Where Kalen DeBoer Ranks Alabama-Georgia Game in Career

The Crimson Tide head coach said that he's still thinking about the energy in the stadium, but hesitantly admitted some unawareness for one of Alabama's most renowned game day traditions.

Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer watches warm ups on the field before a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images / William McLelland-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— There have been countless moments in the history of Alabama football home games that have broken the internet, and Saturday night's go-ahead 75-yard touchdown connection between Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe and freshman phenom wide receiver Ryan Williams to take a 41-34 lead against Georgia will never be forgotten.

While it is among the loudest moments in recent Alabama history, it is without a doubt the best moment since the venue was renamed to "Saban Field and Bryant-Denny Stadium" and the Tide's season itself.

In nine seasons as a head coach, Kalen DeBoer accumulated a record of 104-12, which includes a 25-3 record in his previous stop with the Washington Huskies and three NAIA National Championships at Sioux Falls. In other words, the new Crimson Tide coach's mountain of victories has provided a lot of all-timers in his career. During Monday's press conference, he revealed where he ranks this past Saturday's instant classic.

"It's definitely up there because there was certainly the ebbs and flows to an extreme when it comes to the lead, the loss of the lead, and then even in the last two and a half minutes, just how the game went back and forth," DeBoer said. "So it is a big one. I think the significance of it being our first conference game against a top-ranked opponent, taking all of those things in, it's as big as any. I mean, I have a lot of pride in just winning some National Championships and things like that. So that's internal. But this is where my feet are at right now. And so this is the most important one I’ve ever won and it ranks at the top."

The magnitude of the matchup between two of the four highest-ranked teams in the country had the entire college football world watching from start to finish, and the energy in Tuscaloosa throughout the day and inside the stadium all night reflected the hype. DeBoer described the magic of the entire day on Monday.

"I got a chance to go out there on [ESPN's College] GameDay, that set, and get a good feel of it, and maybe just give [the team] a heads up that, ‘Hey, it’s going to be a fun day. It's going to be a lot of energy.’ And when we start pulling into the stadium, you can feel it," DeBoer said. "I'm on that first bus with the guys. Their eyes were wide open and excited about what they were feeling and seeing. And then, of course, just throughout the game, I just can't tell you enough. I think there's just an energy. It's not like you pick out any single thing, like I still haven’t."

This is DeBoer's first season as the Crimson Tide's head coach as he's stepping into the unfillable shoes of six-time Alabama national champion Nick Saban, who retired from the position on Jan. 10. For any new coach, player, or even freshman student at Alabama, the traditions can take some getting used to. DeBoer hesitantly admitted some unawareness to something everyone at Alabama looks forward to on game day.

"I'm embarrassed to say this, Dixieland Delight, I still haven't really experienced it," DeBoer said. "I don't know when — I thought it was supposed to happen between the third quarter and the fourth quarter, but it must happen another time. So the lights go out, and I'm thinking it's going to happen, and it doesn't happen. So I'm still learning myself. But the energy, the excitement of it, there's just something special about playing in Bryant-Denny. I can't tell the fan base how much the guys love it and we appreciate it and can't wait to continue to do it again."

Alabama has four more home games this season, so DeBoer has plenty of trials to fully experience Dixieland Delight.