1983 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

The 1983 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA", "Bama" or "The Tide") represented the University of Alabama in the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 91st overall and 50th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Ray Perkins, in his first year, and played their home games at both Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished the season with a record of eight wins and four losses (8–4 overall, 4–2 in the SEC). Ray Perkins, who played as a wide receiver for Bear Bryant in the 1960s, was named as the new head coach at Alabama on December 14, 1982, to succeed Bryant after his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach.

After opening the season with four consecutive wins, The Tide suffered a controversial 34–28 loss to Penn State when tight end Preston Gothard was ruled out of bounds after appearing to catch a game-tying touchdown pass with eight seconds left in the fourth quarter. Bama avenged the previous year's losses to LSU and Southern Miss but lost to Tennessee and Auburn again. The Crimson Tide completed their season with a 28–7 victory over SMU in the Sun Bowl.

Schedule

 * Source: Rolltide.com All-time Football Results: 1983 Season