2003 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

The 2003 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA", "Bama", or "The Tide") represented the University of Alabama in the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 69th as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and its 12th within the SEC Western Division. The team was led by head coach Mike Shula, in his first year, and played their home games at Legion Field in Birmingham and Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. They finished the season with a record of four wins and nine losses (4–9, 2–6 in the SEC).

2003 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	Western Division
Record	4–9 (2–6 SEC)
Head coach	Mike Shula (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	David Rader (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Joe Kines (3rd season)
Base defense	3–3–5
Home stadium	Bryant–Denny Stadium (capacity: 83,818) Legion Field (capacity: 83,091)
Seasons ← 2002 2004 →

2003 Southeastern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Division
No. 7 Georgia xy		6	–	2					11	–	3
No. 15 Tennessee x		6	–	2					10	–	3
No. 24 Florida x		6	–	2					8	–	5
South Carolina		2	–	6					5	–	7
Vanderbilt		1	–	7					2	–	10
Kentucky		1	–	7					4	–	8
Western Division
No. 2 LSU xy$#		7	–	1					13	–	1
No. 13 Ole Miss x		7	–	1					10	–	3
Auburn		5	–	3					8	–	5
Arkansas		4	–	4					9	–	4
Alabama		2	–	6					4	–	9
Mississippi State		1	–	7					2	–	10
Championship: LSU 34, Georgia 13
# – BCS National Champion $ – BCS representative as conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

At the conclusion of the 2002 season, Dennis Franchione resigned as head coach and took the same position with Texas A&M. After a two-week-long coaching search, Washington State head coach Mike Price was hired as Franchione's replacement. Price then signed the 2003 recruiting class and led the Crimson Tide through spring practice. However, he was fired in May 2003 due to detrimental conduct as an employee of the university. Less than a week later, Mike Shula was hired as head coach of the Crimson Tide.

Alabama opened the season with what turned out to be their final game ever played at Legion Field with a victory over South Florida. After a loss to No. 1 Oklahoma in the second week, the Crimson Tide entered the rankings at No. 21 after their victory over Kentucky. However, they dropped out the next week after being upset by Northern Illinois. They then lost to Arkansas and Georgia before they defeated Southern Miss on homecoming. Alabama then lost consecutive games to Ole Miss and then in five overtimes to Tennessee before they won at Mississippi State. The Crimson Tide then closed the season with losses to LSU, Auburn and Hawaii and finished with an overall record of 4–9.

Before the season

NCAA sanctions

The 2003 season was impacted by sanctions imposed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for violations that dated back as far as the late 1990s. On February 1, 2002, the NCAA imposed a two-year bowl ban, a reduction in athletic scholarships of 21 over a three-year period and five years of probation.^[1][2] The NCAA sanctioned the university after they found 11 major violations and five minor ones as part of their investigation that included boosters who provided players and coaches with improper benefits in violation of NCAA rules.^[1][2] On September 17, 2002, the NCAA rejected Alabama's appeal to reduce the severity of the sanctions.^[3] At that time, the NCAA stated they felt that the sanctions were appropriate and that it was only because of the cooperation of the university that the death penalty for the football program was not considered.^[3] As the appeal was denied, for the 2003 season Alabama saw a smaller recruiting class and was ineligible for both the 2003 SEC Championship Game and bowl games.^[3] The latter penalty would end up being meaningless due to the Tide going 4–9.

Franchione resignation

Late in the 2002 season, rumors were abound that head coach Dennis Franchione was going to resign from Alabama to take the head coaching position with Texas A&M.^[4][5] On December 2, 2002, A&M head coach R. C. Slocum was fired after he served 14 seasons in the position.^[6] Three days later, Franchione left Tuscaloosa and formally accepted the Aggies coaching vacancy on December 6.^[7][8]

Mike Price era

Immediately after the resignation of Franchione, athletic director Mal Moore started the search for his replacement. In the week of December 9, South Florida head coach Jim Leavitt was interviewed and then New Orleans Saints assistant coach Mike Riley was actually offered the Alabama coaching position, which he later declined.^[9] After Riley turned down the position, Moore considered several other candidates. Included in the search were head coaches Les Miles of Oklahoma State, Rich Rodriguez of West Virginia and Mike Price of Washington State.^[9][10] On December 17, Price was officially named as the new head coach for the Crimson Tide.^[11][12] Price did not fully assume his duties as head coach until January 4, after he coached Washington State in the 2003 Rose Bowl.^[13]

Coaching staff

In addition to completing the 2003 recruiting class, Price worked to assemble his staff in the weeks after he arrived in Tuscaloosa. Four of his assistants from Washington State came with Price to coach at Alabama: Chris Ball, Bob Connelly, Kasey Dunn and Aaron Price.^[14] The remainder of the staff was filled in the weeks that followed National Signing Day.

Name	Position	Alma Mater	Reference
Chris Ball	Secondary	Missouri Western (1986)	^[14]
Bob Connelly	Offensive line	Texas A&M–Commerce (1994)	^[14]
Kasey Dunn	Assistant head/running backs	Idaho (1992)	^[14]
Joe Kines	Defensive Coordinator	Jacksonville State (1967)	^[15]
Aaron Price	Special teams/quarterbacks	Washington State (1994)	^[14]
Eric Price	Offensive coordinator/wide receivers	Weber State (1990)	^[16]
Paul Randolph	Defensive ends	UT Martin (1990)	^[17]
Sparky Woods	Tight ends	Carson–Newman (1976)	^[18]
Buddy Wyatt	Defensive line	TCU (1989)	^[19]

Recruiting class

See also: American football positions, Glossary of American football, and Recruiting (college athletics)

As part of the NCAA imposed penalties related to the Albert Means recruiting scandal that dated back to 1999, Alabama had the total number of football scholarships it could award reduced by seven to 18 instead of the standard 25.^[20] As such, the 2003 class only had eighteen members, with most being from within the state of Alabama.^[21] With the departure of Franchione, the Alabama recruiting coordinator Randy Ross helped keep the class together during the transition period prior to the arrival of Price.^[21]

US college sports recruiting information for 2003 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40^‡	Commit date
Matt Caddell WR	McCalla, Alabama	McAdory High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.4	Nov 26, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Chris Capps OL	Fairburn, Georgia	Landmark Christian School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	270 lb (120 kg)	5.3	Feb 2, 2003
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Tim Castille RB	Birmingham, Alabama	Briarwood Christian School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	4.5	Aug 17, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
D. J. Chambers CB	Highland Home, Alabama	Highland Home High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.4	Feb 26, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Cliff Davis QB	Eupora, Mississippi	Eupora High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	4.8	Feb 5, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Chris Felder CB	Thomasville, Alabama	Thomasville High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	167 lb (76 kg)	4.5	Feb 26, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Eric Gray CB	Trinity, Alabama	West Morgan High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.45	Aug 16, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Terrence Jones LB	Northport, Alabama	Tuscaloosa County High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	199 lb (90 kg)	4.6	Feb 3, 2003
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Dominic Lee DT	Birmingham, Alabama	Huffman High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	295 lb (134 kg)	5.2	Oct 21, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Le'Ron McClain RB	Northport, Alabama	Tuscaloosa County High School	6 ft 0.5 in (1.84 m)	242 lb (110 kg)	4.59	Feb 3, 2003
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Justin Moon OL	Guntersville, Alabama	Guntersville High School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	295 lb (134 kg)	5.3	Feb 26, 2003
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Ernest Nance LB	Courtland, Alabama	Courtland High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	4.4
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Eric Packer RB	Camden, Alabama	Wilcox Central High School	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	178 lb (81 kg)	4.38	Feb 25, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Tyrone Prothro CB	Heflin, Alabama	Cleburne County High School	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	4.4	Jan 24, 2003
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
William Roach CB	Killen, Alabama	Brooks High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	4.6	Nov 20, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
DeMarcus Waldrop S	Pinson, Alabama	Pinson Valley High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.4	Jan 23, 2003
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Travis West OL	Laurel, Mississippi	Northeast Jones High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	275 lb (125 kg)	5.2	Jul 11, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 45   Rivals: 49  ESPN: NA
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Scout.com Football Recruiting: Alabama". Scout.com. Retrieved October 2, 2012. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved October 2, 2012. "2003 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 2, 2012.

