The 1921 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1921 college football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 28th overall and 25th season as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). The team was led by head coach Xen C. Scott, in his third year, and played their home games at Denny Field in Tuscaloosa and at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished the season with a record of five wins, four losses and two ties (5–4–2 overall, 2–4–2 in the SIAA).
In the opener, Alabama spotted Howard a 14–0 first-quarter lead before they rallied and won, 34–14. After a victory over Spring Hill in their second game, the Crimson Tide outscored Marion and Bryson College by a combined 150–0 over their next two games en route to a 4–0 start to open the season. The fast start did not translate to winning for the remainder of the season as they lost four of their next five games.
In their first Rickwood Field game of the season, the Crimson Tide was shut out by Sewanee and followed the loss with a tie against LSU in their first road game of the season at New Orleans. Alabama returned to Rickwood in their next game, where they were shut out by Vanderbilt, followed by losses to Florida on homecoming in Tuscaloosa and then to Georgia at Atlanta. After they tied Mississippi A&M in their final home game of the year, Alabama upset Tulane at New Orleans and prevented their first losing season since 1903.
Schedule
Game summaries
Howard (AL)
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As they had lost several starters from the previous season, Alabama entered their season opener against Howard (now known as Samford University) with much uncertainty. Against the Bulldogs, the Crimson Tide trailed 14–0 after the first quarter, but rallied with 34 unanswered points and won 34–14. Early in the first, Howard scored both of their touchdowns on fumble returns on successive Alabama possessions; the first came on a 60-yard and second on a 30-yard return. The 14–0 deficit marked the first time Alabama ever trailed Howard at the end of the first quarter in the history of their series.
Alabama responded in the second with a pair of 25-yard touchdown runs first by Lelias Kirby and then by Max Rosenfeld that made the halftime score 14–13. The Crimson Tide then closed the game with three touchdowns in the third quarter that made the final score 34–14. Rosenfeld scored on runs of five and ten-yards and Charles Bartlett scored on a six-yard run. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Howard to 10–0.
Spring Hill
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In what was their first all-time game against Spring Hill College, Alabama defeated the Badgers 27–7 at Denny Field. After a scoreless first quarter that saw the Badgers drive to the one-foot line of the Crimson Tide before a turnover on downs, each team scored a second quarter touchdown that made the halftime score 7–7. Poc Little scored first for the Crimson Tide on a five-yard run and the Badgers' Walet intercepted a Tom Newton pass and returned it 55-yards and tied the game 7–7 at halftime. Alabama then closed the game with three one-yard touchdown runs and won 27–7. The first was by L. O. Wesley in the third and by Max Rosenfeld and William C. Baty in the fourth.
Marion Military Institute
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Against Marion, Alabama shutout the Cadets 55–0 at Tuscaloosa for their third consecutive win to open the season. Touchdowns were scored four times by Max Rosenfeld, twice by William C. Baty and once each by Al Clemens and Virgil Hawkins. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Marion to 8–0.
Bryson College
Against Bryson College (merged with Erskine College in 1929), coach Scott played two separate backfields in a game for the first time. In the only game ever played between the schools, Alabama was dominant in a 95–0 victory at Tuscaloosa. Touchdowns were scored three times by Max Rosenfeld and Al Clemens, twice by William C. Baty, Poc Little and Virgil Hawkins and once each by George Baker, Lewis and W. S. "Country" Oliver. The 95 points remain the second most scored in a single game in the history of Alabama football behind a 110 performance against the Marion Military Institute to open the 1921 season.
Sewanee
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