The 1972 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1972 NCAA University Division football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 78th overall season and 39th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his 15th year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished the season with ten wins and two losses (10–2 overall, 7–1 in the SEC), as SEC champions and with a loss to Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Alabama opened the season with a non-conference victory over Duke. They then shut out Kentucky in their conference opener, and then easily won their next three games, over Vanderbilt, Georgia and Florida. In a top-ten match-up against rival Tennessee, they scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns en route to a 17–10 victory. Next, the Crimson Tide defeated Southern Miss and Mississippi State to set up a top-ten match-up against LSU.
With a 35–21 victory over the Tigers, Alabama captured the SEC championship for the 1972 season. The Crimson Tide next defeated Virginia Tech on homecoming and set up another top ten match-up Iron Bowl to close the regular season. Auburn defeated Alabama behind a pair of fourth-quarter blocked-punt returns in a game referred to as simply "Punt Bama Punt". The Crimson Tide then closed their season with a second-consecutive defeat, this time against Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Schedule
Rankings
Game summaries Duke
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Alabama opened the 1972 season ranked as the No. 7 team in the preseason AP Poll as they entered their game against Duke. At Legion Field, the Crimson Tide scored 21 unanswered points in the second half en route to a 35–12 victory over the Blue Devils to open the 1971 season.1972 Season Recap Alabama opened the game with a 14–0 lead after they scored on their first two possessions, on a pair of touchdown runs of eight-yards by Paul Spivey and one-yard by Joe LaBue. However, Duke was able to make the halftime score 14–12 after they scored on a pair of Robert Albright touchdown passes. The first was from 11-yards to Mark Landon and the second to Mike Bomgardner from eight-yards out.
After Terry Davis extended the Crimson Tide lead to 21–12 with his two-yard run in the third, Alabama closed the game with a pair of touchdown runs in the fourth quarter. The first was scored by Steve Bisceglia on a 39-yard run and the second by Wilbur Jackson on a 12-yard run. In the game, Alabama outgained the Blue Devils in rushing yards 333 to 156.
Kentucky
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Coming off their bye week, the Crimson Tide retained their No. 7 team in the AP Poll prior to their game against Kentucky. In what was the first meeting against the Wildcats since their victory in 1947, Alabama won 35–0 at Birmingham. The Crimson Tide took a 14–0 lead in the first quarter after Terry Davis threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Wayne Wheeler and then scored himself on a three-yard run. Still up only 14–0 as the teams entered the second half, Alabama extended their lead to 21–0 on a three-yard Steve Bisceglia touchdown run.
The Crimson Tide then closed the game with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. The first came on a nine-yard Bisceglia run and the second on a 48-yard Gary Rutledge pass to Ralph Stokes that made the final score 35–0. In their previous meeting, Kentucky was led by head coach Bear Bryant, who since that time had moved on and was Alabama's head coach for this game.
Vanderbilt
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After their victory over Kentucky, Alabama moved into the No. 6 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Vanderbilt. Behind a 28-point second quarter, the Crimson Tide defeated the Commodores 48–21 in the first Denny Stadium game of the season. After Alabama took a 6–0 lead on a four-yard Wilbur Jackson touchdown run, Vanderbilt responded and took a 7–6 lead on a one-yard Walter Overton later in the first quarter. The Crimson Tide responded with four touchdowns in the second quarter and took a 34–7 halftime lead. The points were scored on runs of three and 16-yards by Ellis Beck, one-yard by Terry Davis and one-yard by Steve Dean.
In the second half, both teams traded touchdowns in each of the final two quarters. In the third, Gary Rutledge scored on a seven-yard run for Alabama and Steve Burger responded for Vanderbilt with his three-yard run. Finally in the fourth quarter, Rutledge scored on a five-yard run for the Crimson Tide and Stephen Lainhart followed with a 51-yard touchdown pass to Douglas Martin for the Commodores that made the final score 48–21.
Georgia
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After their victory over Vanderbilt, Alabama moved into the No. 4 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Georgia. Playing for the first time since a loss to Georgia in 1965, the Crimson Tide defeated the Bulldogs 25–7 in their first road game of the season. Alabama scored their only points in the first half on a five-yard Wilbur Jackson touchdown run in the first quarter.
In the third quarter, Terry Davis first threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Wayne Wheeler and later scored on a one-yard run that made the score 19–0. After Jimmy Poulos scored Georgia's only points with his 17-yard touchdown run in the fourth, Alabama closed the game with a two-yard Steve Bisceglia that made the final score 25–7.
Florida
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After their victory over Georgia, Alabama moved into the No. 3 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Florida. Against the Gators, the Crimson Tide rallied from an early 7–0 deficit and defeated Florida 24–7 at Denny Stadium. Florida took an early 7–0 lead behind a 60-yard Nat Moore touchdown run. However, the Gators were unable to score again as Alabama responded with 24 unanswered points. After a 13-yard Paul Spivey touchdown run tied the game 7–7 later in the first, a 31-yard Bill Davis field goal in the second gave the Crimson Tide a 10–7 halftime lead. They then closed the game with a pair of touchdown runs that made the final score 24–7. The first came on a four-yard Terry Davis run in the third and then on a one-yard Ralph Stokes run in the fourth.