Spring practice

The 2003 spring practices started on March 3, and concluded with the annual A-Day game on March 29.^[22] During the month of practice, offensively the team began the transition from Franchione's option offense to Price's passing attack.^[23] For the A-Day game, the Crimson team of offensive starters defeated the White team of defensive starters by a final score of 47–0 before 34,000 fans in Bryant–Denny Stadium.^[24] For their performances, Antwan Odom earned the Dwight Stephenson Lineman of the A-Day Game Award and Brodie Croyle earned the Dixie Howell Memorial Most Valuable Player of the A-Day Game Award.^[24]

Dismissal

On May 3, 2003, university president Robert Witt announced the firing of Price immediately as the head coach of the Crimson Tide.^[25][26] Although both the university and Price were in agreement in principle to his seven-year, $10 million contract, Price never signed it and thus was not awarded any severance pay with his dismissal.^[26] Later, a story in Sports Illustrated stated Price had been seen at a strip club "making it rain" and yelling "Roll Tide, Roll!".^[27] He allegedly later checked into a local hotel with at least one exotic dancer from the club, and the magazine further alleged Price had sex with one of the strippers, a claim which Price denied, although he acknowledged being intoxicated on the evening in question.^[27] He filed a $20 million libel and defamation suit against Sports Illustrated.^[27]

Mike Shula hiring

After the dismissal of Price, Alabama interviewed only three candidates to serve as his successor: Sylvester Croom, Richard Williamson and Mike Shula.^[28] On May 9, 2003, Alabama hired Mike Shula as their fourth head coach in four years.^[28][29]

Personnel

Staff changes

Alabama head coach Mike Shula entered his first year as the Crimson Tide's head coach for the 2003 season, and it was also his first all-time season as a head coach.^[28][29] After he was hired, Shula retained much of the coaching staff put in place by former head coach Mike Price; however, he did make several changes. On May 13, David Rader was hired to serve as both offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach as the replacement for both Aaron Price and Eric Price.^[30][31] On May 23, Dave Ungerer was hired to serve as special teams coach as the replacement for Aaron Price.^[30][32] The final coach added was Charlie Harbison as running backs coach as the replacement for Kasey Dunn.^[33][34]

Roster

2003 Alabama Crimson Tide football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class G 73 Dennis Alexander Sr QB 7 Brandon Avalos Fr RB 20 Justin Ballard So OT 70 Wesley Britt Jr WR 5 Brandon Brooks So WR 2 Antonio Carter Sr TE 92 David Cavan Jr QB 8 Teo Clark Fr TE 93 Donald Clarke Sr C 74 J. B. Closner So FB 49 Nathan Cox Jr QB 12 Brodie Croyle So RB 33 Kenneth Darby Fr WR 11 Dennis DuBois Jr WR 16 Derek DuBois Fr WR 16 Kendrick Eaton Fr OT 60 Von Ewing So WR 80 Zach Fletcher Sr WR 9 Will Fountain Sr WR 3 Dre Fulgham Sr WR 85 Tarry Givens Jr C 62 Cody Grammer Fr WR 81 Brandon Greer Sr TE 44 Ted Gryska Jr OT 75 Atlas Herrion Sr TE 94 Rusty Hill Fr WR 83 William Hold Fr RB 27 Ray Hudson Jr TE 88 Clint Johnston So C 69 Matt Lomax Sr RB 15 Nic Luke Fr WR 84 Triandos Luke Sr WR 1 Arturo McDowell Fr WR 82 Marcus McKnight Fr FB 31 Greg McLain So QB 17 Zach Golson Fr G 79 Danny Martz Jr OT 15 Evan Mathis Jr WR 4 Matt Miller So QB 13 Spencer Pennington So WR 86 Matt Ragland So G 63 Mark Sanders So G 78 Justin Smiley Jr RB 38 Josh Smith Jr WR 36 David Steakley Fr WR 39 Lance Taylor Sr RB 21 Shaud Williams Sr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DT 79 J. P. Adams Fr DT 79 Mark Anderson Fr SS 10 Carlos Andrews Sr SS 15 Sammy Autrey Fr DE 19 Josh Averett Jr CB 18 Danny Barger Fr DE 94 Adam Bass So DE 56 Todd Bates Jr LB 23 Kyle Bennett Fr DT 86 John Paul Bevel Sr DT 52 Taylor Britt Fr DE 93 Jonathan Brunson Jr DT 97 Anthony Bryant Sr DT 95 Ahmad Childress Jr WR 99 Jeremy Clark Fr LB 18 Brooks Daniels Sr LB 53 Brandon Dean Jr DE 89 Kyle Dyer So LB 49 P. J. Fletcher Jr LB 42 Juwan Garth Fr LB 51 King Gladney So DT 77 Gerritt Gordon Jr SS 21 Matt Grice Jr DE 39 Will Hardy So FS 41 Roman Harper So DE 91 Chris Harris Fr FS 29 Corey Harris Fr CB 34 Charles Hosea Jr FS 32 Chris James Jr FS 41 Shawn Johnson Fr FS 20 Charles Jones Sr FS 5 Danny Jordan Jr SS 14 Bryan Kilpatrick Fr LB 45 Juke King So LB 46 Allen Long Fr CB 19 Roberto McBride Sr DE 90 Nautyn McKay-Loescher Sr LB 50 Matt McMullin So CB 9 Anthony Madison Jr DE 98 Antwan Odom Jr DB 2 Darrell Owens So FS 38 Corbin Pardue So CB 26 Charlie Peprah So LB 6 Derrick Pope Sr LB 8 Freddie Roach So CB 17 Ramzee Robinson Fr CB 22 Ben Rose Jr LB 35 DeMeco Ryans So CB 23 David Scott Sr LB 57 David Simmons Jr CB 25 Walter Smith Fr DT 85 Kyle Tatum Fr SS 40 Josh Taylor Fr CB 1 Thurman Ward Jr CB 3 Ryan Wilbanks Fr DE 48 Leslie Williams Sr LB 16 Cornelius Wortham Sr LB 37 William Yates Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class P 12 Jeff Aul Fr P 44 Joey Bearden Fr PK 22 Brian Bostick Jr PK 3 Alex Fox Jr P 13 Bo Freeland Jr PK 8 Gabe Giardina Sr LS 53 Mitch Grissett Jr PK 46 Mike McLaughlin So LS 50 Nick Ridings Sr PK 43 Kyle Robinson Sr P 15 Jeremy Schatz So LS 67 David Sears So PK 28 Tyler Straate Fr	Head coach Mike Shula Coordinators/assistant coaches Chris Ball (Secondary) Bob Connelly (offensive line) Charlie Harbison (wide receivers) Joe Kines (defensive coordinator) David Rader (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks) Paul Randolph (defensive ends) Dave Ungerer (Tight ends/special teams) Sparky Woods (running backs) Buddy Wyatt (defensive line) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible   Injured   Redshirt Roster Last update: December 8, 2012

Schedule

The 2003 schedule was anomalous for a variety of reasons. With a two-year bowl ban imposed by the NCAA in 2002 through 2004, Alabama added a thirteenth game against Hawaii in Honolulu to the 2002 and 2003 schedules that the university would hope to serve as an effective replacement for a bowl game. The 2003 season marked just the fifth time since 1947 that the Iron Bowl was not Alabama's final regular season game (2002 at Hawaii; 2001 Southern Miss; 1988 at Texas A&M; 1963 at Miami). Also beginning in 2003, the SEC altered its scheduling methodology—permanent cross-division opponents were reduced from two to one (i.e. instead of Alabama playing Tennessee and Vanderbilt annually, the Tide would only face Tennessee every year while the Commodores would rotate onto Alabama's schedule along with the rest of the SEC Eastern teams). This change resulted in Alabama not playing Vanderbilt for the first time since 1952. Finally, the Crimson Tide played their final home game at Legion Field, which had hosted many Alabama games over the previous century (including the entire 1987 home schedule).

