The 1966 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 72nd overall and 33rd season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his ninth year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Legion Field in Birmingham and Ladd Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. They finished season undefeated with eleven wins (11âÂÂ0 overall, 6âÂÂ0 in the SEC), as SEC co-champions and with a victory over Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl.
Alabama opened the season with a victory over Louisiana Tech in Birmingham and followed that with a victory at Ole Miss for their first conference win of the season. The Crimson Tide then returned home and defeated Clemson in the first Tuscaloosa game of the season before they traveled to Knoxville for their annual rival game against Tennessee. In the game, Alabama trailed the Volunteers 10âÂÂ0 in the fourth quarter before they rallied for an 11âÂÂ10 victory that saw Tennessee miss a game-winning field goal in the final minute of play.
Alabama then alternated home games between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa over the next four weeks and defeated Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, LSU and South Carolina in each game. After they defeated in their annual Mobile game, the Crimson Tide defeated Auburn in the Iron Bowl and captured a share of the SEC championship. In the January that followed, Alabama then defeated Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl and finished the season undefeated. Although they were the only undefeated and untied college team at the conclusion of the year, Alabama was not selected as national champions for the season. On the 1966 squad, Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi stated: "I don't know, we haven't played Alabama yet" when asked how it felt to have the world's greatest football team for the season after his Packers won Super Bowl I.
Alabama was recognized as national champions from the Associated Press for the 1965 season after they defeated Nebraska in the Orange Bowl and finished with an overall record of 9âÂÂ1âÂÂ1. In February 1966, SEC commissioner Bernie Moore penalized Alabama for scholarship violations with its freshman squad. Moore found that Alabama awarded 42 freshman scholarships instead of the 40 allowed by the league. As such, the Crimson Tide were penalized with a scholarship reduction of two to 38 for the 1966 recruiting class.
To open the 1966 season, the No. 3 Crimson Tide defeated the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 34âÂÂ0 in the first all-time meeting between the schools on the football field. After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama took a 14âÂÂ0 halftime lead on a 32-yard Ken Stabler touchdown pass to Dennis Homan and on an eight-yard Stabler touchdown run. After a two-yard Harold Moore touchdown run in the third, the Crimson Tide made the final score 34âÂÂ0 in the fourth after they scored on a 79-yad Stabler pass to Homan and on a four-yard Moore run.
Prior to their game against Ole Miss, Alabama retained the No. 3 position in the AP Poll, and on a Saturday evening, the Crimson Tide defeated the Rebels 17âÂÂ7 at Jackson. After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama took a 7âÂÂ0 halftime lead when Leslie Kelley scored on a one-yard touchdown run with only 0:40 left in the quarter. The Crimson Tide then extended their lead further to 14âÂÂ0 in the third quarter when Ken Stabler threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Ray Perkins. The Rebels responded early in the fourth and cut the Crimson Tide lead in half when Julian Cunningham scored on a two-yard touchdown run, and then Alabama closed the game with a 21-yard Steve Davis field goal that made the final score 17âÂÂ7.
After their closer-than-expected victory over Ole Miss, Alabama dropped into the No. 4 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Clemson. In what was their first game against the Tigers since the 1936 season, who were led by former Crimson Tide player Frank Howard as head coach, Alabama won 26âÂÂ0. The Crimson Tide took a 6âÂÂ0 first quarter lead when Ken Stabler threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Dennis Homan. They then extended their lead to 16âÂÂ0 at halftime after a 32-yard Steve Davis field goal and one-yard Stabler touchdown run in the second quarter. Alabama then closed the game with an eight-yard Stabler touchdown pass to Kenny Martin in the third and a 36-yard Davies field goal in the fourth quarter that made the final score 26âÂÂ0.
After their victory over Clemson, Alabama regained the No. 3 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Tennessee. At a rain-soaked Neyland Stadium, Alabama overcame a 10âÂÂ0 fourth quarter deficit and defeated the rival Volunteers 11âÂÂ10 and preserved their perfect record. Tennessee scored all of their points in the first quarter. The first points came on a six-yard Dewey Warren touchdown pass to Austin Denney and next on a 40-yard Gary Wright field goal for a 10âÂÂ0 lead. Still up by 10, the Crimson Tide made their comeback in the fourth quarter. Ken Stabler scored on a one-yard touchdown run and then successfully converted the two-point conversion on a short pass to Wayne Cook that made the score 10âÂÂ8. With 3:23 left in the game, Steve Davis kicked the 17-yard, game-winning field goal that made the score 11âÂÂ10. The Volunteers did manage to set up a 19-yard field goal attempt that went wide in the final 0:20 of the contest.
