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1997 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Conference Southeastern Conference
DivisionWestern Division
Record4–7 (2–6 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians (1st year)
Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson (1st year)
Captains
Home stadium Bryant–Denny Stadium
Legion Field
Seasons
←  1996
1998 →
1997 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Eastern Division
No. 7 Tennessee x$   7 – 1     11 – 2  
No. 10 Georgia   6 – 2     10 – 2  
No. 4 Florida   6 – 2     10 – 2  
South Carolina   3 – 5     5 – 6  
Kentucky   2 – 6     5 – 6  
Vanderbilt   0 – 8     3 – 8  
Western Division
No. 11 Auburn xy   6 – 2     10 – 3  
No. 13 LSU x   6 – 2     9 – 3  
No. 22 Ole Miss   4 – 4     8 – 4  
Mississippi State   4 – 4     7 – 4  
Arkansas   2 – 6     4 – 7  
Alabama   2 – 6     4 – 7  
Championship: Tennessee 30, Auburn 29
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1997 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the college football season of 1997–98. The team's head coach was Mike DuBose, who was entering his first year at Alabama. They played their home games at both Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, and competed in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference. Alabama would finish with a record of 4–7 record in suffering the program's first losing season since the 1984 season. The loss against Kentucky (their first to the Wildcats since 1922) marked Alabama's first ever overtime game, as overtime rules for college football had gone into effect the previous season.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
August 3011:30 a.m. Houston*No. 16
 JPSW 42–1781,591 [1]
September 117:30 p.m.at VanderbiltNo. 15
 ESPNW 20–041,448 [2]
September 2011:30 a.m. ArkansasNo. 11
JPSL 16–1770,123 [3]
September 272:00 p.m. Southern Miss*No. 21
 PPVW 27–1483,091 [4]
October 46:00 p.m.at KentuckyNo. 20
PPVL 34–40 OT59,226 [5]
October 186:00 p.m.No. 9 Tennessee
ESPNL 21–3883,091 [6]
October 2511:30 a.m.at No. 25 Ole Miss
JPSW 29–2041,548 [7]
November 11:00 p.m. Louisiana Tech*dagger
  • Bryant–Denny Stadium
  • Tuscaloosa, AL
PPVL 20–2670,123 [8]
November 82:30 p.m.No. 14 LSU
  • Bryant–Denny Stadium
  • Tuscaloosa, AL ( rivalry)
 CBSL 0–2770,123 [9]
November 1511:30 a.m.No. 17 Mississippi State
  • Bryant–Denny Stadium
  • Tuscaloosa, AL ( rivalry)
JPSL 20–3270,123 [10]
November 226:00 p.m.at No. 13 Auburn
ESPNL 17–1885,214 [11]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

[12]

Rankings

See also: 1997 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516Final
AP15161515112120———————————
Coaches151514111920———————————

Coaching staff

Name Position Consecutive seasons at Alabama
Mike Dubose Head coach 1st
Bruce Arians Offensive coordinator/ Quarterback coach 1st
Dabo Swinney Tight end 5th
Neil Callaway Offensive line coach 1st
Woody McCorvey Wide receivers coach 8th
Ivy Williams Running backs coach 4th
Ellis Johnson Defensive coordinator/ Defensive line 1st
Curley Hallman Secondary coach 2nd
Jeff Rouzie Linebackers coach 7th
Danny Pearman Special teams coordinator 7th
Mickey Conn Graduate Assistant 2nd
Reference: [13]

Game summaries

Houston

See also: 1997 Houston Cougars football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Cougars 0 7 7 3 17
#16 Crimson Tide 21 7 0 14 42

A sell-out crowd filled Legion Field as the Mike Dubose era got off to a great start with the Crimson Tide rolling to a big win over Houston. Alabama's 42 points was the most any Alabama team had put up in a game since the season opener in 1994.

Statistics Houston Alabama
First downs 15 25
Total yards 384 466
Rushing yards 114 213
Passing yards 270 253
Turnovers 2 3
Time of possession 28:01 31:59
Team Category Player Statistics
Houston Passing Tyson Helton 7–14, 143 yards, 1 TD
Rushing Ketric Sanford 12 carries, 67 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Robbie Wheeler 6 receptions, 107 yards
Alabama Passing Freddie Kitchens 12–19, 168 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Shaun Alexander 11 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Curtis Alexander
Chad Goss		 2 receptions, 50 yards, 1 TD
2 receptions, 50 yards

Vanderbilt

See also: 1997 Vanderbilt Commodores football team
1 2 3 4 Total
#15 Crimson Tide 7 0 3 10 20
Commodores 0 0 0 0 0

Alabama defense would hold Vanderbilt offense to 124 yards as the Crimson Tide won its first road and conference game of the year in shutout fashion.

