1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football
1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football
SEC Western Division co-champion; Outback Bowl champion
SEC Championship Game, L 30–45 vs. Florida
Outback Bowl, W 17–14 vs. Michigan
Conference	Southeastern Conference
	Western Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 11
AP	No. 11
Record	10–3 (6–2 SEC)
Head coach	Gene Stallings (7th season);
Offensive coordinator	Woody McCorvey
Defensive coordinator	Mike Dubose
Home stadium	Bryant–Denny Stadium; Legion Field
	Seasons ← 1995 1997 →

The 1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 1996–97 college football season, competing in the Western Division in the Southeastern Conference. Gene Stallings led the Crimson Tide to a 10–3 record in his final year with the program. The team played their home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.

1996 Southeastern Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
Eastern Division
No. 1 Florida x$	8	–	0	12	–	1
No. 9 Tennessee	7	–	1	10	–	2
South Carolina	4	–	4	6	–	5
Kentucky	3	–	5	4	–	7
Georgia	3	–	5	5	–	6
Vanderbilt	0	–	8	2	–	9
Western Division
No. 11 Alabama xy	6	–	2	10	–	3
No. 12 LSU x	6	–	2	10	–	2
No. 24 Auburn	4	–	4	8	–	4
Mississippi State	3	–	5	5	–	6
Ole Miss	2	–	6	5	–	6
Arkansas	2	–	6	4	–	7
Championship: Florida 45, Alabama 30
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

Alabama's loss to Mississippi State broke a 15-game winning streak Alabama had in the series and was their first loss to the Bulldogs since a dramatic upset MSU posted over the #1 ranked Tide in 1980.

Following a victory in the annual Iron Bowl on November 23, head coach Gene Stallings announced his retirement, which would go into effect at the end of the season.^[1]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
August 31	2:00 p.m.	Bowling Green*	No. 13	Legion Field Birmingham, AL	PPV	W 21–7	76,878	^[2]
September 7	11:30 a.m.	Southern Miss*	No. 14	Legion Field Birmingham, AL	JPS	W 20–10	82,338	^[3]
September 14	5:00 p.m.	Vanderbilt	No. 13	Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL	ESPN2	W 36–26	70,123	^[4]
September 21	11:30 a.m.	at Arkansas	No. 13	War Memorial Stadium Little Rock, AR	JPS	W 17–7	54,827	^[5]
October 5	1:00 p.m.	Kentucky	No. 13	Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL	PPV	W 35–7	70,123	^[6]
October 12	2:30 p.m.	at NC State*	No. 8	Carter–Finley Stadium Raleigh, NC	ABC	W 24–19	50,750	^[7]
October 19	5:00 p.m.	Ole Miss	No. 7	Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)	ESPN2	W 37–0	70,123	^[8]
October 26	2:30 p.m.	at No. 6 Tennessee	No. 7	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (Third Saturday in October)	CBS	L 13–20	106,700	^[9]
November 9	6:30 p.m.	at No. 11 LSU	No. 10	Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA (rivalry, College GameDay)	ESPN	W 26–0	80,290	^[10]
November 16	8:00 p.m.	at Mississippi State	No. 8	Scott Field Starkville, MS (rivalry)	ESPN	L 16–17	40,050	^[11]
November 23	6:30 p.m.	Auburn	No. 15	Legion Field Birmingham, AL (Iron Bowl, College GameDay)	ESPN	W 24–23	83,091	^[12]
December 7	8:00 p.m.	vs. No. 4 Florida	No. 11	Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA (SEC Championship Game, rivalry)	ABC	L 30–45	74,132	^[13]
January 1, 1997	10:00 a.m.	vs. No. 15 Michigan*	No. 16	Houlihan's Stadium Tampa, FL (Outback Bowl)	ESPN	W 17–14	53,161	^[14]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^[15]

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
т = Tied with team above or below
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Final
AP	15	13	14	13	13т	14	13	8	7	7	10	10	8	15	15	11	16	11
Coaches	14		13	12	11	10	10	8	7	6	11	10	8	12	12	11	15	11

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Consecutive seasons at Alabama
Gene Stallings	Head coach	7th
Woody McCorvey	Offensive coordinator	7th
Dabo Swinney	Wide receivers and Tight end coach	4th
Danny Pearman	Offensive tackles coach/Special teams coordinator	6th
Jim Fuller	Offensive line Coach	13th
Randy Ross	Quarterbacks coach/recruiting coordinator	7th
Ivy Williams	Running backs coach	3rd
Mike Dubose	Defensive coordinator/defensive line	7th
Curley Hallman	Secondary coach	1st
Jeff Rouzie	Linebackers coach	6th
Mickey Conn	Graduate assistant	1st
Reference:^[16]

Game summaries

Bowling Green

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	0	0	7	7
#13 Crimson Tide	7	7	7	0	21

Alabama wins its sixth straight season opener over newly Division 1 opponent Bowling Green.

