What Kalen DeBoer Said Ahead of First Iron Bowl

The Crimson Tide head coach spent time expounding on Saturday's loss and looking ahead to a big rivalry game.

Nov 16, 2024; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer during the game against the Mercer Bears at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images / Gary Cosby Jr- USA Today Network via Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala -- No. 13 Alabama lost to the Oklahoma Sooners 24-3 on Saturday but has a quick turnaround as the Auburn Tigers come to town for head coach Kalen DeBoer is facing his first Iron Bowl. DeBoer met with the media on Monday to discuss the loss further and look ahead to the season finale.

Opening Statement

"I just think a lot of it comes down to some execution in all areas. Offense, defense gets up here and talks but I think it’s all areas execution can be better. Obviously the turnover margin and some big plays and momentum-changing plays there played a role. And I think our inability to create explosives – I always look at that. We lost that area, too, in the game. There’s details as to why all those things happened. We meet with our team yesterday. I think that’s what you can do with this group, is you can be very truthful, very honest. The relationships there, the trust’s there, the leadership with our staff or just our leadership within our team. They want to know the facts. They want to know the details.

"We addressed those and our focus turns to the Iron Bowl now. The excitement of that, we’ve got to make sure we’re focused on the next play and only the next play. It’s Senior Day for 19 guys. We have 10 scholarship, nine walk-ons, that we’ll get a chance to recognize and celebrate that day with them. We want to send them out with a win and a great experience. Appreciate all these guys and everything they’ve poured into it. With the 10 scholarship guys, we’ve got, I think, three special teams, five defense and two offensive guys that are playing their senior year here.

"Care a lot about those guys. I know our team does too, and want it to be a special time, a special week getting ready to play the Iron Bowl.

"Deontae Lawson, we’ll lose him for the season with a season-ending injury. Just an amazing leader. Chosen team captain by the team. I can see not just what he means to us on the field, but just the love that our players have for him, especially those that have been through multiple years seeing what he pours into it. I know we all feel for him. We appreciate everything he’s been doing.

"Obviously you greatly miss everything he does on the football field, but you love having that guy in the locker room leading your team.

What is your coaching point on Jalen Milroe's tackling effort on the pick six?

"He’s got to find a way to get him out. He’s a good enough athlete to where either using the sideline or forcing a cutback, it’s not something you spend a lot of time practicing. It’s not his position he’s in. He’s got to find a way to get him out of bounds. I trust Jalen to do a lot of things and I trust that he can get him down. Find a way. Find a way to get the defense out there, find some way possible. Hold them to a field goal. Those are things we want to try to do. That’s not something you practice a lot. I blow the whistle dead every time. Obviously, I don’t want guys tackling each other in practice, especially the quarterbacks. So find a way. That’s what I would say."

How healthy is Justice Haynes?

"A lot of guys are working through things all season. He’s certainly one of them. Justice trying to use him in the ways we can. Everyone’s not at full-strength, but he goes through the week of practice trying to prepare the best he can to go out there and give us everything he’s got. We believe in him for sure."

This Group of Seniors hasn't lost to Auburn, what's the message ahead of the game?

"Just already talking about it yesterday in the team meeting. You can already feel leadership stepping up and really talking about what this game means to them, what this means to us, what it means to everyone on both sides. The state. 365 days of the year. Ever since I’ve been here, I think I hear about it every day. So understand what it means. The excitement. We have to learn from last week and be better because of it and turn the page and get ready to practice tomorrow and do everything we can to be successful on Saturday, find a way to win."

How will Justin Jefferson fill in for Deontae Lawson?

"Maybe a little different style. Obviously stature, you look at that right away, but Justin can run. Justin’s physical. He’s a guy you can count on. He’s really trustworthy. He pours everything into it. He has a team-first mind-set. Going through spring ball and him trying to figure out his role, I remember talking at the time just … he’s been ready whenever called upon. He’s worked through his things here and there with injuries. But any guy is looking forward to that moment, and I know that along with the disappointment that we always have and how much we love Deontae, we’re also excited about the next man up and the opportunity that creates for him. We’re all fans of him and want him to go out there and be great and we’re confident in him."

What about the lack of consistency in performance? How can you buid it?

"Yeah, really it’s disappointing because I feel like we’ve done a good job of building up over the last month. Really the consistency in all areas, really starts with winning the turnover margin. That’s been ways when we’ve really gotten momentum. We’ve started fast because of it. We’ve held teams to field goals. We gave up, really the one touchdown and we forced them to field goals so some of those things were still were in play. We didn’t have that momentum that you need. We went into an environment and we let the environment be what it was because we didn’t grab ahold of it like we did at LSU and it kind of took over the place. We let them hang around through the first half and then obviously they got the score at the very end and then just a couple plays, right? The takeaways that they had, or turnovers on our part really spinning the game there. And you know what your focus is at that time when you’re in the middle of the third quarter. Spoke to the coaching staff and them passing it on to the team is just try to find a way to get one more score here at the end of the third quarter. Try to make it a two-score game and if you get 10, give yourself a chance to where you’re competing. Keep applying pressure, keep pouring it on the best you could. It wasn’t like I felt like we needed to make more adjustments, we just made a couple mistakes there and that swung the game. We knew they had a good defense going in. We knew that they had that type of ability to make those type of plays. Unfortunately, we turned it over and those in particular, the third one at the end of the game [waves hand]. But we had a chance to cut into that lead and we didn’t and that led to the fourth quarter where you’re just kind of trying to find any way to get explosive plays, a lot of passes. Pretty much one-dimensional at that point offensively in particular." 

