1903 Alabama Crimson White football team

(Redirected from 1903 Alabama Crimson Tide football team) American college football season

1903 Alabama Crimson White football
Conference	Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Record	3–4 (3–4 SIAA)
Head coach	W. A. Blount (1st season)
Captain	W. S. Wyatt
Home stadium	The Quad West End Park
Seasons← 1902 1904 →

1903 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
v t e	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
Clemson +	2	–	0	–	1	4	–	1	–	1
Cumberland (TN) +	4	–	1	–	1	6	–	1	–	1
Sewanee	5	–	1	–	0	7	–	1	–	0
Vanderbilt	5	–	1	–	1	6	–	1	–	1
Mississippi A&M	2	–	0	–	2	3	–	0	–	2
Georgia	3	–	2	–	0	3	–	4	–	0
Ole Miss	1	–	1	–	1	2	–	1	–	1
Texas	0	–	0	–	1	5	–	1	–	2
Kentucky State	0	–	0	–	0	6	–	1	–	0
Alabama	3	–	4	–	0	3	–	4	–	0
Auburn	2	–	3	–	0	4	–	3	–	0
Tennessee	2	–	4	–	0	4	–	5	–	0
Georgia Tech	1	–	4	–	0	3	–	5	–	0
Tulane	0	–	1	–	1	2	–	2	–	1
Mercer	0	–	1	–	0	0	–	1	–	0
Nashville	0	–	2	–	0	1	–	3	–	0
LSU	0	–	5	–	0	4	–	5	–	0
SW Presbyterian			–					–

+ – Conference co-champions

The 1903 Alabama Crimson White football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1903 college football season. The team was led by head coach W. A. Blount, in his first season, and played their home games at The Quad in Tuscaloosa and at West End Park in Birmingham, Alabama. In what was the eleventh season of Alabama football, the team finished with a record of three wins and four losses (3–4, 3–4 SIAA). Alabama did not have another losing season until their 1951 season.

Alabama opened the season with a pair of shutout losses on the road. After their loss at Vanderbilt, they were defeated by Mississippi A&M at Columbus in what was their first all-time win against Alabama. They then won their first game against Auburn at Montgomery. Alabama then played back-to-back Monday games and lost to Sewanee at Birmingham and defeated LSU in the first Tuscaloosa game of the season. They then closed the season with a loss to eventual SIAA co-champion Cumberland and their first all-time victory over Tennessee in their final game on Thanksgiving.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 10	at Vanderbilt	Dudley Field Nashville, TN	L 0–30	1,000
October 16	at Mississippi A&M	Columbus Fairgrounds Columbus, MS (rivalry)	L 0–11	5,000
October 23	vs. Auburn	Riverside Park Montgomery, AL (rivalry)	W 18–6	1,200
November 2	Sewanee	West End Park Birmingham, AL	L 0–23	2,400
November 9	LSU	The Quad Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)	W 18–0
November 14	Cumberland	The Quad Tuscaloosa, AL	L 0–44
November 26	Tennessee	West End Park Birmingham, AL (rivalry)	W 24–0

Scoring note:

Game summaries

Vanderbilt

	1	2	Total
Alabama	0	0	0
• Vanderbilt	18	12	30

Date: October 10
Location: Dudley Field
Nashville, Tennessee
Game attendance: 1,000
Referee: Crawford

Source:

Alabama opened the 1903 season with a 30–0 loss against Vanderbilt in the first all-time meeting between the schools at Dudley Field. Vanderbilt took an 18–0 halftime lead after first half touchdowns were scored twice by Ed Hamilton and followed by John J. Tigert. The Commodores then closed the game with two touchdowns in the second half scored by Dan Blake and Bob Blake for the 30–0 victory. Tigert converted all five PAT's in their victory. Frank Kyle starred for the Commodores in the contest with runs of 30, 35, 48 and 50-yards against the Crimson White.

The starting lineup was: R. L. Lodge (left end), Aubrey Boyles (left tackle), W. C. Oates (left guard), James C. Gwin (center), J. C. Fortune (right guard), John Roberts Peavy (right tackle), W. S. Sherrill (right end), W. S. Wyatt (quarterback), Auxford Burks (left halfback), Truman Smith (right halfback), Frank B. Clark (fullback).