Statistics	Bowling Green	Alabama
First downs	7	16
Total yards	177	316
Rushing yards	80	154
Passing yards	97	162
Turnovers	3	3
Time of possession	27:42	32:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Bowling Green	Passing	Bob Niemet	9–19, 59 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Courtney Davis	13 carries, 54 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jacque Rogers	4 receptions, 44 yards
Alabama	Passing	Freddie Kitchens	10–16, 156 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Curtis Alexander	6 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Michael Vaughn	5 receptions, 73 yards

Southern Miss

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Eagles	0	10	0	0	10
#14 Crimson Tide	10	7	3	0	20

Alabama would hold Southern Miss to 104 yards of offense to win for the sixth straight year over the Golden Eagles.

Statistics	Southern Miss	Alabama
First downs	8	20
Total yards	109	304
Rushing yards	11	115
Passing yards	98	189
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	19:37	40:21

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Southern Miss	Passing	Heath Graham	8–26, 98 yards, 2 INT's
	Rushing	Eric Booth	5 carries, 46 yards
	Receiving	Sherrod Gideon	2 receptions, 59 yards
Alabama	Passing	Freddie Kitchens	15–23, 180 yards, 2 TD's
	Rushing	Curtis Alexander	20 carries, 73 yards
	Receiving	Michael Vaughn	5 receptions, 70 yards

Vanderbilt

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	7	8	11	0	26
#13 Crimson Tide	3	12	21	0	36

In the first home game at Bryant-Denny Stadium for 1996, a shootout would unfold as the Crimson Tide would use a 21 point 3rd quarter to beat the Commodores.

Statistics	Vanderbilt	Alabama
First downs	11	23
Total yards	255	367
Rushing yards	116	160
Passing yards	139	207
Turnovers	5	3
Time of possession	23:47	36:13

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Vanderbilt	Passing	Damian Allen	11–21, 139 yards, 3 INT's
	Rushing	Bill Marinangel	1 carry, 81 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Billy Miller	1 reception, 38 yards
Alabama	Passing	Freddie Kitchens	16–27, 209 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT's
	Rushing	Curtis Alexander	19 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Marcell West	3 receptions, 43 yards, 1 TD

Arkansas

	1	2	3	4	Total
#13 Crimson Tide	0	7	0	10	17
Razorbacks	0	0	0	7	7

A defensive struggle goes the Crimson Tide way as they avenge their loss of a year ago to Arkansas.

Statistics	Alabama	Arkansas
First downs	14	13
Total yards	288	206
Rushing yards	105	130
Passing yards	183	76
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	33:08	26:52

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Alabama	Passing	Freddie Kitchens	14–28, 183 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Dennis Riddle	20 carries, 77 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Calvin Hall	3 receptions, 78 yards
Arkansas	Passing	Pete Burks	11–24, 76 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Oscar Malone Chrys Chukwuma	14 carries, 72 yards 9 carries, 72 yards
	Receiving	Anthony Eubanks	3 receptions, 37 yards, 1 TD

Kentucky

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	7	0	0	7
#13 Crimson Tide	7	0	28	0	35

Former Alabama coach Bill Curry returned to Tuscaloosa for the first time since leaving Alabama for Kentucky in 1989. Despite being heavy underdogs, Curry's Wildcats forced a 7-7 tie at halftime which brought a chorus of boos from the homecoming crowd. The Crimson Tide then would use a 28 point third quarter to beat Kentucky.

Statistics	Kentucky	Alabama
First downs	4	17
Total yards	124	358
Rushing yards	75	168
Passing yards	49	190
Turnovers	3	5
Time of possession	27:10	32:50

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Kentucky	Passing	Billy Jack Haskins	5–14, 49 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Billy Jack Haskins	15 carries, 54 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Craig Yeast	1 reception, 22 yards
Alabama	Passing	Freddie Kitchens	9–16, 152 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Shaun Alexander	9 carries, 54 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Calvin Hall	2 receptions, 52 yards

NC State

	1	2	3	4	Total
#8 Crimson Tide	7	0	7	10	24
Wolfpack	3	0	3	13	19

Despite giving up a season high 418 yards of offense, The Crimson Tide survived on the road to stay undefeated.

Statistics	Alabama	NC State
First downs	20	22
Total yards	353	418
Rushing yards	172	158
Passing yards	181	260
Turnovers	0	2
Time of possession	30:40	29:20

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Alabama	Passing	Freddie Kitchens	13–24, 181 yards
	Rushing	Dennis Riddle	33 carries, 154 yards, 3 TD's
	Receiving	Michael Vaughn	6 receptions, 102 yards
NC State	Passing	Jamie Barnette	14–25, 260 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Tremayne Stephens	22 carries, 105 yards
	Receiving	Chris Coleman	1 reception, 72 yards, 1 TD

Ole Miss

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rebels	0	0	0	0	0
#7 Crimson Tide	3	7	14	13	37

The Crimson Tide put its most complete game together to date in 1996 to roll to a shutout win of Ole Miss.

