Everything Kalen DeBoer said after Alabama's 28-14 win over Auburn

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 13 Alabama defeated Auburn, 28-14, on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Following his first Iron Bowl win as the Crimson Tide head coach, Kalen DeBoer spoke to local reporters. Below is everything DeBoer said following the Week 14 win.

DeBoer’s opening statement…

“Proud of the guys today. The staff and everyone just putting a good week of work in, and I could really feel it Tuesday morning. I thought it was a great practice, and I told the guys downstairs that was something I felt and got us off to a pretty good start. Wednesday was the same thing and it led to a day where we’re out there and playing hard and doing our thing. Just proud of the resiliency at times that we have, whether it’s week-to-week, even within a game. But our focus I think was on the right things all week long. Focusing on this game, focusing on what we can control, and that’s what I shared with them downstairs.

“I do want to say one thing: we’re undefeated at home, and that’s a big part to do with our fanbase. Just out there right at the very end and just the energy in the stadium today, just all day from the time we pull up and do the walk to the very end, and that’s been every single week. There is definitely a home-field advantage that we feel when we’re here and want to give a lot of thanks to the fans for being here today, for being here with us all season long.

“It was a fun night for our guys winning the Iron Bowl. It’s a big deal, as everyone knows, and for us, again, did the things that we needed to do to put ourselves in a chance to win.”

DeBoer on his pitch for why Alabama deserves to be in the playoff…

“I think everyone’s aware of our schedule, and I don’t know the exact stats, but I know we beat four top-25 teams throughout the year. I don’t know how many, if anyone, has done that. So when you talk about the schedule and what it is week to week. It’s just a grind and having to come back every week, that’s really the only conference that has to do that is ours. That’s what I’d say. We won (four) of our last six. Playing some physical football. I think we’ve continued to excel in that area, doing what the games are all about. So I think those are two pretty big deals. We beat some high-quality teams, teams that are still out there, I believe, playing some good ball themselves. And then just winning (four) of the last six at the back half of the season.”

DeBoer on Jalen Milroe’s impact on his first year at Alabama…

“We talk about resiliency for our team, I think that’s a good word to use for him. It’s hard being the quarterback of any football team. I think it’s hard being a quarterback of a team and a program that expects to win every game. The ball’s in his hands a lot. We throw with him — and I think he was probably 70 percent or so, 18-for-24 — and then obviously running the football. That’s not just tonight, that’s a lot of what he brings to the table and he facilitates a lot of moving parts. He had some good conversions. I know there’s always a play or two that you always want back, but he just continues to stay the course.

“I thought him coming back after a couple plays there in the fourth quarter and making some big third-down throws and guys helping him make plays, too. I thought throughout the course of the game, even the ones that were incomplete, I thought he put them in a pretty good spot. So was just really proud of the way he played tonight and he continued to be resilient, continued to just stay the course and help us win the football game.”

DeBoer on tying the school record for most wins by a first-year coach…

“It’s always about the team. Any wins I get are always about the team and the staff and everything we do. There’s more that I wish we would have had, and that’s the way I look at it. But from a season standpoint, highs and lows. That’s a part of any program. Championship programs go through the same thing each and every year. I go back to the way I just care about these guys. And I think we’ve really grown closer together the last half of the season as a team. The staff and players just really connecting, a love for each other that I think really has grown here the last three, four, five games. I think the hard times bring you closer, and you can see the response. 

“I wish everyone could be in that locker room. And it’s not this crazy party going on downstairs. It’s a lot of just love and care for each other and smiles. That’s what it’s all about. Coming together each and every week, the ups and downs. Yeah, it’s been a great ride in a lot of ways. Obviously, there’s times when you’d love to have a few things go a little bit better.”

DeBoer on the offense leaning on Jam Miller, Germie Bernard…

“There’s a lot of guys that are always critical to our success, and you just trust those guys. I think they’ve been super consistent. They get themselves ready to play, and they’re gonna fight and battle for themselves but our team first and foremost. There’s some hard yards for all of those guys, and you asked about Jam, that was certainly the case until the very end. I thought Germ coming up with some big third-down catches, he’s just steady in that way and been that way all year, as well.”

DeBoer on Malachi Moore setting the tone for the defense…

“He carried us through some — I mean, tonight’s big but I think it just represents what he is all season long. When guys were in and out or weeks when we were kind of up against it maybe with some dings and the rotation wasn’t always consistent with some of the play around him with injuries or guys just working through stuff — he just continued to stay the course. Tonight, loved seeing him fly around. His energy, in a positive way, being something that everyone feeds off of. So he loves this place more than I think anyone could ever imagine, and we see it every day in practice. And it’s great when it carries over to the game and you can see it, as well.”

DeBoer on the skirmish on Auburn’s sideline…

“I saw the first part of it, and I understand there was a piece where we didn’t handle it probably as well as we needed to. So I don’t want to get into it too much other than that. I know I felt like there was something that prompted it, but that’s about all I know, and it was on the other sideline, so you can’t see a lot. But certainly one of those things that got them a little bit of momentum with those yards you could’ve got after that, but it’s an emotional game. You put (in work) all year and it builds up to this and the game itself and the back and forth and a lot of momentum swings. It’s not OK, but I understand where the emotions were on both sides. A lot of people over there, so it’s hard for me to really tell what was going on.”

DeBoer on Bray Hubbard’s growth…

“He was just waiting for the opportunity, and while he was waiting he was getting ready this season and that’s a credit to him. And there’s I think a lesson that a lot of players that are young — and I know, he’s not a freshman or anything like that — but guys who are waiting for their time that I think can really take from what he did this year. He’s a guy that, again, plays with passion, but he’s a really heady player and continue to develop the physical tools each and every week and the confidence. And we have belief in him because we know he cares so much. He’s really smart. He sees things. And every snap he’s playing, he’s getting better and better.”

DeBoer on what allowed Milroe to be productive with his legs; his first Iron Bowl…

“It lived up to the hype. It definitely did.

“He found his times to go make plays. Sometimes it was when we dropped back, but he didn’t force it, but when the times came, he can go make those plays. I thought he did a good job of trying to put his head down at times, and then he loves using his feet and getting to the corner. So when he’s doing those type of things, we become really hard to defend. So I was proud of the way he executed a lot of just both the run and the pass. He made us tough to defend a lot of times today. Again, I thought he threw the ball extremely well and great completion percentage — even some more that we probably left out there on the football field.”

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