2003 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

NCAATeamFootballSeason
Year = 2003
Team = Alabama Crimson Tide


ImageSize = 130px
Conference = Southeastern Conference
Division = Western Division
ShortConference = SEC
CoachRank =
APRank =
Record = 4–9
ConfRecord = 2–6
HeadCoach = Mike Shula
OffCoach = Dave Rader
DefCoach = Joe Kines
OScheme =
DScheme =
StadiumArena = Bryant-Denny Stadium (main)
Legion Field (one game)
Champion =
BowlTourney =
BowlTourneyResult =

The 2003 Alabama Crimson Tide football began their season trying to improve from a 10-3 (6-2) record from the 2002 season. This was the team's 71st year in the SEC. The team represented the University of Alabama. This season was the last time the football team would play at Legion Field in Birmingham due to unsafe conditions with the upper deck. [cite web| url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5762465/| title=Alabama forced to abandon Legion Field| accessdate=2008-05-29]

Head coach Dennis Franchione left after just two years with the program and one year after the team was hit with NCAA sanctions. He took a job at Texas A&M, deemed a controversial move. [cite web| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/news/2002/12/05/franchione_am/| title=Franchione bolts Alabama for Texas A&M| accessdate=2008-02-10]

The team later hired Mike Price in December 2002 who coached the team until the spring of 2003. A story in "Sports Illustrated" said that Price had been seen at a strip club "making it rain" and yelling "Roll Tide, Roll!". He allegedly later checked into a local hotel with at least one exotic dancer from the club. 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. He filed a $20 million libel and defamation suit against "Sports Illustrated." Price received some vindication in 2005 when the magazine settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed sum, purportedly $12 million. [cite news| url=http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=5105| title=Publisher settles defamation suit by ex-WSU coach Price|accessdate=2008-02-10] ; the article's author, Don Yaeger, was later criticized for his heavy use of anonymous sources, for a payment made to one of those sources, and for his failure to take notes during those conversations. [cite web| url=http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w050822&s=smith082205| title=Troubled Franchise|accessdate=2008-02-10] He was subsequently fired by Alabama, though having never signed a contract. [cite web| url=http://espn.go.com/ncf/news/2003/0503/1548767.html| title=Alabama fires coach Mike Price| accessdate=2008-02-10]

On May 9, 2003, Alabama hired Mike Shula as their fourth head coach in four years. [cite web| url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05E4D6173FF93AA35756C0A9659C8B63| title=Alabama Decides to Hire Mike Shula as Its Coach| accessdate=2008-02-10]

ummary

Alabama began their season under first-year coach Mike Shula, after a rough off-season which had multiple coaching changes. The team struggled throughout the season, though they did come close in most of their games. A notable game from the 2003 season occurred on October 25 versus rival Tennessee which ended in a 51-43 five-overtime loss for the Crimson Tide. [cite web| url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=232980333| title=Clausen scores game-winner on sneak| accessdate=2008-02-10]

chedule

{| class="wikitable"! Date || Time || Rank^# || Opponent || Result || Stadium · City || TV
-style="background: #ddffdd;"
August 30, 2003* || 6:45 PM || || South Florida || W 40-17 || Legion Field · Birmingham, AL |
-style="background: #ffdddd;"
September 6, 2003* || 6:45 PM || || Oklahoma || L 20-13 || Bryant-Denny Stadium · Tuscaloosa, AL |
-style="background: #ddffdd;"
September 13, 2003 || 6:45 PM || || Kentucky || W 27-17 || Bryant-Denny Stadium · Tuscaloosa, AL |
-style="background: #ffdddd;"
September 20, 2003 * || 6:00 PM || || Northern Illinois || L 19-16 || Bryant-Denny Stadium · Tuscaloosa, AL |
-style="background: #ffdddd;"
September 27, 2003 || 2:30 PM || || Arkansas || L 34-31 || Bryant-Denny Stadium · Tuscaloosa, AL |
-style="background: #ffdddd;"
October 4, 2003 || 2:30 PM || || at Georgia || L 37-23 || Sanford Stadium · Athens, GA |
-style="background: #ddffdd;"
October 11, 2003* || 2:00 PM || || Southern Miss || W 17-3 || Bryant-Denny Stadium · Tuscaloosa, AL |
-style="background: #ffdddd;"
October 18, 2003 || || || at Mississippi || L 43-28 || Vaught-Hemingway Stadium · Oxford, MS |
-style="background: #ffdddd;"
October 25, 2003 || 2:30 PM || || Tennessee || L 51-43 || Bryant-Denny Stadium · Tuscaloosa, AL (Third Saturday in October) |
-style="background: #ddffdd;"
November 8, 2003 || 11:00 AM || || at Mississippi State || W 38-0 || Davis Wade Stadium · Starkville, MS |
-style="background: #ffdddd;"
November 15, 2003 || 6:45 PM || || LSU || L 27-3 || Bryant-Denny Stadium · Tuscaloosa, AL (Alabama-LSU rivalry) |
-style="background: #ffdddd;"
November 22, 2003 || 6:45 PM || || at Auburn || L 28-23 || Jordan-Hare Stadium · Auburn, AL (Iron Bowl) |
-style="background: #ffdddd;"
November 29, 2003* || 6:45 PM || || at Hawaii || L 37-29 || Aloha Stadium · ʻAiea, HI |
[http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/teams/schedule?teamId=333&year=2003 ESPN - 2003 Alabama Schedule]

References