Statistics	Ole Miss	Alabama
First downs	9	28
Total yards	158	489
Rushing yards	26	273
Passing yards	132	216
Turnovers	0	3
Time of possession	25:53	34:07

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Ole Miss	Passing	Stewart Patridge	10–22, 132 yards
	Rushing	Tony Cannion	9 carries, 37 yards
	Receiving	Ta'Boris Fisher	4 receptions, 49 yards
Alabama	Passing	Freddie Kitchens	13–33, 216 yards, 2 TD's, 2 INT's
	Rushing	Dennis Riddle	31 carries, 140 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Michael Vaughn	3 receptions, 89 yards, 2 TD's

Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
#7 Crimson Tide	0	3	10	0	13
#6 Volunteers	0	0	6	14	20

Tennessee used 14 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to beat Alabama for the second year in a row and for the first time in Knoxville since 1984.

Statistics	Alabama	Tennessee
First downs	15	10
Total yards	326	296
Rushing yards	189	120
Passing yards	137	176
Turnovers	4	3
Time of possession	36:28	23:22

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Alabama	Passing	Freddie Kitchens	8–21, 137 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT's
	Rushing	Dennis Riddle	38 carries, 184 yards
	Receiving	Michael Vaughn	2 receptions, 65 yards
Tennessee	Passing	Peyton Manning	12–25, 176 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jay Graham	14 carries, 128 yards, 2 TD's
	Receiving	Joey Kent	6 receptions, 125 yards, 1 TD

LSU

	1	2	3	4	Total
#10 Crimson Tide	0	7	12	7	26
#11 Tigers	0	0	0	0	0

For the second time in three games, Alabama defense would shut out its opponent. The Crimson tide offense went through one man Redshirt Freshman Shaun Alexander rushed for a School record 291 yards and all four Alabama touchdowns.

Statistics	Alabama	LSU
First downs	19	9
Total yards	412	248
Rushing yards	351	52
Passing yards	61	196
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	35:58	24:02

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Alabama	Passing	Freddie Kitchens	6–18, 61 yards
	Rushing	Shaun Alexander	20 carries, 291 yards, 4 TD's
	Receiving	Michael Vaughn	1 reception, 19 yards
LSU	Passing	Bryan Sparacino	8–35, 133 yards, 2 INT's
	Rushing	Kevin Faulk	14 carries, 45 yards
	Receiving	Larry Foster	3 receptions, 56 yards

Mississippi State

	1	2	3	4	Total
#8 Crimson Tide	0	13	0	3	16
Bulldogs	7	7	0	3	17

For the first time since 1980, Alabama would lose to Mississippi State in one of the biggest upset of the Gene Stallings era.

Statistics	Alabama	Mississippi State
First downs	16	16
Total yards	334	309
Rushing yards	229	157
Passing yards	105	152
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	27:55	32:05

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Alabama	Passing	Freddie Kitchens	9–18, 93 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Shaun Alexander	15 carries, 106 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Calvin Hall	3 receptions, 27 yards
Mississippi State	Passing	Derrick Taite	8–20, 152 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Robert Isaac	21 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Reggie Kelly	1 reception, 69 yards

Auburn

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	3	17	3	0	23
#15 Crimson Tide	17	0	0	7	24

Alabama would pounce on Auburn early with 17 straight points to begin the game. Auburn would respond with 23 unanswered to lead by 6 late in the fourth quarter. Alabama would drive 74 yards to score on a 6-yard swing pass from Freddie Kitchens to Dennis Riddle to tie the game. Jon Brock extra point would give Alabama the one-point lead and eventual win to clinch the SEC West. After the game, Gene Stallings officially announced his retirement as Alabama head coach at the end of the season.

Statistics	Auburn	Alabama
First downs	13	21
Total yards	296	434
Rushing yards	116	142
Passing yards	180	292
Turnovers	2	5
Time of possession	28:35	31:25

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Auburn	Passing	Dameyune Craig	11–39, 180 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT's
	Rushing	Rusty Williams	17 carries, 89 yards
	Receiving	Karsten Bailey	5 receptions, 92 yards, 1 TD
Alabama	Passing	Freddie Kitchens	20–33, 292 yards, 3 TD's, 3 INT's
	Rushing	Dennis Riddle	21 carries, 131 yards
	Receiving	Curtis Alexander	1 reception, 63 yards, 1 TD

Florida

	1	2	3	4	Total
#11 Crimson Tide	7	7	14	2	30
#4 Gators	6	18	14	7	45

Alabama would be in its fourth SEC Championship game in five seasons and once again would face Florida, as they had the previous three meetings. The Gators would use nearly 500 yards of offense to win its fourth straight SEC title, a record that still holds to this day.