Did you get any explanation for the illegal touching penalty from the SEC office?

"Yeah, there’s been communication. There’s nothing you can really do now, The game’s over. So you’ve got to just be comfortable with the communication that you have and that’s been the case with the SEC and you just move on. We’re focusing on the Iron Bowl."

How much time are you spending with roster management?

"Yeah, I think that’s one thing with our staff, just the relationships that exist, I think those little conversations that happen periodically, it might happen different times with different guys, just because they feel open to talk to our staff. Yes, there’s different levels of conversations. Some of them are initiated not just by us but by the players and just talking through it and getting our input. You know, that’s not the focus right now. The focus is on the Iron Bowl. The focus is on the regular season, but I think just in the sidebar conversations that looking to our staff as mentors and you know they have their families they have the people that they go to away from the building as well, just really working through it with them. Comfortable with where we’re at, but the roster management piece is a huge deal, this signing class in particular and then obviously, it isn’t just an end of the season thing anymore it’s a constant year-round management of the roster and kind of having a beat on what you think and feel might happen and what you’ve got to be ready for when that time comes."

What have you heard about the Iron Bowl?

Yeah sure, it’s going to be an awesome environment, we know that. We love playing the game at home, right? You get a chance to be undefeated - that’s a sidebar, but to be undefeated at home is a big deal. That’s always been a big deal to me. That’s where we’re at as a team, but this game, what it means to those that come from each side. What it means to the state to talk about, not just told to me, but talked about amongst everyone in their homes. It’s Thanksgiving weekend so if you’re not at the game you’re watching it with your friends and your family. I’ve heard stories of families being divided because of it, many different ways. That’s what rivalry games are all about and this is a rivalry that’s on another level.”

DeBoer on if he heard any stories about the Iron Bowl when he was hired…

“Not that there’s a particular story or something that’s just off the wall. I know those all exist. I understand what took place a year ago and what it took to win that game, and that’s, I think, probably pretty reminiscent of what both sides are looking at as far as the effort it’s gonna take and playing for four quarters, playing every second, every play like it’s your last. So that’s the intensity of it.”

DeBoer on how the Oklahoma game plan, in-game adjustments complemented each other…

“I think the very end of the game, I think, was different just because of the nature of what the score was. But I felt like offensively, a lot of it was sticking to the plan because I think our plan was good. We just didn’t get a chance to get into the offense enough to be able to create the explosives, the things that come off of plays that you’re – not setting up. We’ll go to the explosive opportunities whenever they’re there. But just it didn’t develop. There wasn’t a rhythm. And I think it’s always hard to – you’ve gotta find those plays that can get into a rhythm. That’s your base offense. And so a lot of times, it was execution, and that’s on everyone. That’s not just one particular group.“But defensively, I think there’s always adjusting, especially when a team has elements that are presented in a way that maybe are a little bit different. I mean, they still have the DNA of who they are. We knew that their quarterback would still be involved in the run game in some capacity. We knew a little bit of the formations. But there’s gonna be adjustments because every week, an offense shows new pictures, and they’re adjusting to their personnel.“So there was probably a few more adjustments in the game plan as it goes on. But those are usually part of the game plan itself. You’re just going to Plan B, Plan C, and that’s, to me, what adjustments are. You know what the possibilities are each and every week from the film that you watch. And it’s just a matter of going to the next level and next set of plays that either attack offensively or adjust to what you’ve been seeing defensively, and you call more of this rather than that. So I think, yeah, it evolved, but I think it’s different for each side of the ball.”

DeBoer on if he differentiates a game that was lost vs. a game the other side won…

“I mean, we lost. We lost, and I don’t know which ones I’ve ever felt worse about. Maybe people have strong opinions. I mean, when you lose, you lose, and that’s just sickening every time it happens. I mean, that feeling in your guy, right, is there, and it doesn’t matter how. I know you can probably look at it different ways. I mean, a last-second throw and you lose on the last play of the game versus losing when you’re down by multiple scores. Yeah, it’s still a loss. And so, to us, we fell short. We didn’t play at the level we’re capable of. And that’s what we look at. That’s we go back to. That’s what we actually have to flush is the feeling because we have to understand that we’re capable, that we have had a lot of consistency for a month, and that wasn’t it on Saturday.”

DeBoer on Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman…

“And they have multiple threats that I would consider very difficult. But certainly, high-profile guys. Guys that have really produced for both teams as young athletes here at the college level. So he’s extremely impressive. He’s made a lot of plays for them this year. And yeah, I mean, you’ve gotta not just focus on him, you’ve gotta focus on the other guys that have had big games. And it’s not just the pass game but it’s also the run game. Their quarterback now, Thorne, has done a nice job adding to that, too, with his legs. A lot of threats. And that’s what you wanna be. You wanna be an offense that has a lot of threats, and they have that.”