The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against the Bulldogs to 2–0. In the first conference game of the season, Alabama defeated Mississippi State 21–6 in what was the first conference loss for the Maroons since the 1939 season. After a scoreless first half, Russ Craft scored all three of the Crimson Tide's touchdowns in the third quarter on runs of 3, 38 and 4-yards. Mississippi State responded in the fourth quarter with their only points of the afternoon on a 43-yard Billy Murphy touchdown pass to Kermit Davis to make the final score 21–6. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi State to 20–7–2. With the outbreak of World War II, many leaders in the military viewed football as a means to help develop leadership abilities and greater discipline in preparation for combat. As such, during this time colleges scheduled military schools and organizations for regular season football games. For their third game of the season, Alabama met the team that represented the Naval Air Station Pensacola at Mobile, and defeated the Goslings 27–0. The game also marked the first for Alabama against a service team since the 1917 season. In the game, Alabama scored a touchdown in all four quarters and outgained Pensacola in rushing yards 295 to minus 2. Touchdowns were scored by Russ Craft on a 3-yard run in the first, on a 5-yard Johnny August pass to Al Sabo in the second, Craft on a 6-yard reverse in the third and on a 39-yard Kenny Reese run in the fourth. After each team opened the season undefeated through the fourth week, Alabama entered the first AP Poll of the season as No. 4 team and Tennessee entered as the No. 15 team. Due to each team being ranked and the heated rivalry between each other, NBC broadcast the game nationally over 218 radio affiliates and Bill Stern served as commentator. In the game, Alabama defeated the Volunteers 8–0 before 25,000 fans at Legion Field. After a scoreless first half, the Crimson Tide scored their first points of the game on the opening kickoff of the second half. Alabama took a 2–0 lead after Bob Cifers was tackled in the endzone for a safety. The only touchdown of the contest was scored in the fourth quarter on a 38-yard Tom Jenkins run. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 15–8–2. After their victory over Tennessee, Alabama moved up one position to the No. 3 spot in the AP Poll prior to their game at Kentucky.