Daily Dose of Crimson Tide: Mike Shula

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As a three-year quarterback (1984-86), Mike Shula completed 313 of 578 passes for 4,069 yards, 35 touchdowns and 30 interceptions, and compiled a 32-15-1 record.

Although he led victories against Southern California in the 1985 Aloha Bowl, and Washington in the 1986 Sun Bowl, he’s known for three other games in particular:

• The season-opening 20-16 victory at Georgia in 1985. Down three points with just 50 seconds remaining in the game, Shula marched the Tide 71 yards in five plays, topped by a 17-yard touchdown pass to flanker Al Bell (see below).

• At the 1985 Iron Bowl, he led the six-play, 45-yard drive that was topped by Van Tiffin’s 52-yard game-winning field goal.

• The 28-10 victory against Notre Dame in 1986, Alabama’s first ever win vs. Fighting Irish.

On May 9, 2003, Shula returned to the Capstone with the mandate to save, or at least keep afloat, the program, which during the previous year had endured National Collegiate Athletic Association sanctions, Dennis Franchione skipping town for Texas A&M, and Mike Price being dismissed before ever coaching a game. 

At age 37, he was the second-youngest head coach in Division I football (a year and two days older than Greg Schiano of Rutgers), and Alabama’s youngest coach since 1923.

“I had some unfinished business,” said Shula, who never won a Southeastern Conference title as a player.

Singing Day in recruiting and spring practice had already come and gone, leaving just 115 days until the season opener. Despite that, Alabama won the opener 40-17 against South Florida, and fought No. 1 Oklahoma and Heisman Trophy winner Jason White tooth-and-nail in a 20-13 home loss.

Shula’s improbable, if not impossible, first season resulted in a 4-9 record.

“He’s paying dues,” said former Alabama defensive back Don McNeal, who also played for Shula’s father Don with the Miami Dolphins. “Coming in like that is going to be tough. Give him some time … please give him some time and he’ll be okay.”

Alabama was bowl eligible again in 2004, but the season nearly completely unraveled when quarterback Brodie Croyle blew out his right knee against Western Carolina and was lost for the season. He would soon be joined by running back Ray Hudson and fullback Tim Castille, and at one point the Crimson Tide was down to its third-string quarterback, tailback, fullback and tight end, but still scraped together six wins to play Minnesota in the Music City Bowl.

Shula had Alabama as high as third nationally in 2005 while collecting victories over No. 5 Florida (31-3), and No. 17 Tennessee (6-3). The win over the Gators was the first Crimson Tide victory over a top-five team at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and the win over Tennessee was the first over the Volunteers in Tuscaloosa since 1930 (they usually played at Legion Field).

With a 13-10 victory against Texas Tech at the Cotton Bowl, Alabama finished 10-2 and No. 8 in the final Associated Press poll.

“When you go through some tough times together, you find out a lot about each other,” Shula said. “There’s a lot of different ways you can go, and this team pulled together. And this was the result of it, ten wins.”

However, the Tide stumbled to 6-6 the following year, including a 24-16 home loss to Mississippi State, and lost its fifth-straight game to rival Auburn (four with Shula as coach). He was dismissed with a 26-23 record. 

Some of this post originated from "100 Things Crimson tide Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die," published by Triumph Books