Madison, Wis— After defeating Wisconsin 42-10 in his first road game as Alabama’s head coach, Kalen DeBoer took the podium. Here’s everything he said following the victory.
Opening Statement
"It was a solid performance. Team football: getting the takeaways and the points on the board when we got the ball back, getting a stop on fourth down, scoring, and getting a field goal, of course, a field goal at the end of the half. The offense responded with a quick drive and then coming back in the third quarter; those are big swings in momentum.
I think our guys, with their energy, it was there all week, just knowing that the only choice is always to go back to work, and that's the way it's always going to be. They did exactly that. I thought it was the best rhythm to practice. I think they're getting into the flow now of what a game plan week looks like.
Last week was the first week where you had your typical week and not some extra days. This week, you could just feel it was all syncing up, so I was expecting a good performance. It's never going to be perfect, but there are a lot of great things to build on.
On Malachi Moore’s injury
"Malachi got hit in the head, so I think we're just going through the protocol with him. It helps having a bye week here, so I think he'll be alright. He'll be fine.
On Qua Russaw’s injury
"Russaw has a lower leg injury. I don't know exactly where, but I know it's lower. We'll continue to evaluate him.
On Richard Young’s injury
"Richard Young, I think, has the same thing. It's a lower leg injury, actually very similar, below the knee. We'll continue to evaluate both guys.
On the offensive line
"I thought they did a consistent job of making sure Jalen could stay upright. He wasn’t rushed or hurried. It’s amazing how much easier your play calls become, and your down-and-distance situations are much more favorable when you can protect your quarterback and make every throw count.
There weren’t situations where he was getting hit. I thought there was good cohesion, especially considering it was the first game action together. Between the running backs and Jalen, they found different ways to attack the run game, and they opened up the seams.
It really felt like there were no missed assignments. I’m sure we’ll find something, but when it came to running the football, those big bodies worked together well. Whatever play was called, they were in sync, giving us a chance. Jam had a big game and did well.
I liked the balance of what we were able to do with both the run and the pass.
On the defense, forcing turnovers
"Those two strip sacks, those two strips, could have been really big for us. But that was getting them early, getting one early and just getting that momentum, just becomes contagious, and I love it. The guys have a lot of confidence. We almost had, I think, an interception there with Keon early, too, so those guys are playing aggressively, playing confident, and they’re going to come in bunches. I feel like we’re just still at the tip of the iceberg of what we can do to take the ball away.
On LT Overton’s performance
"You expect that from him, and he's just going to be continually coming after you. And it's not just against one or the other, runner or pass, it's both. He's just a physical presence in there. I love the way he plays; it's a businesslike approach that he has, whether it's in practice or games.
I've just got a lot of trust and confidence that he's going to bring his best. He fits so well within our scheme. I know we're very confident whatever it is he's got, got something we're asking him to do, making sure he first of all takes care of his responsibility.
On Jalen Milroe’s touchdown pass to Ryan Williams
"I thought it was right on the money, and a lot of what Jalen did with those balls down the field gave our guys a chance, and our guys did a nice job of getting some separation there, too, with Ryan. In that case, you get a step; let's get it done. And as you said, you get to the back of the end zone or towards the sideline.
Both those things were coming on Ryan quickly, but because of the trajectory, and I think it goes back to again, Jalen had some time there. He had a second to sort things out, see it, not feel rushed, and put a good ball on Ryan, and Ryan, you know, tracked it and did what he does.
On Elijah Pritchett, offensive line depth
"Between Kadyn, Pritchett and the rest of the crew, we felt very confident going into week one. Wilkin will continue to work in the mix and be a part of it. Geno came in and did a nice job spelling some snaps there, too. We’re going to need them all. We’re going to need them all. I just know how the season goes, and they’re just going to always keep getting better.
On responding to a sloppy win over South Florida
"On the road, there was a businesslike approach to us in the locker room pregame. There was a lot of energy, a lot of fire. I think that's just these guys and their passion. It’s impressive being in here, and it's impressive at halftime. As you're getting the momentum, they can have that confidence.
The energy is being sustained. It’s something I’m really learning about our guys. You see it in practice, and you think that's what it's going to be, but you never know. And here we are three weeks in. I’m pleased with how they’ve played. You have that businesslike approach, but there’s a lot of energy, too. Some teams have so much energy that they start making mistakes, and I feel like we were able to hone in on the right things and focus on the right spots, and that's playing well.
On Jalen Milroe’s touchdown pass to Germie Bernard
"Yeah, that one, that one's a route that takes a little time to develop, a little post corner route. It was a great play call. When I heard it, I loved it. Just staying aggressive. Obviously, we had to do that with the clock. But the time it took, because it developed a little bit slower, and Germie did a good job of clearing and not running into it, using the veteran savviness he has to set the direction and path he was going to be on. Jalen, again, gave him a chance; a one-yard wider and it’s an incomplete pass, and Bernard caught it first and then got his feet down. So, just great execution all around.
On being aggressive towards the end of the first half
"We're going to be aggressive. We had three timeouts, so we had a lot of time with those timeouts. We have playmakers who want to give them a chance to make plays and every possession matters. We went after it, and the first throw down the sideline to Ryan really set things up well, so now we're looking at getting points no matter what.
I love the aggressiveness again with the play call to go to the post corner to Germie. And then in the locker room, just really not being happy and satisfied with that score, coming back out and doing a good job executing the next drive. I think that shows growth in our team, that you can do it back to back in those big moments where, really, their team didn’t touch the ball, and all of a sudden, there are 14 points on the board.
On the team building chemistry
"I think there's a lot of nuances that you don't really realize. Unless you're right there in the fire with the guys, there are play-calling rhythms and how we communicate. There are so many nuances that the great teams have, and we're a work in progress in all those things. There are things that I saw where we did a better job and things that are still, you know, once in a while, a bit clunky. It's not a negative word, just an observation.
It might feel like we aren’t doing the things we’re supposed to, but I think we are. It just takes time and repetition for everyone. We were much more in sync this week, whether it was today or throughout the week in our game planning. The calls we're making now have some recalls from last week and the week before. It’s not just us going against our defense; we’re seeing different looks and understanding those adjustments week to week against different opponents and schemes. I thought they did a great job preparing and setting us up for success today.
On Keon Sabb
"I don't think I'm the only one. I think a lot of people have a lot of confidence in him out there. That he's going to be in the right spot, he's instinctive. He sees the field really well. He just feels things. He's, I mean, I don't know if he's ever out of position.
I'm sure there are little details that we'll find and so forth. But I just trust him. I just trust him and I love him. The quiet fire that he has about it, he just goes out there with a businesslike approach. He loves the game and I know he's having fun being here. We're certainly glad he's with us, that's for sure.