After their victory over Tennessee, Alabama again dropped into the No. 4 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Vanderbilt. Against the Commodores, Alabama played 56 different players in their 42âÂÂ6 victory at Birmingham. The Crimson Tide took a 21âÂÂ0 first quarter lead before Vanderbilt scored their only points of the game. Alabama touchdowns were scored by Bobby Johns on a 40-yard interception return, a 29-yard Leslie Kelley pass to Ray Perkins on a halfback option play and on a 35-yard Wayne Trimble pass to Richard Brewer. The Commodores responded with their only points on a three-yard Roger May touchdown pass to Steve Skupas late in the first. A 14-yard David Chatwood touchdown run in the second quarter made the halftime score 28âÂÂ6 in favor of Alabama. The Crimson Tide then closed the game with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns on an 18-yard Trimble pass to Dennis Homan and on a one-yard Trimble run.
At Denny Stadium, the Crimson Tide traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter and defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs 27âÂÂ14 in Tuscaloosa. After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama took a 10âÂÂ0 halftime lead after a 35-yard Steve Davis field goal and a 26-yard Wayne Trimble touchdown pass to Ray Perkins. Davis then added a 31-yard field goal in the third before both teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter and made the final score 27âÂÂ14. In the final quarter, the Crimson Tide scored on Trimble touchdown passes of 48-yards to Jerry Duncan and 38-yards to Perkins; Mississippi State scored on a three-yard Prentis Calhoun run and on an 11-yard Don Saget pass to Calhoun.
After their victory over Mississippi State, Alabama retained the No. 4 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against LSU. Behind a strong defensive performance, the Crimson Tide defeated the Tigers 21âÂÂ0 at Legion Field. Alabama took a 5âÂÂ0 first quarter lead after Mike Hall blocked a Mitch Worley punt for a safety and Steve Davis connected on a 24-yard field goal. Davis then made the halftime score 8âÂÂ0 in favor of the Crimson Tide with a 32-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Bobby Johns intercepted a Fred Haynes pass and returned it 33-yards for a touchdown and in the fourth a three-yard Frank Canterbury touchdown run made the final score 21âÂÂ0.
On homecoming in Tuscaloosa, Alabama defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 24âÂÂ0 at Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide took a 14âÂÂ0 halftime lead after touchdown runs of one-yard by David Chatwood in the first and of three-yards by Leslie Kelley in the second quarter. Alabama then closed the game with a 13-yard Wayne Trimble touchdown pass to Ray Perkins in the third and on a 31-yard Steve Davis field goal in the fourth that made the final score 24âÂÂ0.
In their annual game played at Mobile, Alabama shutout the Southern Miss Southerners 34âÂÂ0 at Ladd Stadium. After a scoreless first, the Crimson Tide took a 12âÂÂ0 halftime lead on a pair of Ken Stabler touchdown passes. The first was from 25-yards to Ray Perkins and the second from one-yard out to Wayne Cook. After a 13-yard David Chatwood touchdown run in the third, Alabama then closed the game with a pair of touchdowns and two-point conversions in the fourth quarter. The first came on a 55-yard Stabler touchdown pass to Dennis Homan and the second on a one-yard Joe Kelley run that made the final score 34âÂÂ0.
In the annual Iron Bowl game, Alabama defeated the Auburn Tigers 31âÂÂ0 and secured their third consecutive SEC championship. After a scoreless first quarter, the Crimson Tide took a 17âÂÂ0 halftime lead with points scored on a 63-yard Ken Stabler touchdown pass to Ray Perkins, on a one-yard Leslie Kelley run and on a 23-yard Steve Davis field goal. Alabama then concluded their scoring with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns on a 12-yard Kelley run and on a 41-yard Wayne Trimble pass to Donnie Sutton that made the final score 31âÂÂ0.