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 30	2:00 p.m.	South Florida*		Legion Field Birmingham, AL	ESPN	W 40–17	76,780
September 6	6:45 p.m.	No. 1 Oklahoma*		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (College GameDay)	ESPN	L 13–20	83,818
September 13	6:45 p.m.	Kentucky		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL	ESPN	W 27–17	83,818
September 20	6:00 p.m.	Northern Illinois*	No. 21	Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL	PPV	L 16–19	83,818
September 27	2:30 p.m.	No. 9 Arkansas		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL	CBS	L 31–34 ^2OT	83,818
October 4	2:30 p.m.	at No. 11 Georgia		Sanford Stadium Athens, GA (rivalry)	CBS	L 23–37	92,058
October 11	2:30 p.m.	Southern Miss*		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)	PPV	W 17–3	83,818
October 18	11:30 a.m.	at Ole Miss		Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS (rivalry)	JPS	L 28–43	60,825
October 25	2:30 p.m.	No. 22 Tennessee		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (Third Saturday in October)	CBS	L 43–51 ^5OT	83,818
November 8	11:30 a.m.	at Mississippi State		Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS (rivalry)	JPS	W 38–0	48,242
November 15	6:45 p.m.	No. 3 LSU		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)	ESPN	L 3–27	83,818
November 22	6:45 p.m.	at Auburn		Jordan-Hare Stadium Auburn, AL (Iron Bowl)	ESPN	L 23–28	86,063
November 29	6:45 p.m.	at Hawaii*		Aloha Stadium Halawa, HI	ESPN	L 29–37	43,477
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^[35]

Game summaries

South Florida

See also: 2003 South Florida Bulls football team

1 2 3 4 Total South Florida 7 10 0 0 17 • Alabama 7 10 16 7 40 Location: Birmingham, Alabama Game start: 2:08 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:27 Game attendance: 76,780 Game weather: 89°, partly cloudy, winds variable @ 5 mph Referee: Rocky Goode Television network: ESPN Source:^[36]

Scoring summary 1 8:12 South Florida Brian Fisher 13-yard pass from Ronnie Banks (Santiago Gramática kick) South Florida 7–0 1 5:27 Alabama Charlie Peprah 51-yard interception return (Brian Bostick kick) 7–7 2 11:01 South Florida Brian Fisher 17-yard run (Santiago Gramática kick) South Florida 14–7 2 1:32 South Florida Santiago Gramática 45-yard field goal South Florida 17–7 2 0:26 Alabama Triandos Luke 10-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brian Bostick kick) South Florida 17–14 2 0:00 Alabama Brian Bostick 40-yard field goal 17–17 3 11:07 Alabama Brian Bostick 25-yard field goal Alabama 20–17 3 9:51 Alabama Shaud Williams 73-yard punt return (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 27–17 3 3:01 Alabama Shaud Williams 3-yard run (Brian Bostick kick blocked) Alabama 33–17 4 7:19 Alabama Shaud Williams 1-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 40–17

In 2000, the NCAA voted to allow its member schools to schedule a 12th game for both the 2002 and 2003 seasons.^[37] As such, in June 2000 Alabama scheduled the South Florida Bulls to open the 2003 season in the first all-time meeting between the schools.^[37] In what was the first game of the Mike Shula era, Shaud Williams scored three touchdowns in this 40–17 victory at Legion Field.^[38][39] After each team traded punts to open the game, the Bulls took an early 7–0 lead when Ronnie Banks threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Brian Fisher.^[39][40] The Crimson Tide tied the game at 7–7 later in the first quarter after Charlie Peprah intercepted a Banks pass and returned it 51-yards for the touchdown.^[36][39] South Florida responded in the second quarter and took a 17–7 lead on a 17-yard Brian Fisher touchdown run and 45-yard Santiago Gramática field goal.^[36][39] Alabama then tied the game 17–17 at halftime after they scored ten points in the final 0:26 of the half. After Brodie Croyle threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Triandos Luke, the Bulls' J. R. Reed fumbled the kickoff that ensued and gave the Crimson Tide possession at the USF 24-yard line.^[39][40] Three plays later the score was tied after Brian Bostick connected on a 40-yard field goal as time expired.^[36][39]

Alabama took their first lead of the game after they scored on a 25-yard Brian Bostick field goal early in the third quarter.^[36][39] After the Crimson Tide defense held the Bulls to a three-and-out on their first second half possession, Shaud Williams returned a punt 73-yards for a touchdown and a 27–17 lead.^[39][40] Williams then scored his second touchdown on Alabama's next offensive possession with his three-yard run, and after a blocked extra point led 33–17.^[39][40] After Gramática missed a 19-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, the Crimson Tide went on a 15-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in Williams' third touchdown of the game on a one-yard run and made the final score 40–17.^[39][40] For his 98-yards rushing and two touchdowns, Williams was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week.^[41]

This game is also notable for being the final home game played by the Crimson Tide at Legion Field. Although Alabama was scheduled to play Middle Tennessee at Legion to open the 2005 season and was under contract to play one final game in either the 2007 or 2008 seasons, in August 2004 the eastern upper deck at the stadium was declared structurally unsound and unsafe to use.^[42][43] As such, on August 19, 2004, Alabama and Birmingham officials canceled their contract to play the final two games at Legion Field and thus made the game against the Bulls the final for the Crimson Tide in Birmingham.^[44]

Statistics	South Florida	Alabama
First downs	12	24
Total yards	256	391
Rushing yards	51	188
Passing yards	205	203
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	22:52	37:08

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Florida	Passing	Ronnie Banks	17–33, 199 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Vince Brewer	9 carries, 28 yards
	Receiving	Huey Whittaker Casey Cobbs	5 receptions, 53 yards 2 receptions, 53 yards
Alabama	Passing	Brodie Croyle	14–27, 203 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Shaud Williams	28 carries, 98 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Zach Fletcher	3 receptions, 79 yards

Oklahoma

See also: 2003 Oklahoma Sooners football team

1 2 3 4 Total • #1 Oklahoma 6 7 7 0 20 Alabama 0 3 7 3 13 Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Game start: 6:47 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:27 Game attendance: 83,818 Game weather: 79°, cloudy, winds SE @ 7 mph Referee: Tom Ahlers Television network: ESPN Source:^[45]

Scoring summary 1 12:22 Oklahoma Trey DiCarlo 34-yard field goal Oklahoma 3–0 1 7:10 Oklahoma Trey DiCarlo 40-yard field goal Oklahoma 6–0 2 4:55 Alabama Brian Bostick 44-yard field goal Oklahoma 6–3 2 3:54 Oklahoma Mark Clayton 46-yard pass from Jason White (Trey DiCarlo kick) Oklahoma 13–3 3 6:53 Alabama Triandos Luke 20-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brian Bostick kick) Oklahoma 13–10 3 4:31 Oklahoma Brandon Jones 47-yard pass from Jason White (Trey DiCarlo kick) Oklahoma 20–10 4 1:32 Alabama Brian Bostick 36-yard field goal Oklahoma 20–13

