Kalen DeBoer gives honest evaluation of Ty Simpson start in Week 1 loss

The Alabama Crimson Tide are now dealing with the fallout of being upset by Florida State in Week 1. That has included increasing scrutiny on quarterback Ty Simpson and his decision making.

Now, the Crimson Tide are looking to turn the page and learn from the loss. For head coach Kalen DeBoer, there is a lesson to learn for Simpson in the loss. That’s to trust his reads and pull the trigger more quickly on passes. If he’s able to do that, DeBoer feels that the offense can take strides forward.

“There was probably a couple of times where he could have avoided having to get to that point by just ripping it,” Kalen DeBoer said. “You know? Just trusting himself. The guys were where they needed to be, the reads happen. That comes along, right? Just getting into the flow. I know they want verification on, ‘This is what we practiced,’ right? It’s [the] first game of the year.”

Ty Simpson came to Alabama as a five-star recruit in the Class of 2022 and has stayed with the program through multiple coaching staffs and offensive coordinator changes. This year, for the first time, he won the starting job. So, while he has a pedigree as a recruit and time in the program, he also lacks experience in important games.

In the loss to Florida State, Simpson completed 23 of 43 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 17 yards on nine carries, with sacks included in that total. The offense, meanwhile, scored just 17 points.

“But just cut it loose. When you see the read, it isn’t like they’re putting 12 guys on the field. There’s only 11 out there. When this structure goes a certain way, and it is what you practiced, trust and believe in it. So, then what it does is it forces him into that progression or that read being missed,” DeBoer said.

“And now the next step, which I think you’re referring to in taking off and scrambling. There’s a time or two where he could have made some decisions that were better, but he also had kept some drives alive. Especially the first one, I thought he did a nice job. He came up short right there at the end of the game, that was a tough one where he came up a few inches short, but the effort was there, and you could see that from trying to fight for every inch he could to keep that drive alive.”

Ultimately, the loss to Florida State is one game. Simpson and Alabama have a chance to bounce back and learn from the loss. If they’re able to do that, then their ultimate goals like going to the College Football Playoff and winning the SEC, are still on the table.

“He’s gonna learn from it, Ty wants it, no doubt. He’s a guy that takes ownership himself, and that’s what we do from the coaching staff on down to our players. Going into this week it’s just always reassessing win or loss what we need to get better at,” DeBoer said. “What our strengths are, and then how we’ve got to progress and what the plan should be moving forward.”

Next week, Alabama will return to Tuscaloosa for its home opener. The Crimson Tide will welcome ULM to Bryant-Denny Stadium at 7:45 p.m. EST on Saturday.