1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

The 1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 1996–97 college football season, competing in the Western Division in the Southeastern Conference. Gene Stallings led the Crimson Tide to a 10–3 record in his final year with the program. The team played their home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.

1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football
SEC Western Division co-champion
Outback Bowl champion
Outback Bowl, W 17–14 vs. Michigan
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionWestern Division
Ranking
CoachesNo. 11
APNo. 11
1996 record10–3 (6–2 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorWoody McCorvey
Defensive coordinatorMike DuBose
Home stadiumBryant–Denny Stadium
(Capacity: 70,123)
Legion Field
(Capacity: 83,091)
1996 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
Eastern Division
No. 1 Florida x$  8 –0     12 –1  
No. 9 Tennessee  7 –1     10 –2  
South Carolina  4 –4     6 –5  
Kentucky  3 –5     4 –7  
Georgia  3 –5     5 –6  
Vanderbilt  0 –8     2 –9  
Western Division
No. 11 Alabama xy  6 –2     10 –3  
No. 12 LSU x  6 –2     10 –2  
No. 24 Auburn  4 –4     8 –4  
Mississippi State  3 –5     5 –6  
Ole Miss  2 –6     5 –6  
Arkansas  2 –6     4 –7  
Championship: Florida 45, Alabama 30
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

Alabama's loss to Mississippi State broke a 15-game winning streak Alabama had in the series and was their first loss to the Bulldogs since a dramatic upset MSU posted over the #1 ranked Tide in 1980.

Following a victory in the annual Iron Bowl on November 23, head coach Gene Stallings announced his retirement, which would go into effect at the end of the season.[1]

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
August 312:00 p.m.Bowling Green*No. 13
PPVW 21–776,878
September 711:30 a.m.Southern Miss*No. 14
JPSW 20–1082,338
September 145:00 p.m.VanderbiltNo. 13
ESPN2W 36–2670,123
September 2111:30 a.m.at ArkansasNo. 13
JPSW 17–754,827
October 51:00 p.m.KentuckyNo. 13
PPVW 35–770,123
October 122:30 p.m.at NC State*No. 8
ABCW 24–1950,750
October 195:00 p.m.Ole MissNo. 7
ESPN2W 37–070,123
October 262:30 p.m.at No. 6 TennesseeNo. 7
CBSL 13–20106,700
November 96:30 p.m.at No. 11 LSUNo. 10
ESPNW 26–080,290
November 168:00 p.m.at Mississippi StateNo. 8
ESPNL 16–1740,050
November 236:30 p.m.AuburnNo. 15
ESPNW 24–2383,091
December 78:00 p.m.vs. No. 4 FloridaNo. 11
ABCL 30–4574,132
January 1, 199710:00 a.m.vs. No. 15 Michigan*No. 16
ESPNW 17–1453,161
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

Coaching staff
Name Position Consecutive seasons at Alabama
Gene StallingsHead coach7th
Woody McCorveyOffensive coordinator7th
Dabo SwinneyWide receivers and Tight end coach4th
Danny PearmanOffensive Tackles coach/Special teams coordinator6th
Jim FullerOffensive Line Coach13th
Randy RossQuarterbacks coach/Recruiting Coordinator7th
Ivy WilliamsRunning backs coach3rd
Mike DuboseDefensive coordinator/Defensive line7th
Curley HallmanSecondary coach1st
Jeff RouzieLinebackers coach6th
Reference:[2]

Game summaries

Bowling Green
See also: 1996 Bowling Green Falcons football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Falcons 0 0 0 7 7
#13 Crimson Tide 7 7 7 0 21

Alabama wins its sixth straight season opener over newly Division 1 opponent Bowling Green.

Southern Miss
See also: 1996 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Golden Eagles 0 10 0 0 10
#14 Crimson Tide 10 7 3 0 20

Alabama would hold Southern Miss to 104 yards of offense to win for the sixth straight year over the Golden Eagles.

