Everything Kalen DeBoer said after Alabama's 34-0 win over Missouri

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 15 Alabama defeated No. 21 Missouri, 34-0, on Saturday at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. After win No. 6 as the Crimson Tide head coach, Kalen DeBoer spoke to reporters. Below is everything DeBoer said following the Week 9 victory.

DeBoer’s opening statement…

“Every win is important. And I liked the way the guys prepared all week long and got a chance to give them a chance to go out there and have success. Didn’t get a lot of points right away but kept applying pressure in different ways once we got the field position flipped, especially, I think, after the interception, the momentum swinging. Some good team football there. Three takeaways, as I see it, and none as far as given up.

“There’s always areas we can correct and be better. We’ve gotta have some better awareness with some things. Just living in the gray area on some stuff, and it’s hurting us just from really taking a big, big step. And I feel like we’re just right on the edge. And so we’ll get a chance to hash through those areas, those gray areas that a lot of times lead to penalties or just mis-execution. It just can’t be that every little thing that is new or happens to us is something we have to learn a hard lesson from. And it might be just execution of a play. I’m not even talking about penalties all the time.

“So just go back to work. I know that where the guys’ heads are at with what they did this last week, with what happened today and a good time for us to have this week to get ready for LSU. The bye, you can always find a reason for it to be a good time, and I feel it’s a good time just for our guys to recover physically, mentally and make the final run.”

DeBoer on Cole Adams…

“Lower-extremity (injury). Probably gonna be something – we’ll do more evaluation – but it feels like it’s gonna be something that might be a little bit of time where he’ll be missed. We’ll probably have more on Monday with that, but that’s what it feels like right now.”

DeBoer on adjustments that helped the offense get going…

“Probably a combination of a few things. Just staying the course, wanting to try to be balanced, wanting to try to get different guys touches, the field position and just wanting to get us out of our territory. You naturally are gonna be a little bit more conservative there, but we just couldn’t quite make the big play. I think we missed the big one to Kobe and missed on a couple third downs that just off of hands. And then there’s a penalty that puts you behind the sticks and backs you up a little bit. 

“So I think the field position certainly kept us from having drives, and you have to have explosives if you’re gonna go the length of the field and we just missed on those. We knew that it was gonna hard when we got in the red zone. We really had to buckle down. That’s frustrating when you have to walk away with field goals. But Graham did a nice job getting a couple there in the first half, and that was good, just to get some points. 

“And then the defense just continued to keep fighting and get the takeaways. They got put in a couple spots just because we couldn’t get the field flipped and they got off the field. So hats off to them. I thought they had a really good week of practice, considering a lot of moving parts over the last 2-3 weeks, especially in the back half. I thought they went out and executed and made no excuses about how much someone was practicing and anything like that. They just knew the work had to be the work and went out there and did a nice job. Made some plays, some diving interceptions and things like that. Made their breaks, and that’s what I appreciate.”

DeBoer on if the defense has turned the corner…

“You’re only as good as your last play, right? And only as good as your last game. So there are things you make sure that you know you do well, and that’s something that is certainly, there’s some good vibes when it comes to taking the football away defensively. They’re hunting it. They’re anticipating a little bit. So a little bit more of an attacking mindset and not so much on their heels and just making every yard count. 

“I wanted them to really get that shutout there. It’s why I called the timeout. If there was any type of question at all, I wanted to let us get our feet in the ground and be able to play football. So I wanted that for them because I know they’ve been working extremely hard and just staying the course and appreciate the effort today. Really kept up right there to where once the offense then got it rolling better and found ways there, especially the latter half of the second quarter, to where we really started playing a full team game.”

DeBoer on what he saw from the third-down defense…

“You’re always looking for the things and the wins that you’re doing. I know we have our goals and what we think we need to do each and every week, but just flat out having that each week be something that we can hang our hat on, whether it’s takeaways or now, after today’s game, just getting off the field on third down. Those are momentum builders. Those are the positives that you can take from today, apply it and everyone kind of looks at each other and believes that you can go make that play and get that stop. And so that is definitely something we can build off of, and now, they just know that they’re capable of it and now they’ve gotta go line up and do it again.”

