| 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide football | |
|---|---|
AP Poll national champion SEC champion Sugar Bowl champion | |
Sugar Bowl, W 14–7 vs. Penn State | |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 2 |
| AP | No. 1 |
| Record | 11–1 (6–0 SEC) |
| Head coach |
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| Captains | |
| Home stadium | Bryant–Denny Stadium Legion Field |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 Alabama $ | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 Georgia | 5 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 3 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Miss | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 0 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 84th overall and 45th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his 21st year, and played their home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished season with eleven wins and one loss (11–1 overall, 6–0 in the SEC), as SEC champions and as national champions after a victory over Penn State in the Sugar Bowl. Alabama's costumed "Big Al" mascot officially debuted this season, appearing at the Sugar Bowl.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2 | No. 10 Nebraska* | No. 1 | ABC | W 20–3 | 77,023 | [1] | |
| September 16 | at No. 11 Missouri* | No. 1 | W 38–20 | 73,655 | [2] | ||
| September 23 | No. 7 USC* | No. 1 |
| ABC | L 14–24 | 77,313 | [3] |
| September 30 | Vanderbilt | No. 7 | W 51-28 | 56,910 | [4] | ||
| October 7 | at Washington* | No. 8 | W 20–17 | 60,975 | [5] | ||
| October 14 | Florida | No. 7 |
| W 23-12 | 60,210 | [6] | |
| October 21 | at Tennessee | No. 4 | W 30–17 | 85,436 | [7] | ||
| October 28 | Virginia Tech* | No. 3 |
| W 35–0 | 60,210 | [8] | |
| November 4 | Mississippi State | No. 3 |
| W 35–14 | 74,217 | [9] | |
| November 11 | No. 10 LSU | No. 3 |
| ABC | W 31–10 | 76,831 | [10] |
| December 2 | vs. Auburn | No. 2 |
| W 34–16 | 79,218 | [11] | |
| January 1, 1979 | vs. No. 1 Penn State* | No. 2 | ABC | W 14–7 | 76,824 | [12] | |
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Personnel
| 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide football team roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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Before the season
Alabama ended the 1977 season with the disappointment of a #2 finish, an 11-point voting margin behind national champion Notre Dame.
On April 13, 1978, Paul Bryant was one of several coaches quoted in an AP interview that focused on efforts to rid college football of cheating. Bryant advocated a rule requiring coaches notify the NCAA of suspected infractions immediately and getting it over with rather than complaining after losing a game.
On April 20, nearly a dozen players with injuries were held out of the annual A-Day game that ended in a colorless 7–7 tie. The biggest concern was a knee injury to second-string QB Steadman Shealy. Bryant, in the post A-Day game press conference, declared his 1978 team would have "a questionable offense, an average kicking game, and a good defense" in the post-A-Day game press conference. Lastly a newcomer who was recruited four years ago but decided to pursue other athletics adventures started as outside linebacker from Richmond Virginia, Eddie McGeorge.
Bear Bryant felt his team was not prepared enough for their week-1 game against Nebraska and did not feel his team deserved their #1 rating.[14]
Sugar Bowl
The 1979 Sugar Bowl against Penn State would go down as a classic.[15] Alabama scored in the second quarter, then Penn State answered in the third, then Alabama took a 14–7 lead on a touchdown set up by a 62-yard punt return. Penn State had a chance to tie in the fourth, but quarterback Chuck Fusina threw an interception into the Alabama end zone.[16] Then Alabama had a chance to put the game away, but fumbled the football back to Penn State at the Nittany Lion 19-yard-line with four minutes to go.[15] Penn State drove to a first and goal at the Alabama eight. On third and goal from the one, Fusina asked Bama defensive lineman Marty Lyons "What do you think we should do?", and Lyons answered "You'd better pass."[17] On third down, Penn State was stopped inches short of the goal line. On fourth down, Penn State was stopped again, Barry Krauss meeting Mike Guman and throwing him back for no gain. Alabama held on for a 14–7 victory. The Crimson Tide split the national championship, winning the AP poll while Southern California won the UPI Coaches' poll, this despite the Trojans' 24–14 victory over the Crimson Tide on September 23. It was Alabama's fifth wire service national championship.
References
General
- "1977 Season Recaps" (PDF). RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- "2012 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book" (PDF). Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations Office. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
Specific
- ↑ "Huskers drop 20–3 battle". The Sioux City Sunday Journal. September 3, 1978. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "MU fails to ride Crimson Tide 38–20". The Kansas City Star. September 17, 1978. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "USC has No. 1 'Bama on the run, 24–14". The Los Angeles Times. September 24, 1978. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Tide buries Vandy". The Selma Times-Journal. October 1, 1978. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Nerves of Steele fail Huskies 20–17". The News Tribune. October 8, 1978. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Bryant unhappy after beating Florida". The Pensacola News-Journal. October 15, 1978. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Vols fall prey to Tide 30–17". The Tennessean. October 22, 1978. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Alabama romps to homecoming victory". The Selma Times-Journal. October 29, 1978. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Tide chains MSU". The Shreveport Times. November 5, 1978. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Tide swamps LSU". The Buffalo News. November 12, 1978. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Alabama crushes Auburn". The Pensacola News-Journal. December 3, 1978. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Hard-hitting defense keys Bama victory". Birmingham Post-Herald. January 2, 1979. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "1978 Alabama football schedule". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Archived from the original on November 25, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ↑ Bryant:Tide Not No. 1 after Spring's Discontent, web: The Sacramento Bee, 1978, retrieved March 13, 2023
- 1 2 Greatest Bowl Games
- ↑ "Penn State Daily Collegian, 3 January 1979". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ↑ "Sugar Bowl Memories", Tuscaloosa News