1892 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

The 1892 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1892 college football season. The team was led by head coach E. B. Beaumont and played their home games at Lakeview Park in Birmingham, Alabama. In what was the inaugural season of Alabama football, the team finished with a record of two wins and two losses (2–2). The first game in Alabama football history was played on November 11, 1892, against Birmingham High School that was won by Alabama 56–0. They then split a pair of games with the Birmingham Athletic Club, and closed out the season with a 32–22 loss in the first Iron Bowl against Auburn on February 22, 1893.

Schedule
For the 1892 season, point values were different from those used in contemporary games. In 1892 a touchdown was worth four points, a field goal was worth five points and an conversion was worth two points. Although played on February 22, 1893, Alabama considers the game against Auburn as the final game of the 1892 season.


 * Source: Rolltide.com: 1892 Alabama football schedule

Birmingham High School
In what was the first ever game played by the University of Alabama, a team of Birmingham-area high school players lost to Alabama 56–0 at Birmingham's Lakeview Park. Although details of the second half are unavailable, touchdowns in the first half were scored by David Grayson, G. H. Kyser, Dan Smith (twice), William Little and T. S. Frazer. Played on November 11, the game served as a practice game for Alabama's contest against the Birmingham Athletic Club the following day.

Birmingham Athletic Club (November)
A day following their victory over Birmingham High School, Alabama suffered their first all-time loss against the Birmingham Athletic Club (B.A.C.) 5–4. In a game noted for numerous fumbles by both squads, Alabama scored first to take a 4–0 lead on a William G. Little touchdown run late in the first half. However, the B.A.C. won the game 5–4 late in the second half when J. P. Ross succeeded in kicking a 63-yard field goal on a drop kick.

Birmingham Athletic Club (December)
A month following their loss to the B.A.C., Alabama returned to Lakeview Park and defeated the Athletics 14–0. David Grayson scored first on a 65-yard touchdown run to give Alabama a 4–0 lead after a missed extra point. In the second half, both Robert Cope and Eli Abbott scored touchdowns and one G. H. Kyser extra point gave Alabama the 14–0 victory.

Auburn
Before 5,000 fans at Birmingham's Lakeview Park, Alabama lost to the Agricultural & Mechanical College of Alabama (now know as Auburn University) 32–22 in the first of what was subsequently dubbed the Iron Bowl. Auburn scored first on a 20-yard Rufus Dorsey touchdown run and again on an one-yard Dorsey run to take an 8–0 lead early in the first half. Frank Savage then scored Alabama's first touchdown on a 10-yard run and William B. Bankhead converted a successful extra point to cut the Auburn lead to 8–6. After Auburn scored a third touchdown to go up 14–6, Alabama responded with a 20-yard Dan Smith touchdown run and G. H. Kyser extra point to make the halftime score 14–12 in favor of Auburn.

In the second half, Auburn scored first again when Dorsey recovered an Alabama fumble and returned it 65-yards for a touchdown. After a successful extra point the blue and orange extended their lead to 20–12. Alabama responded on their following possession with a 30-yard William Little touchdown run and Kyser extra point to cut the lead to 20–18. Thomas Daniels then scored Auburn's final two touchdowns on runs of one and 25 yards and also converted both extra points to give them a 32–18 lead. Smith scored the final points of the game late in the second half for Alabama on a short run to make the final score 32–22. This remains the only football game the Alabama Crimson Tide has ever played in the month of February.

Players
The following players were members of the 1892 football team according to the roster published in the 1893 edition of The Corolla, the University of Alabama yearbook.

Guards
 * Robert Cope
 * William Little
 * Henry Pratt

Tackles
 * Eli Abbott
 * Frank Savage

Ends
 * Burr Furguson
 * David Grayson

Halfbacks
 * William B. Bankhead
 * G. H. Kyser
 * Dan Smith

Quarterback
 * William Walker

Substitutes
 * T. S. Frazer
 * Bibb Graves
 * S. W. Henderson
 * D. B. Johnson
 * Allen McCants
 * C. C. Nesmith
 * M. P. Walker