DeBoer on the juice Justice Hayne’s ‘thunderous’ run gave the team…

“He had a couple. Are you talking about the one going from my left to right? Was it the touchdown? Yeah, that’s the one that sticks out in my mind, too. Just there was a hit in there, and thunderous is probable a good word to put it because I can hear it. And for him to stay on his feet, keep the legs moving, bounce off and then guys downfield blocking – great effort. That’s something I just see from them, the want-to is there. And to see it pay off in that type of way and then have guys making plays, there’s some momentum things and things we can build off from there, too. But that was really not just fun for him, it was fun for everyone to see that physical type of run. And Jam, I thought, did a nice job on some runs there, too, at different times. That one-two punch right there took a good step in the right direction.”

DeBoer on if the run game’s success led to weight coming off Jalen Milroe’s shoulders…

“I think that’s how, I mean, every quarterback needs a good run game, right, so the whole weight of everything isn’t on one guy’s shoulders. There’s still even more things that we can do better, and we’ve gotta stay out of situations where our backs are to the wall. Like we can’t be in 1st and 25 or whatever it was on just a simple play where we get 12 and really not that they don’t matter because there’s a purpose to why they’re cutting, but we can’t have illegal chop blocks. We’ve gotta be clean across the board, hit that 12 yards, help Jalen out. That’s an easy, nice throw, gets him into a rhythm to start a drive. 

“Those are the types of things we’ve gotta help him. We can’t have someone be substituting and a route be run – and it sometimes, he doesn’t make the throw that you want or he wants, but then there’s other times, too, other guys just gotta make sure they stay the course and run the route the way it’s needed to be run. And everything we’ve just gotta keep learning from. The things that didn’t quite click, it’s really close, and just go back to work, make those corrections, communicate, keep talking. And that’s what I saw on the sideline. 

“I saw some receivers and J-Mil continue to just try to iron things out. And with Cole being out, that moved some guys around. Kobe, we got even Ryan in a spot or two probably that he hasn’t practiced much. And just finding that level of being in-sync at the elite level is still not there, but I do feel like we did some things taking a step forward. But we’ve gotta continue to take the pressure off him to where every play isn’t on him, run or pass.”

DeBoer on Alabama’s secondary, Bray Hubbard…

“Excited for Bray to have this opportunity. The guys really do believe in him. He works extremely hard. And then just across the board, every snap that our young guys take, from ZB to Bak to all of them, there’s a lot of new faces in there working together. Malachi and Domani really kind of being the staples that have been pretty consistent. Today, we had some guys that have rotated in at nickel and things like that, too. So just love the way that they continue to get better. 

“I think there’s things that they can build on again today, but there’s some tough kids. Really not just putting out on Saturday but this week, they were able to be on the field a little bit more, and any time they can do that, they understand how importance practice is to building that confidence so they can go out and execute on a higher level each and every week. That was something I actually felt better about than I have really the last 2-3 weeks is that I saw the reps in practice because we were a little bit healthier. We’re just healthy enough to go out there and get some of those reps in that showed us there can be a trust in each other and in our execution.”

DeBoer on Malachi Moore…

“I think there’s just moments that you go through. Anyone does. And that was a moment I know he’s not gonna wanna go back to. I know how he feels about it, and I know what he’s done since then and really a lot of growth. And not just in a situation that might come up like that but growth. The passion, you’re never gonna question the passion. The way he is in practice, sometimes you don’t know if he’s mad or happy, you know? He’s just bringing it. We’ve got a couple guys like that. A Tyler Booker. They play to the end of the whistle. And then in practice, they’re just taking it upon themselves to be those vocal leaders. And so they’re pouring everything into it. They’re bringing their A game every single day in practice to help will this team to take those next steps and be better each and every day. And so there’s a lot of growth that he’s had. You love seeing growth be rewarded. So yeah, I’m very happy for him.”

DeBoer on if it was nice to have a cushion; how this can propel into November…

“I thought there was a level of physicality that we had today, on both sides. There’s been always times each side of the ball has had their moments. But I thought was a little different level of physicality. And we really felt like they were a well-rounded team. I know they lost their quarterback there, but even when he was in there, we were doing some really good things defensively. And so the run game has been something that really gets them going, and I thought we were around the football. I know at the end, they popped a couple when we had some different guys in there. But I’m really appreciative of the physicality we brought to the table.

“And the execution. Just being where they’re supposed to be. The play action didn’t really get a chance to open up off any run, so guys were in their spots, eyes were in the right places. Just discipline with their jobs and doing their job at a high level. So always room to improve, and I know we’re gonna continue to do that.”

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