Everything Kalen DeBoer said after Alabama's win over South Carolina

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer spoke to the media following Alabama’s close 29-22 win over South Carolina.

Here is everything he had to say.

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Opening Statement

“I think just the story of the game is resiliency. Doesn’t matter how you win. It ain’t gonna be pretty all the time, especially when you go on the road, SEC game, Coach (Shane) Beamer, well-coached team, tough, tough environment here, and just proud of the way the guys hung in there for four quarters.”

“And so it wasn’t pretty, a lot of stuff, there were missed opportunities, or breaks that didn’t go our way, we always got to make sure we’re doing a good job with the punt that bounces off of us and gave them good field position. But, defense did a nice job holding the field goals early and had their backs to the wall with a few different positions with a shorter field, but came through in the end, got that turnover and guys finding a way to get in the endzone.”

“I don’t know if it’s something that we could have done, maybe right at the beginning of the season, as far as finding a way to win this thing. But our guys got fight. They certainly believe that, sooner or later, they’re going to make a play, either themselves or the other side of the ball. And so again, a great win for us, much-needed bye (week). It’s been an intense five weeks, but I think it even goes back before that. You know, when we had our backs against the wall, even during the bye week, and Wisconsin, and just the mindset that we had to continue to have going into (Louisiana) Monroe, so proud of the guys, and we’ll take the momentum. We’ll have some great practices. I know that. Looking forward to the next one (in) two weeks.”

Can you talk us through the two-point conversion to tie the game?

“I can’t tell you what it’s called. I mean, it’s just one of those plays we practice all the time. It’s one of those we’ve had in for years. We’ve run at a time or two here over the last five, six years. Just guys practice it. You practice it every Thursday. Every Friday, you’re talking through it for those moments. You just offset, quarterback, running back, end up handing it to Ty (Simpson), getting it into his hands, and then really there’s a run-pass option. The guys did a great job.

What do you think is the difference in this game and finding a way to win?

“I just think the investment of time that we put in talking about the big plays in a mindset that you just got to keep swinging. You’ve got to line up defensively and play another play; you’ve got to forget about the last one. They scored the possession before, you know, I mean, it was a shorter field, but going back out there in the next play is a whole different sort of set of circumstances. Again, the critical moments, the two-minute drills, and practicing, you know, the third down plays and the fourth down ones, they aren’t always going to work, but you play with confidence. When you play with confidence, you give yourself a chance.”

Take us through that game-tying drive. What did you see of the calmness that Ty was able to show on that drive?

“Yeah, that was impressive. I think, all around from the, you know, the guys, coaching staff, just really being patient, you know, and taking it one play at a time, knowing that you know, you got to get the two point conversion, but just trusting and believing that our guys will execute. And they did, you know, just stack plays, and everyone did their job. We didn’t have any penalties that really hurt us. You know, we didn’t have those negative plays that hurt us. And so in just everyone locking in, doing your job, and trusting the buddies.”

Did you notice the fans inching down to storm the field?

“I didn’t notice.”

With Deontae Lawson, what can you say about him making that play (on the Sellers fumble)?

“Man, I’m so proud of that guy, and he just, he’s getting better too. I don’t even know how many months out from last year, but he’s getting better. In practice, you can see it; there’s just things that he’s working on so hard to get his body right. It’s awesome to see him come through. And just the leadership piece, it’s so important to have him out there. I thought, you know, from a leadership standpoint, or TK raised our game, just not just on the field, but off the field. Those guys are the ones that understand what this fight is all about. And, you know, we got a lot of new faces, still, 30-some guys probably that were new this year. 37, 35, probably that came in last year.”

“And so, you know, there’s a lot of roster turnover, and so understand the circumstances, what you’re coming into, you’ve got to really rely on those guys that’s been through it. And those are two workforces that I’m super proud of. Glad we got this moment for them.”

What has this team learned from that first game?

