Alabama and Duke played one of the most thrilling games in Sugar Bowl history

Despite being at a huge disadvantage, Harry Gilmer and the War Baby Tiders nearly pulled off a huge upset against Duke in the 1945 Sugar Bowl

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — We would be remiss if Alabama’s 2019 season-opening game against Duke came and went without mentioning the 1945 Sugar Bowl, and “The War Babies” led by Harry Gilmer.

After all, Alabama and Duke have played just four times (the Crimson Tide has a 3-1 series edge), and only once in the postseason.

After not having a team in 1943 due to World War II, Frank Thomas pieced together 20 ragtag players to form a roster that would comprise the Crimson Tide in 1944.

The extremely young team centered around a local player from Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, who might not have gone to college if not for his high school coach Malcolm Laney being hired as an Alabama assistant coach. That and the Southeastern Conference waived its rule against freshmen playing with the varsity.

Led by Gilmer, the “The War Babies” opened the season against LSU, and he returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown as the teams tied, 27-27. Alabama followed with a 63-0 victory against Howard, and 55-0 win over Millsaps.

At 5-1-2, the team nicknamed the War Baby Tiders secured the school’s first invitation to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, where Gilmer put on a dazzling performance in front of 72,000 fans.

Gilmer was 18 at the time. Duke was led by 23-year old Tom Davis, a Marine lieutenant who had been discharged and returned to school. The age contrast was pretty consistent throughout the lineups.

“They’re too young to know any different than they’re going to win. I’m not going to tell them any different,” said Thomas, who nearly didn’t accept the invitation to play in New Orleans because his team was so young.

The lead changed hands four times and went down to the final play when the relieved Duke team finally secured the 29-26 victory.

Gilmer completed all eight of his pass attempts for 142 yards and was named the game’s most valuable player.

Legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice called the contest a classic and “one of the great thrillers of all time.” He also wrote Gilmer was “the greatest college passer I’ve ever seen.”

A 1989 Alabama game program featured a story on the 1945 Sugar Bowl / Image courtesy of Jimmy Bank

Image courtesy of Jimmy Bank