The 1962 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1962 NCAA University Division football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 68th overall and 29th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his fifth year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished season with ten wins and one loss (10–1 overall, 6–1 in the SEC) and with a victory over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.
The Crimson Tide opened the season with a win over Georgia at Legion Field in Birmingham in week one, and then defeated Tulane in their first road game at New Orleans in week two. Alabama then defeated Vanderbilt in the second Legion Field game of the season and Houston back at Denny Stadium before they defeated Tennessee at Neyland Stadium.
The Crimson Tide then defeated Tulsa, Mississippi State and then Miami on homecoming in Tuscaloosa that extended their winning streak to 19-games and their unbeaten streak to 26-games. The next week Alabama lost their first game since the 1960 season when they were upset 7–6 by Georgia Tech at Atlanta. They rebounded with wins over Auburn in the Iron Bowl that closed the regular season and against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.
Schedule
Game summaries
Georgia
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To open the 1962 season, the Crimson Tide shutout the Georgia Bulldogs 35–0 in what was the first start for quarterback Joe Namath with the Crimson Tide varsity squad. Alabama scored their first points of the season in the opening four minutes of the game when Namath threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Richard Williamson. They then extended their lead to 9–0 late in the quarter when Jake Saye was tackled for a safety by Larry Morten on a failed punt attempt. Namath further extended the Crimson Tide lead to 21–0 in the third quarter before he was sat by Coach Bryant late in the third. He threw a pair of touchdown passes to Cotton Clark, in the second on a ten-yard pass and in the third on a 12-yard pass. Alabama then closed the game with fourth-quarter touchdown runs of four-yards by Clark and 25-yards by Hudson Harris that made the final score 35–0. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia to 26–18–4.
Tulane
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After their victory over Georgia to open the season, Alabama up two spots in the AP Poll to the No. 1 position. On a Friday evening at New Orleans, the Crimson Tide defeated the Tulane Green Wave 44–6 in their first road game of the season. Alabama took a 14–0 first quarter lead on Butch Wilson runs of seven and one-yard before Tulane scored their lone points on a six-yard Wilson Miller touchdown pass to Clement Dellenger that made the score 14–6 early in the second quarter. The Green Wave touchdown was the first allowed by the Crimson Tide defense over a period that spanned 35 quarters back to their win over NC State in 1961.
The Crimson Tide responded with 22 second quarter points and took a 36–6 halftime lead. Cotton Clark scored first on an 11-yard run, Joe Namath second on a one-yard run and then Clark scored again on a 23-yard pass from Namath. After a scoreless third, Namath threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Clark in the fourth and made the final score 44–6. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tulane to 20–10–3.
Vanderbilt
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Although they defeated Tulane on the road, Alabama dropped from the No. 1 to No. 2 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Vanderbilt. In the second Legion Field game of the season, the Crimson Tide defeated the Commodores 17–7 at Birmingham. Vanderbilt scored their first points of the 1962 season when Terrell Dye recovered a Cotton Clark fumbled punt in the endzone for a 7–0 lead. Alabama responded on the drive that ensued with a 19-yard Joe Namath touchdown pass to Butch Henry and tied the game 7–7. The Crimson Tide then took a 14–7 lead early in the third quarter after Namath threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Richard Williamson. A 20-yard Tim Davis field goal in the fourth quarter then made the final score 17–7. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 21–16–4.
Houston
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