In what was the first game ever played by Oklahoma in the state of Alabama, the Crimson Tide nearly upset the No. 1 ranked Sooners only to lose 20–13 at Bryant–Denny Stadium.^[45][46] Oklahoma took a 6–0 first quarter lead after Trey DiCarlo connected on field goals of 34 and 40 yards.^[39][45] Midway through the second quarter, the Crimson Tide cut the Sooners' lead in half to 6–3 on a 44-yard Brian Bostick field goal.^[39][45] However, Oklahoma responded on their next possession when Jason White threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Mark Clayton and gave the Sooners a 13–3 halftime lead.^[39][45]

After DiCarlo missed a 31-yard field goal late in the third quarter, the Crimson Tide scored their only touchdown of the game on the drive that ensued on a 20-yard Brodie Croyle pass to Triandos Luke and made the score 13–10.^[39][45] Oklahoma responded almost immediately on the next drive with a 47-yard White touchdown pass to Brandon Jones and extended their lead back to ten points at 20–10.^[39][45] The final points of the game came late in the fourth quarter on a 36-yard Bostick field goal that made the final score 20–13.^[39][45] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Sooners to 1–2–1.^[47]

Statistics	Oklahoma	Alabama
First downs	13	19
Total yards	355	303
Rushing yards	74	108
Passing yards	281	195
Turnovers	0	2
Time of possession	30:30	29:30

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Oklahoma	Passing	Jason White	21–35, 259 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Kejuan Jones	20 carries, 63 yards
	Receiving	Brandon Jones	7 receptions, 86 yards, 1 TD
Alabama	Passing	Brodie Croyle	24–42, 195 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Shaud Williams	17 carries, 91 yards
	Receiving	Dre Fulgham	4 receptions, 59 yards

Kentucky

See also: 2003 Kentucky Wildcats football team

1 2 3 4 Total Kentucky 0 7 3 7 17 • Alabama 7 3 3 14 27 Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Game start: 6:47 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:19 Game attendance: 83,818 Game weather: 77°, winds W @ 9 mph Referee: Thomas Ritter Television network: ESPN Source:^[48]

Scoring summary 1 3:52 Alabama Shaud Williams 15-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 7–0 2 10:13 Alabama Brian Bostick 43-yard field goal Alabama 10–0 2 6:33 Kentucky Draak Davis 1-yard run (Taylor Begley kick) Alabama 10–7 3 7:59 Alabama Brian Bostick 30-yard field goal Alabama 13–7 3 2:22 Kentucky Taylor Begley 27-yard field goal Alabama 13–10 4 14:56 Alabama Shaud Williams 2-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 20–10 4 5:11 Alabama Shaud Williams 7-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 27–10 4 4:03 Kentucky Derek Abney 24-yard pass from Jared Lorenzen (Taylor Begley kick) Alabama 27–17

To open conference play for the 2003 season, Alabama hosted the Kentucky Wildcats and behind Shaud Williams' second three touchdown game of the season won 27–17.^[48][49][50] After Brian Bostick missed a 27-yard field goal on the opening possession of the game, several punts were traded before Williams scored his first touchdown on a 15-yard run to give Alabama a 7–0 first quarter lead.^[50][51] After a 43-yard Bostick field goal extended the Alabama lead to 10–0 early in the second quarter, the Wildcats made the halftime score 10–7 after Draak Davis scored on a one-yard touchdown run.^[48][49] Alabama threatened to score a touchdown just before halftime, but the Brodie Croyle pass was intercepted in the endzone by Chad Anderson for a touchback.^[51]

In the third quarter Bostick scored on a 30-yard field goal and Taylor Begley scored on a 27-yard field goal for the Wildcats that made the score 13–10 as the teams entered the fourth quarter.^[48][49] On the first play of the fourth, Williams scored his second touchdown of the game on a two-yard run for a 20–10 Crimson Tide lead.^[49][50] Begley missed a 49-yard field goal later in the quarter, and on the Alabama drive that ensued, Williams scored his third touchdown of the game on a seven-yard run and made the score 27–10.^[49][50] Kentucky then made the final score 27–17 when Jared Lorenzen threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Derek Abney late in the fourth quarter.^[48][49] For his 174-yards rushing and three touchdowns, Williams was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time of the season.^[52] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Wildcats to 32–2–1.^[53]

Statistics	Kentucky	Alabama
First downs	11	29
Total yards	195	464
Rushing yards	26	266
Passing yards	169	198
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	23:34	36:26

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Kentucky	Passing	Jared Lorenzen	15–24, 169 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Draak Davis	10 carries, 28 yards
	Receiving	Derek Abney	5 receptions, 64 yards, 1 TD
Alabama	Passing	Brodie Croyle	14–27, 198 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Shaud Williams	30 carries, 174 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Triandos Luke	3 receptions, 50 yards

Northern Illinois

See also: 2003 Northern Illinois Huskies football team

1 2 3 4 Total • Northern Illinois 2 3 7 7 19 #21 Alabama 6 3 0 7 16 Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Game start: 6:05 p.m. Elapsed time: 2:44 Game attendance: 83,818 Game weather: 84°, overcast, winds NW @ 5 mph Referee: Doyle Jackson Television network: PPV Source:^[54]

Scoring summary 1 2:57 Alabama Zach Fletcher 28-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brian Bostick kick blocked) Alabama 6–0 1 2:57 Northern Illinois Kevin Woods PAT return Alabama 6–2 2 10:04 Northern Illinois Steve Azar 51-yard field goal Alabama 6–5 2 6:11 Alabama Brian Bostick 35-yard field goal Alabama 9–5 3 6:05 Northern Illinois Shatone Powers 12-yard pass from Josh Haldi (Steve Azar kick) Northern Illinois 12–9 4 7:28 Northern Illinois Dan Sheldon 48-yard pass from Josh Haldi (Steve Azar kick) Northern Illinois 19–9 4 5:36 Alabama Shaud Williams 54-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Northern Illinois 19–16

Although the No. 21 Crimson Tide were two touchdown favorites over Northern Illinois, they were upset 19–16 in what was the first all-time win over a SEC team for the Huskies.^[54][55] Late in the first quarter, Alabama scored a touchdown on a 28-yard Brodie Croyle pass to Zach Fletcher. However, the extra point was blocked by Jason Frank and returned by Kevin Woods for a defensive two-point conversion and a 6–2 Crimson Tide lead.^[55][56] In the second quarter, the Huskies scored on a 51-yard Steve Azar field goal before Brian Bostick kicked a field goal from 35 yards out and made the halftime score 9–5.^[54][55]

Northern then took a 12–9 lead midway through the third quarter when Josh Haldi threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Shatone Powers.^[54][55] After a series of punts, midway through the fourth quarter, Haldi threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Dan Sheldon and extended the Huskies' lead to 19–9.^[54][55] Alabama responded on their next possession with a 54-yard Shaud Williams touchdown run that made the score 19–16.^[54][55] However this proved to be the final points of the game in their defeat.