Statistics Alabama Vanderbilt
First downs 9 9
Total yards 238 124
Rushing yards 75 66
Passing yards 163 58
Turnovers 2 0
Time of possession 30:16 29:44
Team Category Player Statistics
Alabama Passing Freddie Kitchens 10–18, 124 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT's
Rushing Dennis Riddle 13 carries, 31 yards
Receiving Quincy Jackson 3 receptions, 67 yards
Vanderbilt Passing Damian Allen 6–22, 58 yards
Rushing Jimmy Williams 10 carries, 43 yards
Receiving Jimmy Williams 3 receptions, 41 yards

Arkansas

See also: 1997 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Razorbacks 3 0 7 7 17
#11 Crimson Tide 3 3 3 7 16

For the second time in a row, Arkansas would come to Bryant-Denny Stadium and upset a ranked Alabama team by one point. Alabama held a 16-10 lead late in the game but, an Anthony Eubanks touchdown grab of 29 yards from Clint Stoerner gave Arkansas a one-point win.

Statistics Arkansas Alabama
First downs 14 15
Total yards 270 247
Rushing yards 70 106
Passing yards 200 141
Turnovers 0 0
Time of possession 29:02 30:58
Team Category Player Statistics
Arkansas Passing Clint Stoerner 16–21, 200 yards, 1 TD
Rushing Chrys Chukwuma 12 carries, 65 yards
Receiving Anthony Eubanks 7 receptions, 104 yards
Alabama Passing Freddie Kitchens 10–17, 84 yards
Rushing Dennis Riddle 12 carries, 49 yards
Receiving Calvin Hall 4 receptions, 48 yards

Southern Miss

See also: 1997 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Golden Eagles 0 10 3 0 13
#21 Crimson Tide 0 10 7 10 27

After being tied at halftime, Alabama would outscore Southern Miss 17-3 in the second half, led by Alabama defense forcing three Southern Miss turnovers.

Statistics Southern Miss Alabama
First downs 19 12
Total yards 293 275
Rushing yards 67 105
Passing yards 226 170
Turnovers 4 0
Time of possession 29:34 30:26
Team Category Player Statistics
Southern Miss Passing Lee Roberts 21–40, 226 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT's
Rushing Harold Shaw 20 carries, 79 yards
Receiving Sherrod Gideon 7 receptions, 132 yards
Alabama Passing Freddie Kitchens 11–18, 167 yards, 2 TD's
Rushing Shaun Alexander 16 carries, 66 yards
Receiving Shamari Buchanan 2 receptions, 58 yards

Kentucky

See also: 1997 Kentucky Wildcats football team
1 2 3 4OT Total
Wildcats 10 3 14 76 40
#20 Crimson Tide 7 7 10 100 34

A back and forth shootout ended with a 26-yard game-winning touchdown pass from Kentucky QB Tim Couch to give Kentucky its first win over Alabama since 1922. Alabama had the ball first in overtime but, a Chad Goss fumble gave Kentucky an opportunity to score and win with their possession. This would mark the first overtime game ever for both teams.

Statistics Alabama Kentucky
First downs 20 23
Total yards 410 457
Rushing yards 239 102
Passing yards 171 355
Turnovers 2 4
Time of possession 35:04 24:56
Team Category Player Statistics
Alabama Passing Freddie Kitchens 13–24, 125 yards, 2 TD's, 1 INT
Rushing Curtis Alexander 15 carries, 120 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Chad Goss 3 receptions, 59 yards, 1 TD
Kentucky Passing Tim Couch 32–49, 355 yards, 4 TD's 3 INT's
Rushing Anthony White 15 carries, 117 yards
Receiving Derek Homer 3 receptions, 103 yards, 1 TD

Tennessee

See also: 1997 Tennessee Volunteers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
#9 Volunteers 7 14 10 7 38
Crimson Tide 6 0 8 7 21

For the third straight year, Tennessee would beat Alabama. Alabama would kick two early field goals to have a 6-0 lead but Tennessee would score the next 28 points to put the game out of reach for Alabama. This game would be the last Third Saturday in October game to be played at Legion Field.

Statistics Tennessee Alabama
First downs 23 13
Total yards 393 225
Rushing yards 89 72
Passing yards 304 153
Turnovers 2 1
Time of possession 31:35 28:25
Team Category Player Statistics
Tennessee Passing Peyton Manning 23–37, 304 yards, 3 TD's
Rushing Jamal Lewis 17 carries, 67 yards
Receiving Peerless Price 4 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD
Alabama Passing Freddie Kitchens 13–39, 153 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Curtis Alexander 16 carries, 38 yards
Receiving Shamari Buchanan 6 receptions, 66 yards

Ole Miss

See also: 1997 Ole Miss Rebels football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Crimson Tide 0 7 10 12 29
#25 Rebels 7 7 0 6 20

Mike DuBose would get his first win against a ranked team as the Crimson Tide ended their two-game losing streak with a win against Ole Miss.

Statistics Alabama Ole Miss
First downs 22 19
Total yards 526 420
Rushing yards 297 163
Passing yards 229 257
Turnovers 2 3
Time of possession 36:37 23:23
Team Category Player Statistics
Alabama Passing Freddie Kitchens 15–22, 229 yards, 1 TD
Rushing Curtis Alexander 16 carries, 141 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Quincy Jackson 5 receptions, 119 yards
Ole Miss Passing Stewart Patridge 22–37, 257 yards, 1 TD
Rushing John Aver 15 carries, 148 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Andre Rone 4 receptions, 67 yards

Louisiana Tech

See also: 1997 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulldogs 10 3 7 6 26
Crimson Tide 7 0 6 7 20

For the first time since the 1990 season, Alabama would lose a non-conference game. This was also the first homecoming loss for Alabama since 1990, and the first time Louisiana Tech had ever defeated Alabama. Coming into the game, the Bulldogs had the third-ranked passing offense in college football.

