1936 Alabama Crimson Tide football team The 1936 Alabama Crimson Tide football team ( variously " Alabama " , " UA " or " Bama " ) represented the University of Alabama in the 1936 college football season . It was the Crimson Tide ' s 43rd overall and 4th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) . The team was led by head coach Frank Thomas , in his sixth 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 eight wins , zero losses and one tie ( 8 – 0 – 1 overall , 5 – 0 – 1 in the SEC ) . After Alabama opened the season with three consecutive shutout s against , Clemson and , they suffered their only blemish of the season , a scoreless tie against Tennessee . The Crimson Tide rebounded to win their final five games against , , Tulane , and Vanderbilt . Although they finished undefeated and ranked No . 4 in the final AP Poll , Alabama did not receive an invitation to participate in a postseason bowl game . Game notes . Howard . To open the 1936 season , Alabama outgained Howard ( now Samford University ) in total yards 294 to 12 , and defeated the Bulldogs 34 – 0 at Denny Stadium . After a scoreless first , Joe Kilgrow scored on a four - yard touchdown run to give the Crimson Tide a 6 – 0 lead . Alabama then scored two touchdowns in each of the final two quarters to secure the 34 – 0 victory . Joe Riley scored both third quarter touchdowns , first on a 27 - yard run and second on a 26 - yard run . Kilgrow the scored both of the fourth quarter touchdowns on a pair of one - yard runs . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Howard to 14 – 0 – 1 . Clemson . For the second week in a row Alabama shutout their opponent , and this time it was the Clemson Tigers of the Southern Conference 32 – 0 in Tuscaloosa . The Crimson Tide took a 12 – 0 lead in the first quarter on touchdown runs of 15 yards by Gene Blackwell and of five - yards by Herman Caldwell . They would then score a touchdown in each of the three remaining quarters for the 32 – 0 margin . The touchdown runs were scored by Charlie Holm in the second on a three - yard run , by Young Boozer in the third on a 39 - yard run and finally by Joe Kilgrow in the fourth on a five - yard run . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Clemson to 6 – 3 . Mississippi State . The Crimson Tide entered their annual game against their long - time rival , Mississippi State as a slight underdog that sought redemption against the Maroons after their 20 – 7 loss the previous year . In what was Alabama ' s annual homecoming game , they defeated the Maroons 7 – 0 at Denny Stadium . In a game dominated by both defenses , the only points of the game came in the second quarter . The touchdown was scored by Joe Kilgrow after he received a lateral pass from Joe Riley on a fake punt and returned it 83 - yards for the score . The Alabama defense also starred and made eight interception s of State passes in the game . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Mississippi State to 18 – 5 – 2 . Tennessee . Against rival Tennessee , Alabama battled the Volunteers to a 0 – 0 tie at Legion Field . In a game once again dominated by both defenses , the closest either team came to a score was at the end of the second quarter when Alabama was in position for a touchdown at the Tennessee one - yard line . However , the official call time for the end of the period before Alabama could get another play off . The tie brought Alabama ' s all - time record against Tennessee to 12 – 5 – 2 . Loyola . In what was the first road game of the season , Alabama made their first trip to New Orleans since the 1921 season and defeated the Loyola Wolfpack of the Dixie Conference 13 – 6 on a Friday evening . After each team traded punts to start the game , Loyola scored first on a one - yard touchdown run by Clay Calhoun to take a 6 – 0 lead . Alabama responded on the third play of the drive that ensued when Joe Kilgrow threw a 20 - yard pass to Erin Warren that was ran an additional 42 - yards for a 62 - yard touchdown and tied the game at 6 – 6 . After a scoreless second , Alabama scored the game - winning touchdown in the third after they received the ball at the Wolfpack 36 - yard line due to a short punt . On this drive , Joe Riley threw an 18 - yard touchdown pass to James Nesbit to secure the win in what was Alabama ' s only all - time game against Loyola . Kentucky . On what was their homecoming game , Alabama defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 14 – 0 at McLean Stadium . After a scoreless first half that saw the Kentucky defense hold Alabama out of the endzone on four occasions from within their own ten - yard line , the Crimson Tide scored two second half touchdowns to win the game . Joe Riley scored both Alabama touchdowns on a 27 - yard run in the third and on a 21 - yard reverse in the fourth . