What Kalen DeBoer Said After Alabama's Sloppy Victory over South Florida

Live updates from the Crimson Tide head coach's postgame press conference with a full transcript and video to be posted after.

Aug 31, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer looks on at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory / Will McLelland-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama pulled away in the final quarter to beat USF 42-16 inside Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night. Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer will speak to the media after the game.

Follow along for live updates from the press conference with a full transcript and video to be posted after.

Full Transcript

Opening statement...

"Obviously, going into the fourth quarter, 14-13, and in a fight. And so tip the cap to USF for fighting. But also, there are many things that we look at that we got to definitely get cleaned up. We talked down the locker room about learning the lessons about the things that didn't go right, but also understand that if we just keep fighting, good things can happen. And in the fourth quarter, staying away from the penalties and turnovers, it's amazing what can happen. And so defense did a nice job forcing some field goals. Just as we went through the game there in fourth quarter, I think those were key. Us scoring touchdowns and finishing drives, other than the fumble, which was certainly unfortunate — a lot of things we need to clean up. Guys got to do a better job when they make a big play, got tuck it away. All the things we work on, all the things we discuss. 

"Going to be a lot to learn from and so excited about the challenge, the opportunity. Because that's what this. I think you need games like this. This isn't a wake up call or nothing like that. It's nothing like that. Just keep raising standard. I think this game last year was an important one that propelled them last year, and will probably the same thing this year. You know, that's my hope."

On ball security/turnovers in practice...

"Every day there's something but Tuesday's a big time priority. We start to week off with that. There's other there's other things. We talk about the ball is the program and how important it is taking care of it and also getting it. And so really, we won't have to raise the level of how much we stress it, because we stress it significantly. And so it's guys just learning that when you make a big play, there's people behind you, they're chasing you, they're coming from all angles, and we gotta do a better job to be conscious of that. Guy's got another game a little bit, you know, and got a little loose with it. So we'll watch on film. I don't know exactly where the how the fumbles were created, but a lot of the things we talked about, I think, are what happened."

On Elijah Pritchett...

"Last game, he got just a minor ding. We were trying to get through it. He didn’t practice much early in the week, but practiced Wednesday and Thursday. Was ready to go. Probably worked a little bit more on the left side. And we felt good after going through the week that we were just going to roll with what we had with Book and Geno. He was ready to go. He could’ve started the game. We were just trying to hold on as long as possible. Just trying to keep him 100 percent healthy. He got through just fine tonight. We’re going to be in better shape offensive-line wise going into next week. It was a little touch-and-go at some points throughout the week with a few different guys.”

How the offense changed over the final six minutes when Pritchett entered…

“It was just not having penalties, not being behind the chains. You guys saw it too, and it’s hard to call a game. It’s hard to overcome second-and-long, third-and-long situations. 

“And so we had to learn some lessons the hard way tonight. There’s no doubt about it. Two touchdowns that are called back because of holding calls and obviously the turnover inside the 5-yard line. When we didn’t hold and we were moving the ball forward, good things were happening. But we have to be able to do it on consecutive plays over and over and over again and have sustained drives. 

“Last week, we probably didn’t get put in that position to where we had to sustain drives, right? We were explosive, the ball was moving down the field, guys were making huge runs. So that mindset has to carry over from this week to next week in that understanding that we have to grind it out every once in a while. It can’t just be explosive plays. And with that comes executing. And there’s other things too that we can certainly be better on. Things that we can help Jalen out with. Jalen—I know how he is—he’s going to put it all on himself, and that’s the way he always is. But there’s other things we can do to help him out. Sometimes they’re kind of on the borderline of a missed assignment, it’s just guys not executing and helping him out as well as they could. Up front, the skills guys— it’s a whole team effort. On offense, every guy’s got to execute. Everybody’s got to do their job for it to go clean.”

On getting heated with officials and how he handles that...

"They obviously saw, and I saw some things too, on why they called stuff. There's other things I felt -- and when you get into where it's that tight, and now it's all of the sudden where everything gets called tight. I get it. It's just -- yeah, I'm trying to make sure, kind of, that everyone is held accountable. I got to hold my guys accountable when we aren't executing and doing things. There's a lot of calls that, I mean, most of them we were holding. We were doing things that you can't do. We got to clean up our part of it. Just making sure that the things that I saw, that I was addressing, I wanted to make sure they kept an eye on."

On RB Jam Miller...

"He's just really quiet. He doesn't like to say too much. But when he gets a chance to touch the ball, you know, we see what can happen. You don't get to see it a lot in practice, because it's different tempos. The scrimmages, we've seen times where, what you saw tonight, him getting loose and making those guys miss. I love the cutback. He did it early enough to where, really, there was a lot of lot of chance for the defender to make a play. So he's explosive. He can run inside, he can run outside. Did a nice job all around. And I know he'll take it super hard to with the one turnover he had there too. So, you know, he got a fire in his eyes, and he came back, wanted the ball. And that's what I love about him. That's what I love about a lot of our guys. They want to get back into they want to get back in the fight and go help the team."

