1984 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

The 1984 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA", "Bama" or "The Tide") represented the University of Alabama in the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 90th overall and 51st season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Ray Perkins, in his second year, and played its home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Alabama finished the season with a record of five wins and six losses (5–6 overall, 2–4 in the SEC). This marked Alabama's first losing season since the Tide went 2–3–1 in 1957 under Jennings B. Whitworth, and ended its streak of 26 straight bowl appearances.^[1]

1984 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Record	5–6 (2–4 SEC)
Head coach	Ray Perkins (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	George Henshaw (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Ken Donahue (2nd as DC, 21st overall season)
Captains	Paul Ott Carruth Emanuel King
Home stadium	Bryant–Denny Stadium (Capacity: 60,210) Legion Field (Capacity: 75,808)
Seasons ← 1983 1985 →

1984 Southeastern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 3 Florida	5	–	0	–	1			9	–	1	–	1
No. 15 LSU $	4	–	1	–	1			8	–	3	–	1
No. 14 Auburn	4	–	2	–	0			9	–	4	–	0
Georgia	4	–	2	–	0			7	–	4	–	1
No. 19 Kentucky	3	–	3	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
Tennessee	3	–	3	–	0			7	–	4	–	1
Vanderbilt	2	–	4	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Alabama	2	–	4	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Ole Miss	1	–	5	–	0			4	–	6	–	1
Mississippi State	1	–	5	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
$ – Conference champion Florida was assessed a postseason ban following an NCAA investigation. LSU was credited with the conference championship for purposes of the Sugar Bowl automatic bid. Rankings from AP Poll

Some of the more notable contests of the season included a season-opening loss to Boston College (and their quarterback, Doug Flutie, who went on to win the 1984 Heisman Trophy), a third consecutive loss to Tennessee in which the Tide gave up a 14-point fourth quarter lead, and Alabama's first loss to Vanderbilt since 1969.^[2][3][4] and last until 2024. However, Alabama did upset Auburn 17–15 in the 1984 edition of the Iron Bowl, denying the Tigers a berth in the Sugar Bowl.^[5]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 8	7:00 p.m.	No. 18 Boston College*	No. 9	Legion Field Birmingham, AL	ABC	L 31–38	67,821	[6]
September 15	11:00 a.m.	at Georgia Tech*	No. 19	Grant Field Atlanta, GA (rivalry)	TBS	L 6–16	56,107	[7]
September 22	1:30 p.m.	Southwestern Louisiana*		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL		W 37–14	56,431	[8]
September 29	11:00 a.m.	Vanderbilt		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL	MTN	L 21–30	60,210	[9]
October 6	2:30 p.m.	No. 20 Georgia		Legion Field Birmingham, AL (rivalry)	ABC	L 14–24	75,608	[10]
October 13	1:30 p.m.	No. 11 Penn State*		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)		W 6–0	60,210	[11]
October 20	12:30 p.m.	at Tennessee		Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (Third Saturday in October)		L 27–28	95,422	[12]
November 3	1:30 p.m.	at Mississippi State		Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Jackson, MS (rivalry)		W 24–20	45,868	[13]
November 10	1:30 p.m.	No. 12 LSU		Legion Field Birmingham, AL (rivalry)		L 14–16	74,301	[14]
November 17	12:30 p.m.	at Cincinnati*		Riverfront Stadium Cincinnati, OH		W 29–7	27,482	[15]
December 1	11:30 a.m.	vs. No. 11 Auburn		Legion Field Birmingham, AL (Iron Bowl)	ABC	W 17–15	76,853	[16]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^[17]

References

General

• "1984 Game Recaps". 1985 Alabama Football Media Guide (PDF). Tuscaloosa, Alabama: UA Athletics Media Relations Office. 1985. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2012.

Specific

1. Mitchell, Billy (November 11, 1984). "Reality of a losing record stuns the Tide". The Tuscaloosa News. Google News. p. 1B. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
2. 1984 Game Recaps, Game No. 1
3. 1984 Game Recaps, Game No. 7
4. Mitchell, Billy (September 30, 1984). "Homecoming wrong time for Tide". The Tuscaloosa News. Google News. p. 1A. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
5. "Upsets do happen". Press-Register. AL.com. November 26, 2008. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
6. "BC's 'greatest comeback' swamps Alabama, 38–31". The Boston Globe. September 9, 1984. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Tech does it again to 'Bama". The Atlanta Journal. September 16, 1984. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Mistakes turn the Tide as Cajuns fall to 'Bama". The Daily Advertiser. September 23, 1984. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Dores slam on Bama". The Tennessean. September 30, 1984. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Georgia stings Bama 24–14". The Atlanta Constitution. October 7, 1984. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Pooped out, Bama hot weather wilt Penn State, 6–0". The Pittsburgh Press. October 14, 1984. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Vols ignite to edge past Alabama by 1". Johnson City Press-Chronicle. October 21, 1984. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "It's same old story for State". The Clarion-Ledger. November 4, 1984. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Bengals get ugly with Bama". The Shreveport Times. November 11, 1984. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Listless Tide strong enough to sink 'Cats". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 18, 1984. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Tide rises to the occasion". The Anniston Star. December 2, 1984. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
17. "1984 Alabama football archives". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved February 19, 2021.