The 1920 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1920 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 27th overall and 24th season as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). The team was led by head coach Xen C. Scott, in his second year, and played their home games at University/Denny Field in Tuscaloosa and at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished the season with a record of ten wins and one loss (10–1 overall, 6–1 in the SIAA). This marked the first ten win season in the history of Alabama football. Starting with Scott, every Alabama coach has won ten games in a season at least once, with the exception of Jennings B. Whitworth.
Alabama opened the season with six consecutive shutout victories over the Southern Military Academy, Marion, Birmingham–Southern, , Howard, and Sewanee. In their seventh game against Vanderbilt Alabama allowed its first touchdown of the season, but won 14–7 after the Commodores threw an interception on a fourth and goal from the three-yard line in the fourth quarter.
After their shutout victory over LSU on what was the first homecoming game played at Alabama, the Crimson Tide lost their only game of the season at Atlanta against Georgia. The Bulldogs did not score on offense but won 21–14 after touchdowns were scored on a fumble return, a blocked punt return and a blocked field goal return. The loss snapped Alabama's then school-record 11-game winning streak. Alabama won their final two games against Mississippi A&M and in Cleveland at and finished the season 10–1.
Before the season
After an 8–1 campaign in Scott's first season as head coach at Alabama, the Crimson Tide were viewed as a potential championship team by the media as they entered the 1920 season. During the week of September 12, Alabama held its first scrimmages of the season. At that time, Scott noted his team was much "heavier" that in the previous year and he also divided the squad into initial first and second teams. The "A" squad was coached by Scott and the "B" squad was coached by athletic director Charles A. Bernier. Prior to their opening game against the Southern Military Academy on September 23, Scott announced his starting lineup for the 1920 season. Additionally at that time, right guard Sidney Johnston was selected as season captain by his teammates.
Schedule
Game summaries
Southern Military Academy
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Alabama opened the 1920 season with a 59–0 shutout over the Southern Military Academy (SMA) in the only all-time game between the schools at Tuscaloosa. After a slow start that saw Alabama only up by a touchdown after the first quarter, the Crimson Tide scored an additional eight touchdowns and won the game going away. Mullie Lenoir scored five and both Luke Sewell and Riggs Stephenson scored a pair of touchdowns in the victory. Defensively, the Crimson Tide did not allow SMA a single first down in the game.
Marion Military Institute
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Against Marion, Alabama defeated the Cadets 49–0 at Tuscaloosa for their second consecutive shutout to open the season. The Crimson Tide opened the game trying to utilize the forward pass, but were unsuccessful and held scoreless in the first quarter. They then returned to the running game for the duration of the game and scored 49 unanswered points in the victory. Touchdowns were scored by Mullie Lenoir three times, Ira Nichols twice and Al Clemens and J. T. O'Connor both scored once. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Marion to 7–0.
Birmingham–Southern
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Prior to the start of their game against Birmingham–Southern, University Field was officially rededicated as Denny Field in honor of then University president George H. Denny. Against the Panthers, the Crimson Tide won their third consecutive shutout, this time by a score of 45–0. Touchdowns were scored in the game twice by Mullie Lenoir and Ira Nichols and one by both J. T. O'Connor and Riggs Stephenson. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Birmingham–Southern to 2–0.
The starting lineup was Al Clemens (left end), T. L. Brown (left tackle), Sidney Johnston (left guard), Tram Sessions (center), Ben Hunt (right guard), Ernest Cooper (right tackle), Tom Newton (right end), Luke Sewell (quarterback), Mullie Lenoir (left halfback), Jack Hovater (right halfback), Riggs Stephenson (fullback).