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Kentucky 15 – 1 . Tulane . In what was the first game Alabama was ranked and played against a ranked opponent , the Crimson Tide defeated the Tulane Green Wave 34 – 7 at Legion Field . The Greenies scored first on a 42 - yard , Bill Mathis touchdown run in the first quarter to take an early 7 – 0 lead . However , Alabama responded with five unanswered touchdowns to win the game 34 – 7 . In the first quarter , the Crimson Tide scored on a 54 - yard Joe Riley touchdown run and followed that with a 17 - yard Joe Kilgrow touchdown pass to Perron Shoemaker to give Alabama a 14 – 7 lead after one . After Kilgrow threw his second touchdown pass of the game to Erin Warren in the second , James Nesbit scored on a two - yard run to give the Crimson Tide a 28 – 7 leas as they entered the fourth quarter . In the fourth , Alabama ' s final points were scored when Leroy Monsky intercepted a Tulane pass and returned it 25 - yards for a touchdown . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Tulane to 10 – 3 – 1 . This game was noted for being the first regular season Alabama game that was broadcast nationally on two major radio networks . It was broadcast by CBS with Ted Husing as the announcer and by NBC with Bill Slater as the announcer . The national broadcasts were made due to both teams being undefeated and ranked in the AP Poll as they entered the game . The game was also the first in which the Crimson Tide defeated a ranked opponent . Georgia Tech . Although outgained in total yardage against Georgia Tech , Alabama defeated the Yellow Jackets 20 – 16 at Grant Field . After the Crimson Tide scored on a Joe Kilgrow touchdown pass to Herman Caldwell in the first , Alabama scored two second quarter touchdowns to take a 20 – 0 halftime lead . In the second , James Nesbit scored on a two - yard run and Kilgrow threw a 13 - yard touchdown pass to Perron Shoemaker . The Yellow Jackets scored their first points early in the third after Hal Hughes was tackled for a safety on a punt attempt . On the possession that ensued , T . F . Sims threw a 45 - yard touchdown pass to M . J . Konemann to cut the Crimson Tide lead to 20 – 9 . H . H . Appleby then scored the final points of the game with his short touchdown run in the fourth on a drive that featured a 71 - yard run by Konemann . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Georgia Tech to 10 – 10 – 2 . Vanderbilt . In the season finale on Thanksgiving Day , Alabama defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores 14 – 6 defeat at Legion Field . Vanderbilt scored first after the received the opening kickoff when Herbert Plasman scored on a ten - yard touchdown on their opening drive . With the score still 6 – 0 in favor of the Commodores after halftime , the Crimson Tide scored a pair of second half touchdowns to win the game 14 – 6 . In the third , Joe Kilgrow thew a 26 - yard touchdown pass to Ben McLeod and in the fourth on a 12 - yard Joe Riley touchdown pass to Kilgrow . The victory improved Alabama ' s all - time record against Vanderbilt to 8 – 9 . After the season . Following their victory over Vanderbilt in the season finale , Alabama was in contention ( along with Pittsburgh and ) for a place in the 1937 Rose Bowl opposite Washington . In addition to the Rose , Alabama was also under consideration to compete in the 1937 Sugar Bowl along with the aforementioned Pittsburgh , LSU and . However , on December 3 , Rose Bowl officials announced the selection of Pittsburgh and Sugar Bowl officials announced their matchup of LSU and Santa Clara . This resulted in Alabama not playing in a bowl game despite an undefeated record of 8 – 0 – 1 and a final poll ranking of No . 4 . Awards . After the season , James Nesbit and Arthur " Tarzan " White selected to various 1936 College Football All - America Team s . NFL Draft . Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1936 squad were drafted into the National Football League ( NFL ) between the 1937 and 1939 drafts . These players included the following : Personnel . The 1936 coaching staff included former player Bear Bryant in his first year at a coaching position . Bryant came back to Alabama after serving as an assistant coach at Union for their spring practices in early 1936 . He later went on to serve as head coach at Maryland , Kentucky , Texas A & M and at Alabama . During his career Bryant won 323 games , appeared in 29 bowl games , won 15 conference championships and six national championships . References . General Specific