Mississippi A&M

	1	2	Total
Alabama	0	0	0
• Mississippi A&M	0	11	11

Date: October 16
Location: Columbus Fairgrounds
Columbus, Mississippi
Game attendance: 5,000

Source:

A week after their loss to Vanderbilt, Alabama was defeated the Aggies of Mississippi A&M (now known as Mississippi State University) 11–0 at the Columbus Fairgrounds in Columbus, Mississippi. The game was played before 5,000 fans in a light drizzle with the Aggies scoring all of their points in the second half after a scoreless first. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi A&M (Mississippi State) to 3–1.

Auburn

Sewanee

	1	2	Total
• Sewanee	18	5	23
Alabama	0	0	0

Date: November 2
Location: West End Park
Birmingham, Alabama
Game attendance: 2,400

Sources:

Playing Sewanee for the first time since the 1896 season, Alabama was shut out 23–0 at West End Park in Birmingham. John Schaffer starred for the Tigers with three separate runs of 40-yards in the victory. The game was originally scheduled to be played in Tuscaloosa, but was subsequently moved to Birmingham in an effort to increase gate receipts. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Sewanee to 1–3.

The starting lineup was: R. L. Lodge (left end), Aubrey Boyles (left tackle), W. C. Oates (left guard), James C. Gwin (center), Guy Redden (right guard), John C. McCorquodale (right tackle), W. S. Sherrill (right end), W. S. Wyatt (quarterback), Auxford Burks (left halfback), Truman Smith (right halfback), W. McMahon (fullback).

LSU

	1	2	Total
LSU	0	0	0
• Alabama	12	6	18

Date: November 9
Location: The Quad
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Sources:

Alabama secured their first all-time victory over LSU with its 18–0 win at Tuscaloosa. Both John Roberts Peavy and W. S. Sherrill scored first half touchdowns, and Truman Smith scored on a fake punt returned 65-yards for the 18–0 victory. The victory brought Alabama's all-time record against LSU to 1–2.

The starting lineup was: R. L. Lodge (left end), Aubrey Boyles (left tackle), W. C. Oates (left guard), James C. Gwin (center), Guy Redden (right guard), John Roberts Peavy (right tackle), W. S. Sherrill (right end), W. S. Wyatt (quarterback), Auxford Burks (left halfback), Truman Smith (right halfback), W. McMahon (fullback).

Cumberland

Against Cumberland University of Lebanon, Tennessee, Alabama lost 44–0 on The Quad in Tuscaloosa.

The starting lineup was: W. S. Sherrill (left end), John Roberts Peavy (left tackle), W. C. Oates (left guard), James C. Gwin (center), Guy Redden (right guard), Aubrey Boyles (right tackle), R. L. Lodge (right end), W. S. Wyatt (quarterback), Auxford Burks (left halfback), Truman Smith (right halfback), W. McMahon (fullback).

Tennessee

Players

Line

Player	Position
Aubrey Boyles	tackle
J. C. Fortune	guard
J. C. Granade	tackle
James C. Gwin	center
R. L. Lodge	end
W. C. Oates	guard
John Roberts Peavy	tackle
Guy Redden	guard
W. S. Sherrill	end

Backfield

Player	Position
Auxford Burks	halfback
Frank B. Clark
Floy Hall
W. McMahon
Truman Smith
W. S. Wyatt

Source:

Notes

Alabama football teams were not referred to as the "Crimson Tide" until the 1907 season. Prior to 1907, the team was called the "Crimson White" from 1893 to 1906 and the "Cadets" in 1892.
For the 1903 season, point values were different from those used in contemporary games. In 1893 a touchdown was worth five points, a field goal was worth five points and a conversion (PAT) was worth one point.

