🏈 Sugar Bowl: A Trip Back in Time- Pt. 1, 1945-1973

[CRIMSONTUSKS.COM BLOG]

Two of our staff members have taken the time to look back at our history for the Sugar Bowl and quickly share a few recaps of each game along with a few highlights surrounding the game.

Today, in Part One, we start with Jeff Ivester (reger60) goes back to the beginning and looks at the first of our twelve Sugar Bowl apperances staring with our game against Duke in 1945.

Later, we'll have the games stretching from his last game, 1973 against Notre Dame, up until the Sugar Bowl game in 1992 when Alabama won it's 12th National title. ItTakesEleven (Tim Rich) will handle part two.

I know some of you guys can't remember these games. I know some don't even know about these games. Yet, some of us remember aspects of them very well.

Questions, comments, and thoughts...all are welcomed and we look forward to the ensuing conversation!

-RTB Blog and Writing Staff

The Sugar Bowl: In the Featured Section of the RTB.com Blog

 

[TerryP]

Here's something things to put your mind around for a second, chew on for awhile. Or, for you younger guys, put in your memory banks to understand a portion of the Alabama Tradition.

The game in 1945 was played in front of over 72,000 people. Even today, some stadiums don't hold that number, some teams that have played in this game haven't had that number attend one of their home games.

Duke, at that time, fielded a team full of Navy Trainees. Don't let the name Duke fool you in terms of the competition, especially during this era in US history.

If you don't know the name Grantland Rice, you should. Gilmer, featured in this game, Rice called, "the greatest college passer he had ever seen."

This was a team coached by Coach Frank Thomas. Coached Thomas was at Alabama from '31-'46, won 4 SECC's and 2 NC's. His overall record at Alabama ended at 115-24-7.

He was succeeded by Coach Harold "Red" Drew.

The football practice fields at Alabama are named the "Thomas-Drew Practice Fields" in their honor.

The Alabama Baseball facility, Sewell-Thomas Baseball Stadium, also carries his name.

 

[BigAl]

I've often wondered how Alabama finished #2 in the nation that year, when we didn't field a team in 1943 or 1944 due to WW2. Did these guys come back after the war or were these guys that didn't have to go to combat? I remember my old man being a fan of Harry Gilmer and Vaughn Mancha.

 

[reger60]

The way I understand it, while there were some discharged soldiers on the team the majority of players that season were freshmen, including Gilmer and Mancha. Players had to maintain a respectable GPA, otherwise their names were submitted to the draft board.