Statistics	Northern Illinois	Alabama
First downs	16	15
Total yards	267	394
Rushing yards	118	118
Passing yards	149	276
Turnovers	0	0
Time of possession	30:21	29:39

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northern Illinois	Passing	Josh Haldi	16–24, 149 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Michael Turner	27 carries, 156 yards
	Receiving	Dan Sheldon	2 receptions, 49 yards, 1 TD
Alabama	Passing	Brodie Croyle	22–39, 276 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Shaud Williams	13 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Dre Fulgham	3 receptions, 72 yards

Arkansas

See also: 2003 Arkansas Razorbacks football team

1 2 3 4 OT 2OT Total • #9 Arkansas 7 3 7 14 0 3 34 Alabama 7 3 21 0 0 0 31 Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Game start: 3:37 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:42 Game attendance: 83,818 Game weather: 72°, thunderstorms, winds SW @ 9 mph Referee: Penn Wagers Television network: CBS Source:^[57]

Scoring summary 1 12:08 Arkansas Matt Jones 39-yard run (David Carlton kick) Arkansas 7–0 1 2:57 Alabama Triandos Luke 16-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brian Bostick kick) 7–7 2 1:52 Arkansas Chris Balseiro 38-yard field goal Arkansas 10–7 2 0:00 Alabama Brian Bostick 48-yard field goal 10–10 3 13:28 Alabama Dre Fulgham 71-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 17–10 3 11:50 Alabama Dre Fulgham 12-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 24–10 3 7:21 Alabama Shaud Williams 80-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 31–10 3 2:03 Arkansas Cedric Cobbs 5-yard run (Chris Balseiro kick) Alabama 31–17 4 8:31 Arkansas Mark Pierce 2-yard run (Chris Balseiro kick) Alabama 31–24 4 0:27 Arkansas Richard Smith 3-yard pass from Matt Jones (Chris Balseiro kick) 31–31 OT2 0:00 Arkansas Chris Balseiro 19-yard field goal Arkansas 34–31

Although the Crimson Tide led Arkansas by three touchdowns late in the third quarter, the Razorbacks rallied to tie the game at the end of regulation and win on a field goal in the second overtime period by a final score of 34–31.^[58][59] Arkansas took an early 7–0 lead after Matt Jones scored a touchdown on a 39-yard run on the opening drive of the game.^[57][59] After David Carlton missed a 32-yard field goal on their second possession, Alabama tied the game on the drive that ensued when Brodie Croyle threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Triandos Luke.^[58][60] After Carlton missed his second field goal of the game early in the second quarter, Chris Balseiro gave the Razorbacks a 10–7 lead on their next possession with his 38-yard field goal.^[60] The Crimson Tide responded on their next possession with a 48-yard Brian Bostick field goal as time expired to tie the game 10–10 at halftime.^[57][58]

Alabama opened the third quarter with a 71-yard Croyle touchdown pass to Dre Fulgham for a 17–10 lead.^[57][59] On their first offensive play of the second half, Jones threw an interception to Anthony Madison that was returned to the Arkansas 23-yard line.^[60] Three plays later the Crimson Tide led 24–10 when Croyle connected with Fulgham on a 12-yard touchdown pass.^[57][58] Alabama then scored their third consecutive touchdown on their next possession on an 80-yard Shaud Williams touchdown run for a 31–10 lead.^[57][59] Arkansas then responded with three straight touchdowns of their own to tie the game at the end of regulation. The first came late in the third quarter on a five-yard Cedric Cobbs touchdown run and the final pair came in the fourth quarter on a two-yard Mark Pierce run and a three-yard Richard Smith reception from Jones.^[57][58]

In the first overtime period, Charles Jones intercepted a Jones pass to keep Arkansas scoreless. However, Alabama also failed to convert a 36-yard Bostick field goal to send the game into a second overtime.^[60] On the first play of the second overtime, Croyle was intercepted by Jimarr Gallon to again keep Alabama scoreless. Seven plays into their possession, Arkansas connected on a 19-yard Balseiro field goal and won the game 34–31.^[57][58][59] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Razorbacks 8–6 (9–5 without an NCAA forfeit).^[61]

Statistics	Arkansas	Alabama
First downs	28	17
Total yards	491	384
Rushing yards	289	158
Passing yards	202	226
Turnovers	4	2
Time of possession	36:34	23:16

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Arkansas	Passing	Matt Jones	10–17, 123 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Cedric Cobbs	36 carries, 198 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Steven Harris	4 receptions, 55 yards
Alabama	Passing	Brodie Croyle	12–25, 204 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Shaud Williams	19 carries, 135 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Dre Fulgham	2 receptions, 83 yards, 2 TD

Georgia

See also: 2003 Georgia Bulldogs football team

1 2 3 4 Total Alabama 3 7 6 7 23 • #11 Georgia 6 31 0 0 37 Location: Athens, Georgia Game start: 2:34 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:42 Game attendance: 92,058 Game weather: 72°, fair, winds SW @ 10 mph Referee: Terry Brown Television network: CBS Source:^[62]

Scoring summary 1 12:45 Alabama Brian Bostick 42-yard field goal Alabama 3–0 1 6:44 Georgia Billy Bennett 27-yard field goal 3–3 1 2:36 Georgia Billy Bennett 44-yard field goal Georgia 6–3 2 13:38 Georgia Billy Bennett 52-yard field goal Georgia 9–3 2 12:32 Georgia Thomas Davis 7-yard blocked punt return (Billy Bennett kick) Georgia 16–3 2 7:55 Georgia Jamario Smith 10-yard pass from D. J. Shockley (Billy Bennett kick) Georgia 23–3 2 6:54 Georgia Kregg Lumpkin 1-yard run (Billy Bennett kick) Georgia 30–3 2 3:51 Alabama Dre Fulgham 18-yard pass from Spencer Pennington (Brian Bostick kick) Georgia 30–10 2 0:30 Georgia Benjamin Watson 3-yard pass from David Greene (Billy Bennett kick) Georgia 37–10 3 1:06 Alabama Charles Jones 30-yard interception return (Brian Bostick kick failed) Georgia 37–16 4 14:05 Alabama Juwan Garth 10-yard fumble return (Brian Bostick kick) Georgia 37–23

In what was their first road game of the season, Alabama traveled to Athens where the Georgia Bulldogs scored 31 points in the second quarter en route to a 37–23 victory.^[62][63][64] After the Crimson Tide took an early 3–0 lead on a 42-yard Brian Bostick field goal, Georgia responded with a trio of Billy Bennett field goals from 27, 44 and 52-yards to take a 9–3 lead early in the second quarter.^[62][64] Georgia then extended their lead to 37–10 by halftime with four second-quarter touchdowns.

The Bulldogs scored first when Jarrett Berry blocked a Bo Freelend punt that was returned seven-yards by Thomas Davis for a touchdown.^[63][64] The Georgia defense then held the Crimson Tide and forced a change of possession on downs to give the Bulldogs the ball at the Alabama 44-yard line.^[65] Five plays later, D. J. Shockley threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jamario Smith for a 23–3 lead.^[63][64] After Ramzee Robinson fumbled the kickoff that ensued, Georgia took possession and four plays later led 30–3 when Kregg Lumpkin scored on a one-yard run.^[63][65] On their next possession, Alabama managed to score their first touchdown on an 18-yard Spencer Pennington pas to Dre Fulgham that made the score 30–10.^[63][64] The Crimson Tide defense did get a stop on their next possession to force a Georgia punt; however, on the first offensive play for Alabama, Pennington fumbled to give the Bulldogs possession at their 29-yard line.^[65] With only 0:30 left in the quarter, Georgia made the halftime score 37–10 when David Greene threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Benjamin Watson.^[63][64]

Although the Alabama defense held Georgia scoreless in the second half, so did the Georgia defense and the only second half points came on a pair of defensive touchdowns for the Crimson Tide. In the third quarter, Charles Jones intercepted a Greene pass and returned it 30-yards for a touchdown, and early in the fourth Juwan Garth recovered a fumble and returned it 10-yards to make the final score 37–23.^[63][64] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Bulldogs 35–24–4.^[66]

Statistics	Alabama	Georgia
First downs	12	21
Total yards	209	370
Rushing yards	94	96
Passing yards	115	274
Turnovers	3	3
Time of possession	25:27	34:33

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Alabama	Passing	Spencer Pennington	9–20, 109 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Shaud Williams	15 carries, 58 yards
	Receiving	Dre Fulgham	4 receptions, 41 yards, 1 TD
Georgia	Passing	David Greene	21–38, 252 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Kregg Lumpkin	14 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Damien Gary	6 receptions, 74 yards

Southern Miss

See also: 2003 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team

1 2 3 4 Total Southern Miss 0 3 0 0 3 • Alabama 7 3 0 7 17 Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Game start: 2:05 p.m. Elapsed time: 2:36 Game attendance: 83,818 Game weather: 79°, partly cloudy, winds E @ 6 mph Referee: Rocky Goode Television network: PPV Source:^[67]

Scoring summary 1 2:01 Alabama Shaud Williams 44-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 7–0 2 2:56 Alabama Brian Bostick 23-yard field goal Alabama 10–0 2 0:00 Southern Miss Darren McCaleb 27-yard field goal Alabama 10–3 4 8:37 Alabama Shaud Williams 1-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 17–3

 

Alabama one play prior to their fourth-quarter touchdown run by Shaud Williams.