On the performance of young player Ryan Williams and Jaylen Mbakwe

"A lot of lot of new faces, young, and even some just guys coming into this program that have really helped us out. And the foundation is still all the guys that have been here. They understand the standard. They understand that and the leadership down in the locker room, whether it's halftime, whether it's the end of the game, just holding each other accountable, including themselves, but also showing that, 'Hey, we can be better. Look what would happen if we just played our game and did our job and did it the right way.' And, you know, Ryan and the catch that he had, you know, I love that Jalen has enough confidence in him to rip it out there and let him go make a play because there's a lot of options on that one play for Jalen. He can hand ball off, he can throw a little perimeter throw, and he can also throw a hitch out there. And he chose to go to Ryan with the hitch and identification being on the same page. You know, I love that he trusts Ryan in that moment and when we got to keep the chains moving, you know, we're looking to score, of course, but Ryan coming through. He's done that a few times now, obviously, and those are just the steps. Mbakwe stepping in when we needed a return and doing what he did, that was really key. He just, you know, unfazed, hopped in there. He's very confident. We've got a lot of confidence in him. Unfortunately, obviously, Cole went down. He was ready to go."

How Tyler Booker performed at left tackle...

"I think wherever he's at, we're really good. I'm sure he's going to look at it and and learn a lot about playing tackle just with the number of snaps he's played in his career versus guard. And, you know, didn't worry too much about him at all. I think a lot of it is just a number of reps that they've had together. And it was just pretty much this week for a couple few practices and it showed. It showed that we weren't on the same page with different things and different calls. And so, you know, they got to tighten that up. But Booker certainly provides a punch and impact wherever he's at. He's inside, it's just the firmness of the pocket, the run blocking, the push off the line of scrimmage. It's strong, you know. And when he was outside today, I didn't really worry too much about a rush on one on one. I thought he looked really good in practice. I was excited on Tuesday when he took some reps there. And we rotated a lot of different groups, or multiple groups of guys at different spots throughout the week. But he looked good there. And I was very confident going in tonight with him at left tackle."

Injury update on WR Cole Adams...

"Yeah, he just had an arm injury, and I would say we'll have to see, you know, exactly where that's at, just the extent of that. I didn't necessarily see, and I didn't realize it was his arm until he kind of got up. I thought it was something lower leg. But, you know, we'll kind of see where he's at throughout the week. But unfortunately, he's I think more just frustrated that he got hurt than it was maybe even the pain that he was going through. But I'm sure it didn't feel good."

What it says about the team's fight with the way it finished...

"I told them this: I'm not ever going to question the want-to. They practice hard. The energy in the locker room before the game -- I mean, they wanted to go out there and I felt like there was a lot of guys straining out there -- that's a word we use a lot -- to make plays, to finish. Sometimes we were straining too much and we got to understand that you can't make that push in the back, or you can't tug the jersey in that split-second of a hold in those moments were things that cost us a lot of momentum, a lot of big plays. In the locker room, again, we just talked about learning from it. There's some great lessons on learning that. If we just stay in the fight and we just keep playing, and we live to see another down, it's amazing what this team can accomplish. Remember this time when it was 14-13, and you just kept swinging and just kept playing. I'm proud of that. That's what it's going to take to win some close games, even if they're not pretty. Because all wins aren't going to be that way."

Live Updates from press conference

(latest updates at the top)

• DeBoer says he feels like a lot of guys were straining tonight, and that maybe led to some of the penalties.
• "I'm never going to question the want-to"- DeBoer on the way the team finished the game.
• "It showed that we weren't on the same page with different things."- DeBoer on Alabama having players in different positions on the offensive line, inlcuding Tyler Booker at left tackle.
• "I love that Jalen has enough confidence in him to rip it out there and let him make a play."- DeBoer on Milroe's touchdown throw to Ryan Williams.
• DeBoer feels like Jalen Milroe and Jam Miller will put a lot of blame on themselves for their fumbles tonight, but that everyone on the team has things that they need to improve on.
• DeBoer says Alabama had to learn lessons the hard way tonight.
• DeBoer says the offensive line will be in better shape health-wise for next week's game at Wisconsin.
• DeBoer says that Elijah Pritchett had gotten dinged up in last week's game, but he practiced more on the left side throughout the week.
• DeBoer says there will be "a lot to learn from" in this game. It's not a wakeup call though, just something to learn from.
• "If we keep fighting good things can happen." DeBoer says that cleaning up penalties in the fourth quarter helped a lot.
• "There are many things we look at that we've got to clean up."