The 1925 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1925 Southern Conference football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 32nd overall and 4th season as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon). The team was led by head coach Wallace Wade, in his third year, and played their home games at Denny Field in Tuscaloosa, at Rickwood Field in Birmingham and at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. They finished the season with their first ever perfect record (10–0 overall, 7–0 in the SoCon), as Southern Conference champions, defeated Washington in the Rose Bowl, and were retroactively named as national champion for 1925 by several major selectors.
The Crimson Tide entered the season as the defending Southern Conference champions after finishing the 1924 season with an 8–1 record. Alabama would then go on and shutout all but one of their regular season opponents en route to a second consecutive Southern Conference championship. The Crimson Tide then accepted an invitation to participate as the first Southern team in the annual Rose Bowl Game, where they defeated Washington 20–19. This victory has subsequently been recognized as one of the most important in Southern football history as well as has been deemed "the game that changed the South."
Before the season
Alabama was last year upset by Centre. Former center and alumnus Shorty Propst was hired to the coaching staff.
1925 saw the south's widespread use of the forward pass.
Schedule
Game summaries
Union
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Alabama opened their 1925 season against Union University at Denny Field, and defeated the Bulldogs 53–0 in rainy field conditions. The Crimson Tide played every player on their squad in this game and touchdowns were scored twice each by Herschel Caldwell and David Rosenfeld; and were scored once each by Johnny Mack Brown, Hoyt Winslett, Waile and James Johnson. The margin of victory was not unexpected with The Augusta Chronicle stating:"Union's squad is nothing more than a first class prep school and the Crimson Tide has no right to boast of their score and win."
The victory brought Alabama's all-time record against Union to 4–0 in what was the final game played between the schools.
The starting lineup was Melvin Vines (left end), Pickhard (left tackle), Buckler (left guard), Jones (center), Perry (right guard), Camp (right tackle), Hudson (right end), Barnes (quarterback), M. Brown (left halfback), Caldwell (right halfback), Hubert (fullback).
Birmingham–Southern
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Only one team scored on the Tide all regular season — Birmingham–Southern managed a touchdown after recovering a Grant Gillis fumble at the Alabama 25-yard line. Aided by two offside penalties, the Panthers drove the ball into the endzone. The Tide won 50–7. Hubert and Winslett scored two touchdowns each; and Rosenfeld, Gillis, Johnson and Barnes one each. The last period went scoreless. The victory brought Alabama's all-time record against Birmingham–Southern to 3–0 in what was the final game played between the schools.
LSU
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In a game described by some as "perfection itself," Alabama defeated the LSU Tigers at Baton Rouge 42–0 in what was both their first road and conference game of the season. The Crimson Tide scored their first of six touchdowns on the opening drive of the game after Pooley Hubert scored on a three-yard run over center. In the second quarter, Hubert scored again on a one-yard run and David Rosenfeld scored on a five-yard run as time expired in the first half that gave Alabama a 21–0 halftime lead.
Alabama received the second half kickoff and drove 65 yards for their fourth touchdown scored by Grant Gillis on a one-yard run. Hubert then scored his third touchdown of the game on a short run that gave the Crimson Tide a 35–0 lead as they entered the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, Hubert scored his fourth touchdown on another short run that made the final score 42–0. The victory brought Alabama's all-time record against LSU to 8–3–1.
The starting lineup was Hudson (left end), Camp (left tackle), Buckler (left guard), Holmes (center), Jones (right guard), Perry (right tackle), Winslett (right end), Gillis (quarterback), Barnes (left halfback), M. Brown (right halfback), Hubert (fullback).
Sewanee
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