On homecoming in Tuscaloosa, Alabama defeated the Southern Miss Golden Eagles 17–3 in what was the first all-time start for quarterback Brandon Avalos.^[67][68][69] The Crimson Tide took a 7–0 first quarter lead when Shaud Williams scored on a 44-yard touchdown run.^[68][69] After a series of punts, late in the second quarter, Alabama connected on a 23-yard Brian Bostick field goal and Southern Miss on a 27-yard Darren McCaleb field goal that made the halftime score 10–3.^[68][69]

After a scoreless third quarter, Bostick missed a 36-yard field goal before Chris James blocked a Luke Johnson punt that gave the Crimson Tide possession at the Golden Eagles' one-yard line.^[70] On the next play, Williams made the score 17–3 with his one-yard touchdown run.^[68][69] The game concluded with a pair of lost fumbles by Southern Miss and an Avalos interception with a final score of 17–3.^[70] In the game, Williams rushed for 170 yards on 28 carries and was responsible for both of Alabama's touchdowns in the game.^[68] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Golden Eagles to 32–6–2 (33–5–2 without an NCAA forfeit).^[71]

Statistics	Southern Miss	Alabama
First downs	16	12
Total yards	261	255
Rushing yards	17	243
Passing yards	244	12
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	29:20	30:40

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Southern Miss	Passing	Dustin Almond	16–28, 196 yards
	Rushing	Tim Blackwell	14 carries, 15 yards
	Receiving	Antwon Courington	9 receptions, 98 yards
Alabama	Passing	Brandon Avalos	3–7, 12 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Shaud Williams	28 carries, 170 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Zach Fletcher	1 reception, 9 yards

Ole Miss

See also: 2003 Ole Miss Rebels football team

1 2 3 4 Total Alabama 0 10 6 12 28 • Ole Miss 24 7 7 5 43 Location: Oxford, Mississippi Game start: 11:30 a.m. Elapsed time: 3:16 Game attendance: 60,825 Game weather: 61°, sunny, winds NE @ 4 mph Referee: Thomas Ritter Television network: JPS Source:^[72]

Scoring summary 1 11:22 Ole Miss Jonathan Nichols 51-yard field goal Ole Miss 3–0 1 10:23 Ole Miss Taye Biddle 23-yard pass from Eli Manning (Jonathan Nichols kick) Ole Miss 10–0 1 4:40 Ole Miss Taye Biddle 55-yard pass from Eli Manning (Jonathan Nichols kick) Ole Miss 17–0 1 0:11 Ole Miss Brandon Jacobs 10-yard run (Jonathan Nichols kick) Ole Miss 24–0 2 10:52 Alabama Shaud Williams 3-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Ole Miss 24–7 2 4:40 Alabama Brian Bostick 32-yard field goal Ole Miss 24–10 2 1:39 Ole Miss Kerry Johnson 41-yard pass from Eli Manning (Jonathan Nichols kick) Ole Miss 31–10 3 8:55 Ole Miss Eli Manning 3-yard run (Jonathan Nichols kick) Ole Miss 38–10 3 8:55 Alabama Chris James 32-yard blocked punt return (Brian Bostick kick blocked) Ole Miss 38–16 4 12:52 Ole Miss Jonathan Nichols 19-yard field goal Ole Miss 41–16 4 4:47 Alabama Ray Hudson 22-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brodie Croyle pass failed) Ole Miss 41–22 4 2:33 Alabama Shaud Williams 5-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brodie Croyle pass failed) Ole Miss 41–28 4 1:19 Ole Miss Team safety Ole Miss 43–28

In their annual rivalry game against Ole Miss, the Rebels took a 24–0 first quarter lead that they did not relinquish in their 43–28 victory at Oxford.^[72][73][74] The Rebels took a 3–0 lead early in the first after Jonathan Nichols connected on a 52-yard field goal.^[72][74] On Alabama's first offensive series, Brodie Croyle threw an interception to Travis Johnson that gave the Rebels possession at their 23-yard line.^[75] On the next play, Ole Miss took a 10–0 lead after Eli Manning threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Taye Biddle.^[73][74] The Ole Miss defense then forced a punt, and Manning followed with a 55-yard touchdown pass to extend their lead to 17–0.^[73][74] The Rebels then closed the first quarter with a 10-yard Brandon Jacobs touchdown run that made the score 24–0.^[73][74]

The Crimson Tide cut into the Ole Miss lead and made the score 24–10 after they scored on their first two possessions of the second quarter. Shaud Williams scored first on a three-yard touchdown run followed by a 32-yard Brian Bostick field goal.^[73][74] The Rebels responded later in the quarter when Manning threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Kerry Johnson 41-yard pass that made the halftime score 31–10.^[73][74]

The Ole Miss defense held the Crimson Tide to a three-and-out to open the second half, and the offense extended their lead to 38–10 after Manning scored on a three-yard touchdown run.^[74][75] Later in the quarter, Chris James blocked a Cody Ridgeway punt and returned it 32-yards for a touchdown that made the score 38–16.^[73][74] Early in the fourth, the Rebels scored their final points of the game on a 19-yard Nichols field goal.^[73][74] Later in the fourth, Alabama scored a pair of touchdowns that made the final score 43–28. The first came on a 22-yard Croyle pass to Ray Hudson and the second on a five-yard Croyle pass to Williams after a successful onside kick.^[74][75] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Rebels to 40–9–2 (41–8–2 without an NCAA forfeit).^[76]

Statistics	Alabama	Ole Miss
First downs	21	23
Total yards	364	446
Rushing yards	116	216
Passing yards	248	230
Turnovers	0	3
Time of possession	28:42	31:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Alabama	Passing	Brodie Croyle	21–29, 248 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Shaud Williams	18 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Dre Fulgham	3 receptions, 53 yards
Ole Miss	Passing	Eli Manning	14–22, 230 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Tremaine Turner	17 carries, 81 yards
	Receiving	Taye Biddle	2 receptions, 78 yards, 2 TD

Tennessee

See also: 2003 Tennessee Volunteers football team

Third Saturday in October

1 2 3 4 OT 2OT 3OT 4OT 5OT Total • #22 Tennessee 0 3 10 7 7 7 6 3 8 51 Alabama 3 3 7 7 7 7 6 3 0 43 Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Game start: 2:34 p.m. Elapsed time: 4:53 Game attendance: 83,818 Game weather: 81°, partly cloudy, winds S @ 10 mph Referee: Rogers Redding Television network: CBS Source:^[77]