Vanderbilt
See also: 1996 Vanderbilt Commodores football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Commodores 7 8 11 0 26
#13 Crimson Tide 3 12 21 0 36

In the first home game at Bryant-Denny Stadium for 1996, a shootout would unfold as the Crimson Tide would use a 21 point 3rd quarter to beat the Commodores.

Arkansas
See also: 1996 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
1 2 3 4 Total
#13 Crimson Tide 0 7 0 10 17
Razorbacks 0 0 0 7 7

A defensive struggle goes the Crimson Tide way as they avenge their loss of a year ago to Arkansas.

Kentucky
See also: 1996 Kentucky Wildcats football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Wildcats 0 7 0 0 7
#13 Crimson Tide 7 0 28 0 35

Former Alabama coach Bill Curry returned to Tuscaloosa for the first time since leaving Alabama for Kentucky in 1989. Despite being heavy underdogs, Curry's Wildcats forced a 7-7 tie at halftime which brought a chorus of boos from the homecoming crowd. The Crimson Tide then would use a 28 point third quarter to beat Kentucky.

North Carolina State
See also: 1996 NC State Wolfpack football team
1 2 3 4 Total
#8 Crimson Tide 7 0 7 10 24
Wolfpack 3 0 3 13 19

Despite giving up a season high 418 yards of offense, The Crimson Tide survived on the road to stay undefeated.

Ole Miss
See also: 1996 Ole Miss Rebels football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Rebels 0 0 0 0 0
#7 Crimson Tide 3 7 14 13 37

The Crimson Tide put its most complete game together to date in 1996 to roll to a shutout win of Ole Miss.

Tennessee
See also: 1996 Tennessee Volunteers football team and Third Saturday in October
1 2 3 4 Total
#7 Crimson Tide 0 3 10 0 13
#6 Volunteers 0 0 6 14 20

Tennessee used 14 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to beat Alabama for the second year in a row and for the first time in Knoxville since 1984.

LSU
See also: 1996 LSU Tigers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
#10 Crimson Tide 0 7 12 7 26
#11 Tigers 0 0 0 0 0

For the second time in three weeks, Alabama defense would shut out its opponent. The Crimson tide offense went through one man Redshirt Freshman Shaun Alexander rushed for a School record 291 yards and all four Alabama touchdowns.

Mississippi State
See also: 1996 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
1 2 3 4 Total
#8 Crimson Tide 0 13 0 3 16
Bulldogs 7 7 0 3 17

For the first time since 1980, Alabama would lose to Mississippi State in one of the biggest upset of the Gene Stallings era.

Auburn
See also: 1996 Auburn Tigers football team and Iron Bowl
Auburn Tigers (7–3) at #15 Alabama Crimson Tide (8–2)
1 2 34Total
Auburn 3 17 3023
Alabama 17 0 0724

at Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama

  • Date: November 23, 1996
  • Game time: 6:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: Clear, 51 °F (11 °C)
  • Game attendance: 83,091
  • Referee: R. Redding
  • TV: ESPN
  • Recap/Box

After the game, head coach Gene Stallings announced his resignation effective at the end of the season.

Florida
See also: 1996 Florida Gators football team and 1996 SEC Championship Game
1 2 3 4 Total
#11 Crimson Tide 7 7 14 2 30
#4 Gators 6 18 14 7 45

Alabama would be in its fourth SEC Championship game in five season and once again would face Florida like they have the previous three meetings. The Gators would use nearly 500 yards of offense to win its fourth straight SEC Title a record that still holds to this day.

Michigan
See also: 1996 Michigan Wolverines football team and 1997 Outback Bowl
1 2 3 4 Total
#16 Crimson Tide 3 0 0 14 17
#15 Wolverines 0 6 0 8 14

Two 4th quarter touchdowns proved to be enough as Alabama would win its 10 game of the season and the 70th and final for Coach Gene Stallings.

References
  1. "Tide prevails; Stallings retires: Auburn Bama both blow leads". The Atlanta Journal. 1996-11-24. pp. F1.
  2. 1997 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Media Guide, p. 2
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