Statistics Louisiana Tech Alabama
First downs 23 23
Total yards 522 389
Rushing yards 161 127
Passing yards 361 262
Turnovers 1 0
Time of possession 33:50 26:10
Team Category Player Statistics
Louisiana Tech Passing Tim Rattay 29–48, 361 yards, 3 TD's
Rushing Bobby Ray Tell 17 carries, 98 yards
Receiving Troy Edwards 9 receptions, 126 yards, 1 TD
Alabama Passing Freddie Kitchens 14–32, 228 yards, 2 TD's
Rushing Curtis Alexander 18 carries, 79 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Shamari Buchanan 4 receptions, 55 yards

LSU

See also: 1997 LSU Tigers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
#14 Tigers 7 7 0 13 27
Crimson Tide 0 0 0 0 0

LSU returned the favor after Alabama shutout LSU in Tiger Stadium in 1996 by shutting out Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium. This was the first time Alabama had been shutout since 1991.

Statistics LSU Alabama
First downs 17 15
Total yards 370 250
Rushing yards 265 157
Passing yards 105 93
Turnovers 1 2
Time of possession 30:22 29:38
Team Category Player Statistics
LSU Passing Herb Tyler 7–13, 105 yards
Rushing Kevin Faulk 27 carries, 168 yards, 2 TD's
Receiving Abram Booty 3 receptions, 66 yards
Alabama Passing Freddie Kitchens 8–24, 93 yards
Rushing Curtis Alexander 24 carries, 95 yards
Receiving Quincy Jackson 1 reception, 22 yards

Mississippi State

See also: 1997 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
1 2 3 4 Total
#17 Bulldogs 14 6 9 3 32
Crimson Tide 14 0 6 0 20

For the first time since 1957, Mississippi State would win in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The loss also meant Alabama would not win a game at Bryant-Denny Stadium for the first time since 1955. The loss also guaranteed Alabama its first losing season since 1984.

Statistics Mississippi State Alabama
First downs 23 13
Total yards 500 247
Rushing yards 347 113
Passing yards 153 134
Turnovers 0 0
Time of possession 31:02 28:58
Team Category Player Statistics
Mississippi State Passing Matt Wyatt 10–20, 153 yards, 1 TD
Rushing J. J. Johnson 23 carries, 198 yards, 2 TD's
Receiving Lamont Woodberry 4 receptions, 45 yards
Alabama Passing Lance Tucker 7–11, 81 yards, 1 TD
Rushing Dennis Riddle 13 carries, 84 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Quincy Jackson 3 receptions, 63 yards

Auburn

See also: 1997 Auburn Tigers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Crimson Tide 0 10 7 0 17
#13 Tigers 6 0 6 6 18

Despite being an underdog, Alabama would lead for most of the game and be in a position to put the game away but an Ed Scissum fumble recovered by Auburn put them in field goal range to take the lead and ultimately give them the win. Alabama would try a 57-yard field goal with A.J. Diaz as time expired but it fell short. Alabama seven losses was the most Alabama had had in a season since 1957.

Statistics Alabama Auburn
First downs 15 19
Total yards 299 275
Rushing yards 156 62
Passing yards 143 213
Turnovers 2 3
Time of possession 31:39 28:21
Team Category Player Statistics
Alabama Passing Freddie Kitchens 12–18, 134 yards, 1 TD
Rushing Shaun Alexander 13 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Quincy Jackson 7 receptions, 79 yards
Auburn Passing Dameyune Craig 14–34, 213 yards, 2 INT's
Rushing Rusty Williams 6 carries, 27 yards
Receiving Hicks Poor 5 receptions, 55 yards

[14]

References

  1. ^ "Tide's DuBose era off and throwing". The Anniston Star. August 31, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Nothing doing - Woodyball fails to fix old Vandy problem: no offense". The Tennessean. September 12, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Arkansas stuns No. 11 Alabama, 17–16". The Jackson Sun. September 21, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Turnovers costly to USM". Hattiesburg American. September 28, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Tidings of great joy - Cats stun Alabama with 40–34 OT victory". Lexington Herald-Leader. October 5, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Tennessee waltz, Manning leads 3rd straight win over Alabama". The Tennessean. October 19, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Tide knocks out Rebels 29–20". The Clarion-Ledger. October 26, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Bulldogs roll Tide". The Shreveport Times. November 2, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Faulk, LSU show true grit". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. November 9, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Tide's 0–4 in T-town". The Anniston Star. November 16, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Holmes cookin' - Tigers cash in late fumble to steal historic win". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 23, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "1997 Alabama football archives". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  13. ^ 1997 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Media Guide, p. 2
  14. ^ "1997 Alabama Crimson Tide Football" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
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