Scoring summary 1 4:26 Alabama Brian Bostick 33-yard field goal Alabama 3–0 2 0:48 Tennessee James Wilhoit 31-yard field goal 3–3 2 0:13 Alabama Brian Bostick 48-yard field goal Alabama 6–3 3 12:21 Tennessee James Banks 25-yard run (James Wilhoit kick) Tennessee 10–6 3 8:21 Tennessee James Wilhoit 38-yard field goal Tennessee 13–6 3 4:42 Alabama Triandos Luke 36-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brian Bostick kick) 13–13 4 4:47 Alabama Ray Hudson 2-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 20–13 4 0:25 Tennessee Troy Fleming 1-yard pass from Casey Clausen (James Wilhoit kick) 20–20 OT 0:00 Tennessee Derrick Tinsley 6-yard pass from Casey Clausen (James Wilhoit kick) Tennessee 27–20 OT 0:00 Alabama Dre Fulgham 6-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brian Bostick kick) 27–27 OT2 0:00 Alabama Tim Castille 12-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 34–27 OT2 0:00 Tennessee James Banks 5-yard pass from Casey Clausen (James Wilhoit kick) 34–34 OT3 0:00 Tennessee James Banks 25-yard pass from Casey Clausen (Casey Clausen pass failed) Tennessee 40–34 OT3 0:00 Alabama Shaud Williams 12-yard run (Brodie Croyle pass intercepted) 40–40 OT4 0:00 Alabama Brian Bostick 28-yard field goal Alabama 43–40 OT4 0:00 Tennessee James Wilhoit 25-yard field goal 43–43 OT5 0:00 Tennessee Casey Clausen 1-yard run (James Banks pass) Tennessee 51–43

In what is the longest game ever played by the Crimson Tide to date, Alabama lost in five overtime periods to the Tennessee Volunteers 51–43 in their annual rivalry game.^[77][78][79] The first scoring opportunity of the afternoon came early in the first quarter when Mark Jones fumbled a Bo Freelend punt that was recovered by Roberto McBride to give Alabama possession at the Tennessee 26-yard line.^[80] Seven plays later the Crimson Tide took a 3–0 lead on a 33-yard Brian Bostick field goal.^[78][79] Neither team would score again until late in the second quarter when James Wilhoit connected on a 31-yard field goal for the Vols and Bostick connected on a 48-yard field goal that made the halftime score 6–3.^[78][79]

In the third quarter, Tennessee took a 10–6 lead after James Banks scored on a 25-yard run to open the half.^[78][79] After Corey Campbell intercepted a Brodie Croyle pass on the Alabama possession that ensued, the Vols extended their lead to 13–6 with a 38-yard Wilhoit field goal.^[78][79] The Crimson Tide tied the game 13–13 later in the quarter on a 36-yard Croyle touchdown pass to Triandos Luke.^[78][79] In the fourth, Alabama scored on a two-yard Ray Hudson touchdown run and Tennessee responded to tie the game 20–20 late on a one-yard Casey Clausen touchdown pass to Troy Fleming that sent the game into overtime.^[78][79]

In the first overtime period, the Vols scored on a six-yard Clausen touchdown pass to Derrick Tinsley. The Crimson Tide responded with a six-yard Croyle pass to Dre Fulgham that sent the game into a second overtime tied at 27–27.^[78][79] In the second overtime, Tim Castille scored on a 12-yard touchdown run for Alabama. Tennessee then scored on a five-yard Clausen touchdown pass to Banks that sent the game into a third overtime tied 34–34.^[78][79] In the third overtime, Clausen threw his second touchdown pass to Banks from 25-yards out for the Vols. The Crimson Tide responded with a 12-yard Williams touchdown run that sent the game into a fourth overtime tied 40–40.^[78][79] In the fourth overtime, each team traded field goals that made the score 43–43 as they entered the fifth overtime.^[78][79] In the fifth and final overtime period, Clausen scored on a one-yard touchdown run and Alabama failed to score that resulted in a 51–43 Tennessee victory.^[78][79] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Volunteers to 44–35–7 (44–34–8 without an NCAA forfeit).^[81]

Statistics	Tennessee	Alabama
First downs	27	24
Total yards	492	473
Rushing yards	209	258
Passing yards	283	215
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	23:43	36:17

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Tennessee	Passing	Casey Clausen	23–43, 283 yards, 4 TD
	Rushing	Cedric Houston	16 carries, 83 yards
	Receiving	James Banks	7 receptions, 103 yards, 2 TD
Alabama	Passing	Brodie Croyle	21–38, 215 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Shaud Williams	40 carries, 166 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Zach Fletcher	1 reception, 51 yards

Mississippi State

See also: 2003 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team

1 2 3 4 Total • Alabama 14 10 0 14 38 Mississippi State 0 0 0 0 0 Location: Starkville, Mississippi Game start: 11:33 a.m. Elapsed time: 3:06 Game attendance: 48,242 Game weather: 58°, sunny, winds N @ 9 mph Referee: Doyle Jackson Television network: JPS Source:^[82]

Scoring summary 1 13:19 Alabama Zach Fletcher 86-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 7–0 1 11:28 Alabama Tyrone Prothro 17-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 14–0 2 10:35 Alabama Brian Bostick 38-yard field goal Alabama 17–0 2 5:22 Alabama Zach Fletcher 32-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 24–0 4 12:50 Alabama Shaud Williams 3-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 31–0 4 1:19 Alabama Tim Castille 6-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 38–0

Two weeks after their five overtime loss against Tennessee, the Crimson Tide rebounded with this 38–0 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in their annual rivalry game at Starkville.^[82][83][84] Alabama opened the game with an 86-yard Brodie Croyle touchdown pass to Zach Fletcher for an early 7–0 Crimson Tide lead.^[83][84] On the Bulldogs' possession that ensued, Charlie Peprah intercepted a Kevin Fant pass at the State 33-yard line.^[85] Three plays later, the Crimson Tide led 14–0 after Croyle threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Tyrone Prothro.^[83][84] In the second quarter, Alabama scored on a 38-yard Brian Bostick field goal and a 32-yard Croyle pass to Fletcher for a 24–0 halftime lead.^[83][84]

After a scoreless third quarter, a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns made the final score 38–0. The first came on a three-yard Shaud Williams touchdown run and the second on a six-yard Tim Castille touchdown run.^[83][84] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Bulldogs to 69–16–3 (70–15–3 without NCAA forfeit).^[86] This was also Alabama's first win in Starkville since 1994.

Statistics	Alabama	Mississippi State
First downs	19	10
Total yards	401	152
Rushing yards	190	24
Passing yards	211	128
Turnovers	1	2
Time of possession	34:15	25:45

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Alabama	Passing	Brodie Croyle	9–14, 183 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Shaud Williams	25 carries, 89 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Zach Fletcher	2 receptions, 118 yards, 2 TD
Mississippi State	Passing	Kevin Fant	14–29, 100 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Omarr Conner	1 carries, 24 yards
	Receiving	McKinley Scott	5 receptions, 55 yards

LSU

See also: 2003 LSU Tigers football team

1 2 3 4 Total • #3 LSU 10 7 7 3 27 Alabama 0 0 0 3 3 Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Game start: 6:47 p.m. Elapsed time: 2:56 Game attendance: 83,818 Game weather: 65°, partly cloudy, winds S @ 3 mph Referee: Steve Landis Television network: ESPN Source:^[87]

Scoring summary 1 10:34 LSU Chris Jackson 20-yard field goal LSU 3–0 1 9:16 LSU Michael Clayton 23-yard pass from Matt Mauck (Chris Jackson kick) LSU 10–0 2 2:03 LSU Eric Edwards 3-yard pass from Matt Mauck (Chris Jackson kick) LSU 17–0 3 9:15 LSU Alley Broussard 4-yard run (Chris Jackson kick) LSU 24–0 4 10:11 LSU Chris Jackson 33-yard field goal LSU 27–0 4 6:39 Alabama Brian Bostick 27-yard field goal LSU 27–3

In what was the final home game of the season, against the eventual national champion LSU Tigers, Alabama lost 27–3.^[87][88] LSU took an early 3–0 lead when Chris Jackson connected on a 20-yard field goal on their first possession.^[87][88] After a defensive three-and-out, the Tigers extended their lead to 10–0 when Matt Mauck threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Michael Clayton.^[87][88] The second quarter saw each quarterback throw an interception and LSU score on a three-yard Mauck touchdown pass to Eric Edwards for a 17–0 halftime lead.^[87][88]