Tennessee
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After their victory over Florida, Alabama retained their No. 3 position and Tennessee moved into the No. 10 position in the AP Poll prior to their game at Neyland Stadium. Against the Volunteers, Alabama scored two touchdowns in the final 2:39 of the game for a 17–10, come-from-behind victory at Knoxville. After a scoreless first quarter, the Crimson Tide took a 3–0 lead into halftime after Bill Davis connected on a 31-yard field goal in the second. Tennessee then took a 7–3 lead on a two-yard Condredge Holloway touchdown run in the third, and extended it to 10–3 with a 36-yard Ricky Townsend field goal in the fourth quarter.
With 2:39 left in the game, Alabama took possession at the Vols 48-yard line, and three plays later Wilbur Jackson scored on a two-yard run. On the Tennessee possession that ensued, John Mitchell recovered a Holloway fumble at the Vols' 17-yard line. On the next play, Terry Davis gave Alabama a 17–10 lead with his touchdown run with just over one minute left in the game.
Southern Miss
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After their come-from-behind victory over Tennessee, Alabama moved into the No. 2 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Southern Miss. Although they only led the Golden Eagles 7–3 at halftime, 41 second half points resulted in a 48–11 Alabama victory at Legion Field. In what was a very low scoring first half, the Crimson Tide scored on a two-yard Steve Bisceglia touchdown run and the Golden Eagles on a 32-yard Ricky Palmer field goal for a 7–3 halftime score.
Alabama then dominated the second half and scored five offensive touchdowns in six total possessions en route to the 48–11 victory. Third quarter touchdowns were scored on runs of 12, 16 and five-yards by Bisceglia, Wilbur Jackson and Paul Spivey. Southern Miss responded with their lone points of the second half early in the fourth when Buddy Palazzo connected with Marshall Veal on a 12-yard touchdown pass. The Crimson Tide then closed the game with touchdowns on a 64-yard Gary Rutledge pass to Wayne Wheeler, a 15-yard Robin Cary interception return and on a 13-yard Robert Fraley pass to Pete Pappas for the 48–11 win.
Mississippi State
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As they entered their game against Mississippi State, Alabama retained their No. 2 position in the AP Poll. Against the Bulldogs, the Crimson Tide won 58–14 en route to their 25th consecutive victory at Denny Stadium. Alabama took a 17–0 lead in the first quarter behind touchdown runs of 28 and one-yard by Terry Davis and Steve Bisceglia and a 22-yard field goal by Bill Davis. After the Bulldogs responded with a one-yard Wayne Jones touchdown run early in the second, the Crimson Tide extended their lead to 30–6 at halftime behind a 15-yard David McMakin blocked punt return and one-yard Ellis Beck touchdown run.
In the third, both teams traded touchdowns. Alabama scored first on a 44-yard Davis pass to Wayne Wheeler and State followed with a 47-yard Frank Dowsing punt return that made the score 37–14. The Crimson Tide then closed the game with a trio of fourth quarter touchdowns on a 20-yard Gary Rutledge pass to Wheeler and runs of one and two-yards by Robert Fraley and Vern Wilmot.
LSU
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After their victory over Mississippi State, Alabama retained their No. 2 position and LSU was in the No. 6 position in the AP Poll prior to their match-up at Birmingham. Playing in a regionally televised game on ABC, Alabama defeated the previously undefeated Tigers 35–21 at Legion Field and captured the 1972 conference championship. LSU took a 7–0 first quarter lead on a 21-yard Bert Jones touchdown pass to Jimmy LeDoux. Alabama responded with a 25-yard Terry Davis touchdown pass to Wayne Wheeler in the second that tied the game 7–7 at halftime.
In the third, the Crimson Tide took a 21–7 lead behind touchdowns scored on a 29-yard Davis pass to Wheeler and on a 25-yard Davis run. LSU then cut the lead to 21–14 on a five-yard Jones pass to Charles Williamson later in the quarter. In the fourth, Alabama scored on touchdown runs of one and 52-yards by Steve Bisceglia and Joe LaBue, and LSU scored on a three-yard Jones run that made the final score 35–21.
Virginia Tech
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After their victory over LSU, Alabama retained their No. 2 position prior to their match-up against Virginia Tech at Tuscaloosa. After their 52–13 victory over the Hokies on homecoming at Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide accepted an invitation to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Alabama opened with a pair of first quarter touchdowns on runs of 67-yards by Wilbur Jackson and two-yards by Terry Davis. They next extended their lead to 31–0 at halftime behind a 36-yard Bill Davis field goal and touchdown runs of nine-yards by Jackson and two-yards by Randy Billingsley.
After the Crimson Tide extended their lead on a one-yard Steve Bisceglia touchdown run in the third, the Hokies scored their first points on a five-yard J. B. Barber touchdown run that made the score 38–6. The game concluded after both teams traded touchdowns in the final quarter. After Gary Rutledge scored for Alabama with his one-yard run, Don Strock threw a ten-yard touchdown pass to Craig Valentine. The Crimson Tide then made the final score 52–13 after Robert Fraley threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Pete Pappas late in the fourth quarter.
Auburn
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