For the second year in a row, Alabama played Nebraska in their bowl game, and for the second consecutive year defeated the Cornhuskers. In the 1967 edition of the Sugar Bowl, the Crimson Tide defeated Nebraska 34âÂÂ7 and finished the season undefeated. Alabama opened with a 17âÂÂ0 lead in the first quarter on touchdown runs of one-yard by Leslie Kelley, 14-yards by Ken Stabler and on a 30-yard Steve Davis field goal. They then extended it to 24âÂÂ0 at halftime after a six-yard Wayne Trimble touchdown run in the second quarter. After a 40-yard Davis field goal in the third for the Crimson Tide, Nebraska scored their only points early in the fourth quarter on a 15-yard Bob Churchich touchdown pass to Dick Davis that made the score 27âÂÂ7. Alabama then closed the game with a 45-yard Stabler touchdown pass to Ray Perkins that made the final score 34âÂÂ7. For his performance, Stabler was recognized as the game's MVP.
The NCAA recognizes consensus national champions as the teams that have captured a championship by way of one of the major polls since the 1950 NCAA University Division football season. Although Alabama was the only team with a perfect record at the end of the season as Notre Dame and Michigan State tied in their meeting, it was not recognized as national champion. Keith Dunnavant suggests in his book about the 1966 season, that the continued segregation of the Alabama football team (the Crimson Tide did not integrate until Wilbur Jackson and John Mitchell made the 1971 team), as well as the Birmingham campaign and Selma to Montgomery marches by white Alabamians during the Civil Rights Movement, cost the Crimson Tide support with voters in 1966 and led to the third-place finish. The 1966 squad was retroactively recognized as national champion by Berryman and Sagarin (ELO-Chess) but Alabama does not claim either in their official national championship total.
Prior to the 1972 NCAA University Division football season, NCAA rules prohibited freshmen from participating on the varsity team, and as such many schools fielded freshmen teams. The Alabama freshmen squad was led by coach Clem Gryska for the 1966 season and finished with a record of four wins and zero losses (4âÂÂ0). The Baby Tide opened their season with a 27âÂÂ14 victory over Mississippi State at Denny Stadium. After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama took a 7âÂÂ0 lead in the second when Scott Hunter threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Wade. They then extended their lead to 17âÂÂ0 at halftime when Mike Dean connected on a 46-yard field goal and Hunter scored on a short quarterback sneak. After Dean connected on a 31-yard field goal late in the third, the Bulldogs scored their first points late in the fourth on a 43-yard Dickie Carpenter touchdown run that made the score 20âÂÂ7. Alabama responded with a 13-yard Wade touchdown run and State with a 13-yard Carpenter touchdown pass to George Davis that made the final score 27âÂÂ14.
In their second game of the season, the Alabama freshmen defeated Ole Miss 31âÂÂ14 at Oxford. Alabama took a 14âÂÂ7 halftime lead with a pair of Tommy Wade touchdown runs from one and three-yards; Ole Miss scored their touchdown on a four-yard John Bowen run. After Mike Dean connected on a 25-yard field goal in the third, fourth-quarter touchdowns were scored for Alabama by Wade on a one-yard run and on a 20-yard Scott Hunter pass to Dean. The Rebels scored their final touchdown on a 40-yard Vernon Studdard pass to Louis Farber that made the final score 31âÂÂ14. In their next game on November 7 against Tennessee, the Baby Tide won again by a score of 21âÂÂ9. The Vols led 9âÂÂ7 at halftime after Vic Dingus tackled Eddie Bentley in the endzone for a safety and on a 35-yard Mike Jones touchdown pass to Gary Kreis. Alabama's first half touchdown came on a 15-yard Tommy Wade run. The Baby Tide closed the game with touchdowns on a 13-yard Scott Hunter pass to Perry Willis in the third and on a two-yard Wade run in the fourth that made the final score 21âÂÂ9.
In their final game of the season, Alabama defeated Auburn 6âÂÂ3 at Denny Stadium and finished the season undefeated. After Joe Riley scored Auburn's only points with his 35-yard field goal in the first, Mike Dean scored all of the Tide's points with field goals of 20 and 31-yards.
Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1966 squad were drafted into the National Football League (NFL) between the 1967 and 1969 drafts. These players included the following:
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