References

"How the Crimson Tide got its name". bryantmuseum.ua.edu. Paul W. Bryant Museum. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
Kennedy, Scott (April 8, 1992). "Tide football tradition began with 1892 team". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 2F. Retrieved June 30, 2013 – via Google News Archives.
"Show their mettle, Commodores stack up 30 points to Alabama's 6". The Tennessean. October 11, 1903. Retrieved February 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
"Mississippi beat Alabama at Columbus yesterday afternoon". The Tuscaloosa News. October 17, 1903. Retrieved February 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
"Victory perched on Crimson-White; Auburn's Orange-Blue trailed in dust". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 24, 1903. Retrieved February 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
"Sewanee beats Alabama by the score of 23 to 0". The Birmingham News. November 3, 1903. Retrieved February 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Alabama the winner". The Times-Democrat. November 10, 1903. p. 13. Retrieved February 12, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
"Cumberland too heavy, Defeats University of Alabama, 44 to 0". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 15, 1903. Retrieved February 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
"Alabama's 24 to Tennessee's zero". Knoxville Sentinel. November 27, 1903. Retrieved February 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Show their mettle: Commodores stack up 30 points to Alabama's 0". The Tennessean. October 11, 1903. p. 6. Retrieved February 12, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
"Alabama vs Vanderbilt". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
^ "U. of A. is outclassed". The Montgomery Advertiser. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. October 10, 1903. p. 12.
^ "1903 Season Recap" (PDF). RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
"Mississippi A. and M. 11, Alabama 0". The Times-Democrat. October 18, 1903. p. 13. Retrieved February 12, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
"Alabama University loses". The Columbus Enquirer-Sun. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. October 18, 1903. p. 13.
"Alabama vs Mississippi State". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
^ "Auburn beaten by Tuscaloosa". The Atlanta Constitution. October 24, 1903. p. 7. Retrieved February 12, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Alabama defeats Auburn". The Times-Democrat. October 24, 1903. p. 10. Retrieved February 12, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Griffin, John Chandler (2001). "1903: Truman Smith leads Bama to a big win". Alabama vs. Auburn: Gridiron Grudge Since 1893. Athens, Georgia: Hill Street Press. pp. 26–27. ISBN 1-58818-044-1.
"Victory perched on Crimson White". The Montgomery Advertiser. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers. October 24, 1903. p. 10.
"Alabama vs Auburn". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
^ "Brilliant runs beat Alabama". The Atlanta Constitution. November 3, 1903. p. 9. Retrieved February 12, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Sewanee wins". The Tennessean. November 3, 1903. p. 7. Retrieved February 12, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Alabama vs Sewanee". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
^ "Alabama wins from creoles". The Atlanta Constitution. November 10, 1903. p. 9. Retrieved February 12, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
"Alabama vs LSU". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on January 8, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
^ "1903 Alabama football schedule". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
"Alabama team under daisies". The Atlanta Constitution. November 15, 1903. p. 7. Retrieved February 12, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Alabama downs Volunteer team". The Atlanta Constitution. November 27, 1903. p. 2. Retrieved February 12, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
"Alabama vs Tennessee". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2017.

v t e Alabama Crimson Tide football
Venues	University of Alabama Quad (1893–1914) Denny Field (1915–1928) Bryant–Denny Stadium (1929–present) Rickwood Field (alternate, 1912–1927) Cramton Bowl (alternate, 1922–1954) Ernest F. Ladd Stadium (alternate, 1948–1968) Legion Field (alternate, 1927–2003)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Auburn: Iron Bowl (James E. Foy, V-ODK Sportsmanship Trophy) Clemson Florida Georgia Georgia Tech LSU Mississippi State Ole Miss Penn State Tennessee: Third Saturday in October
Culture & lore	History Saban era Traditions Big Al "Yea Alabama" "Dixieland Delight" A-Day 1922 Penn game Million Dollar Band Walk of Fame Paul W. Bryant Museum The Bear The Bear Bryant Show Porter Cup 1943 Informals Forrest Gump Punt Bama Punt Bo Over the Top 1992 SEC Championship Game 2009 SEC Championship Game 2011 "Game of the Century" Kick Six (Kick Bama Kick) 2019 "Game of the Century" 2024 Vanderbilt game
People	Head coaches All-Americans College Football Hall of Fame inductees NFL draftees Starting quarterbacks Statistical leaders Yearly leaders Champ Pickens
Seasons	1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
National championship seasons in bold

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