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Alabama

Kalen DeBoer shares communication level with SEC over Ryan Williams call

by: Alex Byington11/26/24_AlexByington
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer (William Purnell / USA TODAY Sports)

It’s the call that sent the entire Alabama fanbase into an uproar Saturday, even if most acknowledge it ultimately wouldn’t have had any significant impact on the final result.

On the second play of the fourth quarter in Saturday’s 24-3 loss at Oklahoma, Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe rolled to his right and connected with star freshman Ryan Williams on a sensational 36-yard would-be touchdown. For Alabama, it was just the momentum-building spark fans and players were seeking all game.

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Instead, officials called “illegal touching” on the play and indicated Williams was illegally covered up pre-snap. Making matters worse, an illegal touching call results in a loss of down, meaning the fourth-and-2 play ended in a turnover on downs, effectively destroying any chances for an Alabama comeback.

Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer was seen unloading on officials in the moment and made it clear after the game he didn’t agree with the penalty. Two days later, DeBoer confirmed he’s been in communication with SEC officials in Birmingham, even if he acknowledged nothing of substance came from it.

“Yeah, I mean, there’s been communication,” DeBoer said Monday. “But there’s nothing you can really do now, right? The game’s over and stuff, so you just have to be comfortable with the communication that you have, and that’s been the case with the SEC. You just move on. We’re focused on the Iron Bowl.”

As DeBoer indicated, the SEC isn’t going to reverse any calls in the middle of the week. And with the always-important Iron Bowl rivalry against Auburn on Saturday, as well as a fading chance at making the 12-team College Football Playoff field, the Tide have already moved on.

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Jalen Milroe responds to Demarcus Riddick

Milroe was asked about Auburn linebacker Demarcus Riddick‘s Iron Bowl trash talk ahead of Saturday’s game inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, not that it resonated with the Crimson Tide signal-caller.

“I don’t even know who that is,” Milroe said Tuesday. “But, let him talk. It’s apart of it. It’s all about executing what we need to do so we can be our best us this weekend.”

It was a classy and reserved response from Milroe, who refused to engage in a back-and-forth with the Auburn defender.

“He is a good quarterback,” Riddick told reporters Monday. “He’s fast, but I mean, he’s not faster than me. He will not get out of that box this week.”

Not only did Riddick question Milroe’s speed, he also called out Alabma’s superstar freshman wideout.

“Ryan Williams is Ryan Williams,” Riddick said. “Yeah he’s electric, all this and that. In my eyes, he ain’t really nobody to me. Ryan Williams is himself. He ain’t no big time player to me.”

Grant Grubbs and Nick Kosko contributed to this report.