After Brian Bostick missed a 45-yard field goal early in the third, the Tigers extended their lead to 24–0 on a four-yard Alley Broussard touchdown run.^[88][89] After a 33-yard Jackson field goal made the score 27–0, Alabama prevented the shutout with a 27-yard Brian Bostick field goal late in the fourth quarter that made the final score 27–3.^[87][88] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Tigers to 44–19–5.^[90]

Statistics	LSU	Alabama
First downs	28	10
Total yards	470	219
Rushing yards	219	65
Passing yards	251	154
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	34:30	25:30

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
LSU	Passing	Matt Mauck	24–36, 251 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Justin Vincent	16 carries, 83 yards
	Receiving	Michael Clayton	12 receptions, 130 yards, 1 TD
Alabama	Passing	Brodie Croyle	12–33, 154 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Kenneth Darby	10 carries, 41 yards
	Receiving	Triandos Luke	4 reception, 60 yards

Auburn

See also: 2003 Auburn Tigers football team

Iron Bowl

1 2 3 4 Total Alabama 2 0 14 7 23 • Auburn 18 0 3 7 28 Location: Auburn, Alabama Game start: 6:47 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:14 Game attendance: 86,063 Game weather: 61°, clear, winds calm Referee: Rogers Redding Television network: ESPN Source:^[91]

Scoring summary 1 14:45 Auburn Cadillac Williams 80-yard run (John Vaughn kick) Auburn 7–0 1 11:50 Alabama Team safety Auburn 7–2 1 8:51 Auburn Ben Obomanu 64-yard pass from Jason Campbell (Jason Campbell rush) Auburn 15–2 1 4:07 Auburn John Vaughn 22-yard field goal Auburn 18–2 3 14:45 Alabama Brandon Brooks 96-yard kickoff return (Brian Bostick kick) Auburn 18–9 3 9:06 Alabama Shaud Williams 6-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Auburn 18–16 3 5:18 Auburn John Vaughn 32-yard field goal Auburn 21–16 4 7:27 Auburn Cadillac Williams 1-yard run (John Vaughn kick) Auburn 28–16 4 1:03 Alabama Lance Taylor 14-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brian Bostick kick) Auburn 28–23

In the 2003 edition of the Iron Bowl against the Auburn, the Tigers won for the second consecutive year with this 28–23 victory.^[91][92][93] Auburn took a 7–0 lead on the first offensive play of the game on an 80-yard Cadillac Williams touchdown run.^[92][93] After an Alabama punt was downed at the Auburn one-yard line, Williams was tackled in the end zone on the next play for a safety that made the score 7–2.^[92][93] The Tigers' defense then forced a three-and-out, and three plays later Jason Campbell threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Ben Obomanu and after the two-point conversion led 15–2.^[92][93] A 22-yard John Vaughn field goal then made the score 18–2 at the end of the first quarter, and remained the same at halftime after a scoreless second quarter.^[92][93]

The Crimson Tide opened the second half with a touchdown on the first play of the third quarter on a 96-yard Brandon Brooks kickoff return that made the score 18–9.^[92][93] After the Alabama defense forced an Auburn punt, the Crimson Tide cut the Tigers' lead to 18–16 after Shaud Williams scored on a six-yard touchdown run.^[92][93] A 32-yard Vaughn field goal made the score 21–16 in favor of the Tigers as they entered the fourth quarter.^[92][93] In the final quarter, Auburn scored on a one-yard Williams run and Alabama on a 14-yard Brodie Croyle pass to Lance Taylor that made the final score 28–23.^[92][93] The Loss brought Alabama's all-time record against the Tigers to 39–29–1.^[94]

Statistics	Alabama	Auburn
First downs	13	21
Total yards	291	519
Rushing yards	111	249
Passing yards	180	270
Turnovers	3	3
Time of possession	30:14	29:46

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Alabama	Passing	Brodie Croyle	13–29, 180 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Shaud Williams	18 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Ray Hudson	4 receptions, 82 yards
Auburn	Passing	Jason Campbell	18–27, 270 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Cadillac Williams	26 carries, 204 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Courtney Taylor	7 receptions, 83 yards

Hawaii

See also: 2003 Hawaii Warriors football team

1 2 3 4 Total Alabama 7 7 7 8 29 • Hawaii 0 14 2 21 37 Location: Honolulu, Hawaii Game start: 6:45 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:50 Game attendance: 43,477 Game weather: 70°, winds 10-15 mps Referee: Rich Kollen Television network: ESPN Source:^[95]

Scoring summary 1 10:46 Alabama Shaud Williams 1-yard run (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 7–0 2 12:24 Alabama Clint Johnston 2-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 14–0 2 11:01 Hawaii Jeremiah Cockheran 48-yard pass from Jason Whieldon (Nolan Miranda kick) Alabama 14–7 2 7:17 Hawaii Se'e Poumele 4-yard pass from Jason Whieldon (Nolan Miranda kick) 14–14 3 9:23 Hawaii Lance Samuseva sacked Brodie Croyle for a safety Hawaii 16–14 3 6:12 Alabama Roman Harper 73-yard blocked field goal return (Brian Bostick kick) Alabama 21–16 4 13:55 Hawaii Jeremiah Cockheran 47-yard pass from Jason Whieldon (Nolan Miranda kick) Hawaii 24–21 4 7:24 Hawaii Clifton Herbert 20-yard pass from Jason Whieldon (Nolan Miranda kick failed) Hawaii 30–21 4 4:03 Hawaii Jason Whieldon 18-yard run (Nolan Miranda kick) Hawaii 37–21 4 0:29 Alabama Lance Taylor 5-yard pass from Brodie Croyle (Brodie Croyle pass) Hawaii 37–29

As a result of the two-year bowl ban imposed by the NCAA in 2002 and NCAA rules that allow schools to add a 13th game if it is played at Hawaii, the Crimson Tide closed the season at Aloha Stadium, and in the game, the Warriors defeated the Crimson Tide 37–29.^[95][96][97] The Crimson Tide took a 7–0 first quarter lead after Shaud Williams scored on a one-yard touchdown run.^[96][97] Early in the second quarter, Alabama extended their lead to 14–0 on a two-yard Brodie Croyle touchdown pass to Clint Johnston before the Warriors rallied and scored a pair of touchdowns to tie the game 14–14 at halftime.^[96][97] Hawaii touchdowns were scored on Jason Whieldon passes of 48-yards to Jeremiah Cockheran and four-yards to Se'e Poumele.^[96][97]

The Warriors then took their first lead in the third after Lance Samuseva sacked Brodie Croyle for a safety.^[96][97] On the Hawaii drive that ensued, Anthony Madison blocked a Nolan Miranda field goal attempt that was returned by Roman Harper for a touchdown to give Alabama a 21–16 lead.^[96][97] The Warriors then scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns and won the game 37–29. The first to be scored were on Whieldon touchdown passes of 47-yards to Cockheran and 20-yards to Clifton Herbert before he scored their final points on an 18-yard run.^[96][97] Alabama then made the final score 37–29 after Croyle threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Lance Taylor late in the game.^[96][97] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Hawaii to 1-1.

Statistics	Alabama	Hawaii
First downs	19	17
Total yards	409	409
Rushing yards	151	134
Passing yards	258	275
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	31:05	28:55

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Alabama	Passing	Brodie Croyle	20–37, 247 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Shaud Williams	18 carries, 105 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Zach Fletcher	4 receptions, 78 yards
Hawaii	Passing	Jason Whieldon	15–25, 237 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Michael Brewster	7 carries, 56 yards
	Receiving	Jeremiah Cockheran	5 receptions, 124 yards, 2 TD

References

General

• "2003 Season". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved December 3, 2012.

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