alabama " , " UA " or " Bama " ) represented the University of Alabama in the 1954 college football season . It was the Crimson Tide ' s 60th overall and 21st season as a member of the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) . The team was led by head coach Harold Drew , in his eighth year , and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa , Legion Field in Birmingham , Ladd Stadium in Mobile and at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery , Alabama . They finished with a record of four wins , five losses and two ties ( 4 – 5 – 2 overall , 3 – 3 – 2 in the SEC ) . After a second consecutive season - opening loss to , Alabama reeled off a four - game winning streak that included shutout victories over LSU , and Tennessee . However , the Crimson Tide followed their streak by scoring only 14 points over the final six games of the 1954 season . After their win over Tennessee , Alabama lost to , and in the loss began a streak of 16 consecutive scoreless quarters that tied the all - time school record . Consecutive scoreless ties against Georgia and Tulane followed , despite quarterback Bart Starr ' s comeback from an early - season injury . The season ended with losses to , and Auburn by a combined score of 71 – 7 . Their record of 4 – 5 – 2 was only Alabama ' s second losing season in 50 years . After the conclusion of the season , on December 2 , Harold Drew resigned as head coach of the Crimson Tide . During his tenure as head coach , Drew had a winning record going 54 – 28 – 7 in seven years . Drew ' s teams won one conference title and played in three bowl games in eight years . On the day of Drew ' s resignation , Jennings B . Whitworth was introduced as his successor as head coach after he served in the same capacity at Oklahoma A & M . Game notes . Mississippi Southern . To open the 1954 season , Alabama was upset by the Mississippi Southern Golden Eagles , for the second consecutive year , 7 – 2 at the Cramton Bowl on a Friday night . The only touchdown of the game was scored by the Golden Eagles in the first quarter on an 18 - yard Brooks Tisdale touchdown run . For the remainder of the game , both defenses were dominate with the oly points coming in the fourth quarter when Douglas Potts blocked a Southern punt into the end zone for a safety and made the final score 7 – 2 . The loss brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Mississippi Southern to 6 – 2 . LSU . To open conference play for the 1954 season , Alabama defeated LSU 12 – 0 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge . After a scoreless first quarter , Alabama scored their first touchdown on a 15 - yard Bart Starr pass to Thomas Tharp for a 6 – 0 halftime lead . On the first play of the final period , Hootie Ingram scored on a 69 - yard run and made the final score 12 – 0 . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against LSU to 15 – 6 – 4 . Vanderbilt . At Ladd Stadium , the Crimson Tide defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores by a final score of 28 – 14 in Mobile . Vanderbilt took a 7 – 0 first quarter lead after Charley Horton scored on a five - yard touchdown run . The Crimson Tide responded with a 30 - yard Hootie Ingram touchdown pass to Thomas Tharp to tie the game 7 – 7 in the second quarter . However , the Commodores responded to take a 14 – 7 halftime lead after 28 - yard Horton touchdown run . Early in the third , a blocked Vandy punt gave Alabama possession at the Commodores 16 - yard line . Four plays later , William Stone tied the game at 14 – 14 with his two - yard touchdown run . Alabama then closed with a pair of touchdowns to win the game 28 – 14 . In the third , Albert Elmore threw a seven - yard touchdown pass to Bobby Luna and in the fourth , Tharp scored on a 10 - yard run . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Vanderbilt to 18 – 14 – 1 . Tulsa . In the first Denny Stadium game of the season , Alabama shutout the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 40 – 0 in a contest that saw the Crimson Tide throw five touchdown passes . Alabama took a 14 – 0 first quarter lead after a 22 - yard Hootie Ingram pass to William Hollis and on a 26 - yard Ollie Yates pass to Curtis Lynch . Another pair of touchdowns in the second quarter on a four - yard Jerry Watford run and an 18 - yard Yates pass to Billy Lumpkin made the halftime score 26 – 0 in favor of the Crimson Tide . Alabama then closed their scoring with a pair of third quarter touchdowns on a 17 - yard Albert Elmore pass to Paul Donaldson and finally on an 88 - yard Elmore pass to Bobby Luna that made the final score 40 – 0 . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Tulsa to 2 – 0 . Tennessee . In their annual rivalry game against the Tennessee , Alabama shutout the Volunteers 27 – 0 and handed the Vols their worst home loss to date . After a scoreless first quarter , Alabama took a 7 – 0 halftime lead after Albert Elmore threw an 11 - yard touchdown pass to Bobby Luna late in the second quarter . A pair of Elmore touchdown passes in the third quarter , seven - yards to Thomas Tharp and 25 - yards to Nicholas Germanos , extended the Crimson Tide lead to 21 – 0 . The final points came late in the fourth quarter when Tharp returned an interception 96 - yards for touchdown and the 27 – 0 victory . The return remained the longest in Alabama history through the 1991 season when Mark McMillian had a 98 - yard return against . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Tennessee to 18 – 13 – 5 . Mississippi State . On homecoming in Tuscaloosa , the Crimson Tide were defeated by the Mississippi State Maroons 12 – 7 at Denny Stadium . After a scoreless first quarter , Alabama took a 7 – 0 halftime lead when Albert Elmore threw a three - yard touchdown pass to Thomas Tharp with only 0 : 25 left in the second . The Maroons scored their first touchdown in the third quarter when Bobby Collins returned a Bobby Luna punt 56 - yards to cut the Crimson Tide lead to 7 – 6 . State then scored the game - winning touchdown on a 30 - yard Joe Silveri run in the fourth and gave the Maroons the 12 – 7 victory . The loss brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Mississippi State to 28 – 8 – 3 . Georgia . At Birmingham , the Crimson Tide battled the Georgia Bulldogs to a scoreless tie in the first Legion Field game of the season . The tie brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Georgia to 21 – 15 – 4 . Tulane . For their game against Tulane , Alabama traveled to New Orleans and played the Green Wave to a scoreless tie , the second for the Crimson Tide in two weeks . The tie brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Tulane to 16 – 7 – 2 . Georgia Tech . Against Georgia Tech , Alabama extended their scoreless streak to 14 quarters before a nationally televised audience against the Yellow Jackets 20 – 0 at Grant Field . Tech took a commanding 13 – 0 lead in the first quarter with touchdowns scored on runs of 45 - yards by Paul Rotenberry and seven - yards by E . O . Thompson . The Jackets then scored their final points in the third on a six - yard Thompson run for the 20 – 0 victory . The loss brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Georgia Tech to 18 – 15 – 3 . Miami . On a Friday evening in Miami , Alabama was defeated by the Miami Hurricanes 23 – 7 at Burdine Stadium . After a scoreless first , Miami took a 10 – 0 halftime lead after Porky Oliver kicked a field goal and on a six - yard Whitey Rouviere touchdown run in the second quarter . The Crimson Tide then ended a 16 quarter shutout streak in the third quarter when Bart Starr scored on a one - yard run and made the score 10 – 7 . The Hurricanes then closed the game with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns and won the game 23 – 7 . The loss brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Miami to 3 – 1 . Auburn . For the first time since the 1949 season , Alabama was defeated by the rival Auburn Tigers 28 – 0 at Legion Field . Auburn led 7 – 0 at halftime with the only first half touchdown scored on a one - yard Bobby Freeman run in the first quarter . After a 41 - yard Freeman run gave the Tigers a 14 – 0 lead in the third , a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns gave Auburn the 28 – 0 victory . The final points came on a one - yard Joe Childress run and a three - yard Freeman run . The loss brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Auburn to 9 – 9 – 1 . References . General Specific