Statistics	Alabama	Florida
First downs	13	22
Total yards	296	470
Rushing yards	27	69
Passing yards	269	401
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	30:12	29:48

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Alabama	Passing	Freddie Kitchens	19–45, 264 yards, 3 TD's, 1 INT
	Rushing	Dennis Riddle	17 carries, 42 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Michael Vaughn	5 receptions, 142 yards, 2 TD's
Florida	Passing	Danny Wuerffel	20–35, 401 yards, 6 TD's, 2 INT's
	Rushing	Fred Taylor	23 carries, 83 yards
	Receiving	Reidel Anthony	11 receptions, 171 yards, 3 TD's

Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
#16 Crimson Tide	3	0	0	14	17
#15 Wolverines	0	6	0	8	14

Two 4th quarter touchdowns proved to be enough as Alabama would win its 10th game of the season and the 70th and final for Gene Stallings as head coach.

Statistics	Alabama	Michigan
First downs	13	22
Total yards	247	415
Rushing yards	182	124
Passing yards	65	291
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	25:28	34:32

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Alabama	Passing	Freddie Kitchens	9–18, 65 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Shaun Alexander	9 carries, 99 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Michael Vaughn	2 receptions, 27 yards
Michigan	Passing	Brian Griese	21–37, 287 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Clarence Williams	12 carries, 58 yards
	Receiving	Clarence Williams	5 receptions, 113 yards

References

^ "Tide prevails; Stallings retires: Auburn Bama both blow leads". The Atlanta Journal. November 24, 1996. pp. F1.
^ "Not pretty, but a 'W'". The Anniston Star. August 31, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "No offense: Alabama 20, USM 10". Hattiesburg American. September 8, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Vanderbilt chances go out with the Tide". The Tennessean. September 15, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "No repeat of nightmare". The Montgomery Advertiser. September 22, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "UK no mystery to Riddle as Alabama erupts 35–7". The Courier-Journal. October 6, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Pack can't turn the Tide". The News and Observer. October 13, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Alabama just too much". The Clarion-Ledger. October 20, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Two in a row? It's a miracle". The Tennessean. October 27, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Alabama blanks LSU". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. November 10, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "State stuns Bama!". The Clarion-Ledger. November 17, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Tide wins a classic". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 24, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "SECond chance Gators?". The Tampa Tribune. December 8, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Alabama's big plays leave U-M ruing missed chances, 17–14". Detroit Free Press. January 2, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "1996 Alabama football archives". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
^ 1997 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Media Guide, p. 2

[1] "Tide prevails; Stallings retires: Auburn Bama both blow leads". The Atlanta Journal. November 24, 1996. pp. F1.

[1996BowlingGreen1-2] "Not pretty, but a 'W'". The Anniston Star. August 31, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[1996SouthernMiss1-3] "No offense: Alabama 20, USM 10". Hattiesburg American. September 8, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[1996Vanderbilt1-4] "Vanderbilt chances go out with the Tide". The Tennessean. September 15, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[1996Arkansas1-5] "No repeat of nightmare". The Montgomery Advertiser. September 22, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[1996Kentucky1-6] "UK no mystery to Riddle as Alabama erupts 35–7". The Courier-Journal. October 6, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[1996NCState1-7] "Pack can't turn the Tide". The News and Observer. October 13, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[1996OleMiss1-8] "Alabama just too much". The Clarion-Ledger. October 20, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[1996Tennessee1-9] "Two in a row? It's a miracle". The Tennessean. October 27, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[1996LSU1-10] "Alabama blanks LSU". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. November 10, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[1996MissState1-11] "State stuns Bama!". The Clarion-Ledger. November 17, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[1996Auburn1-12] "Tide wins a classic". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 24, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[1996Florida1-13] "SECond chance Gators?". The Tampa Tribune. December 8, 1996. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[1996Michigan1-14] "Alabama's big plays leave U-M ruing missed chances, 17–14". Detroit Free Press. January 2, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[1996schedule-15] "1996 Alabama football archives". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved February 20, 2021.

[a2-16] 1997 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Media Guide, p. 2

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1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football
SEC Western Division co-champion Outback Bowl champion
SEC Championship Game, L 30–45 vs. Florida
Outback Bowl, W 17–14 vs. Michigan
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	Western Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 11
AP	No. 11
Record	10–3 (6–2 SEC)
Head coach	Gene Stallings (7th season)
Offensive coordinator	Woody McCorvey
Defensive coordinator	Mike Dubose
Home stadium	Bryant–Denny Stadium Legion Field
Seasons ← 1995 1997 →