“I think the experiences we’ve had since then, where we have come through and found a way, and understand getting points at the end of the first half. And we didn’t separate ourselves the way I like, in fact, you know, we fell behind. But-knowing that we’ve scored a lot of points over the course of the year, all you need is one touchdown drive. That’s easier said than done against a really good defense, but just, again, it’s the resiliency piece, it’s leave it all on the football field and have no regrets. That’s the way I want our living and I want our guys playing.”

Coach, can you speak to the level of trust that you’ve got in Germie Bernard in a game-winning situation like that to take the ball out of Ty’s hand and go with a direct snap to a wide receiver like that?

“Yeah. I mean, we got all the trust in the world. You’ve seen us every week, have different things that we do, where he’s lined up in a wildcat, getting him out of the backfield, throwing him the ball, double pass opportunities. And so guys who are disciplined, the game slows down for him. You give them the opportunities as much as possible, the critical moments to go make plays for you.”

On that same topic of trick plays, how deep does that catalog go?

“Well, it keeps building because our staff is crazy sometimes, you know, they just, every week, are adding to it. And what I like to see is, I like to see us work on plays, and a lot of times they don’t get called that week. But you start banking reps of each concept or each play, and you know, as you become more and more comfortable, the right opportunity pops up. It’s on the call sheet. And let it fly.”

“I want our guys not flinching when those types of things come up, like, let’s just go do what we do, you know. And again, you put in the guys hands that you trust, and put the pressure on the other team by doing that.”

How would you assess the critical moments throughout this game?

“Yeah. I mean, you know, you’re not going to convert every fourth down, and I know the one that we didn’t get just missed the throw to Ryan (Williams), ended up really costing so they came back with a shorter field and hit the touchdown. But you know, I tell our defense that the confidence I have in them shows up when I do go for it.”

“Yeah, I have confidence in our offense to get the first down, but I have confidence that our defense won’t melt mentally, physically, and go out there and do their job. And so it’s team football. Those critical moments, we probably are crazy aggressive in practice, in fall camp and spring ball, just so when the fourth down plays come, yeah, you understand there’s a little more at stake, but you’re not just collapsing under the pressure and let’s go out there and again, put the pressure on them.”

What did you see out of DaShawn Jones and his interception, and what is the message from the defense when the offense isn’t doing so well?

“Yeah, you know, every week it’s going to be different matchups, right? We knew that there was things that we could do defensively in attacking, things that they’d be vulnerable with, but also opportunities with (LaNorris) Sellers with the ball in his hands. And you know, we saw what (Nyck) Harbor can do getting down the field, you’re not going to keep up with him more times than not.”

“And so we understood there was matchups defensively, and even matchups within the defensive side. And then offensively, we knew that, you know, (Dylan) Stewart was going to be really tough, along with the rest of the pass rush. And so again, you just challenge the defense. And I think we’re to the point now where the relationships are so tight. You know, we’re in this together. We’re in the fight together. But there’s also times where you just got to ask them more often, and they realize the occasion and, you know, they want, and so they’re going to give everything they got.”

Why is it good to win tougher games?

“Yeah, it’s not good when you’re in the moment, but it’s certainly a good feeling right now, because you’re going to take the experiences and how you did it, and that’s going to add to the belief you have. And you just got to be mindful that it didn’t happen on its own. You had to go make it happen. You had to strain. You had to get your cleats in the dirt and really lock in, you know?”

“And again, everyone’s got to do their job. So these moments stack on top of themselves, and more times than not, they’ve been positive, and that’s what we got to ride, you know. I’m excited about what it’s going to look like practicing, because there’s just, again, probably as much juice as I’ve seen in the locker room right now over the course of the last five weeks. I think we kicked off the road game at Georgia, that was a big one in the SEC. And I think just, we’ve understood what this sequence of games was going to be like, and just knew that, like I said earlier in the week, we’re in the stretch. We’re not through the stretch. We’re right in it. And so, again, we’ll be back in real soon. But again, glad that we got a little bye week to get some guys rest and be back.”

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