1978 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

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1978 Alabama Crimson Tide football
AP Poll national champion
SEC champion
Sugar Bowl champion
Sugar Bowl, W 14–7 vs. Penn State
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 2
APNo. 1
1978 record11–1 (6–0 SEC)
Head coach
  • Bear Bryant (21st season)
Captains
  • Marty Lyons
  • Jeff Rutledge
  • Tony Nathan
Home stadiumBryant–Denny Stadium
Legion Field
Seasons
← 1977
1979 →
1978 Southeastern Conference football standings
  • v
  • t
 Conf Overall
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
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

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[]

DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 2No. 10 Nebraska*No. 1
  • Legion Field
  • Birmingham, AL
ABCW 20–377,023
September 16at No. 11 Missouri*No. 1
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Columbia, MO
W 38–2073,655
September 23No. 7 USC*No. 1
  • Legion Field
  • Birmingham, AL
ABCL 14–2477,313
September 30VanderbiltNo. 7
W 51–2856,910
October 7at Washington*No. 8
  • Husky Stadium
  • Seattle, WA
W 20–1760,975
October 14FloridaNo. 7
W 23–1260,210
October 21at TennesseeNo. 4
  • Neyland Stadium
  • Knoxville, TN (Third Saturday in October)
W 30–1785,436
October 28Virginia Tech*daggerNo. 3
W 35–060,210
November 4Mississippi StateNo. 3
  • Legion Field
  • Birmingham, AL (rivalry)
W 35–1474,217
November 11No. 10 LSUNo. 3
  • Legion Field
  • Birmingham, AL (rivalry)
ABCW 31–1076,831
December 2vs. AuburnNo. 2
  • Legion Field
  • Birmingham, AL (Iron Bowl)
W 34–1679,218
January 1, 1979vs. No. 1 Penn State*No. 2
ABCW 14–776,824
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll

[1]

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.

Sugar Bowl[]

The 1979 Sugar Bowl against Penn State would go down as a classic.[2] 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.[3] 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.[2] 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."[4] 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. It was Alabama's fifth wire service national championship.

Roster[]

1978 Alabama Crimson Tide football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
T 78 Buddy Aydelette Jr
RB 22 Tony Nathan Sr
QB 11 Jeff Rutledge Sr
C 57 Dwight Stephenson Jr
TE 88 Tim Travis Jr
FB 45 Steve Whitman Jr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DE 39 E. J. Junior So
DT 96 Curtis McGriff Jr
DB 28 Don McNeal Jr
LB 50 Randy Scott So
LB 36 Rich Wingo Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
  • Bear Bryant
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

References[]

General

  • "1977 Season Recaps" (PDF). RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. 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

  1. ^ "1978 Alabama football schedule". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Archived from the original on December 2, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Greatest Bowl Games
  3. ^ "Penn State Daily Collegian, 3 January 1979". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Sugar Bowl Memories", Tuscaloosa News
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