Kalen DeBoer explains 'aggressiveness' that led to Carolina score before halftime

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama’s defense gave the ball back to the offense via a strip-sack of South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers. At its own 47 with 48 seconds left in the second quarter and two timeouts to burn, the Crimson Tide had a chance to add to its lead.

However, Alabama lost yards on first and second down, with the latter taking place with 36 ticks left in the first half. But head coach Kalen DeBoer waited to call a timeout until there were just 11 seconds remaining on the game clock. It proved to be the Tide’s final timeout of the half, even though the scoreboard at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium showed one.

On the next play, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was intercepted by South Carolina’s Jalon Kilgore, who returned it 31 yards before being pushed out of bounds by Kadyn Proctor at the Tide’s 19-yard line. Awarded one second by the officials, the Gamecocks kicked a 37-yard field goal as the second quarter expired to cut the Alabama edge to two, 14-12.

DeBoer was asked what went into his decision to wait to call his final timeout on Saturday.

“I trust our guys,” DeBoer said. “That one, obviously, the points they got at the end of the half there hurt us. I’m thinking if we can get one play to where we can throw it in the end zone on fourth down and the clock ends with us having the football, I’m all for it. Worst-case scenario, you take a sack or something, you have to punt it. I don’t like punting, really, anytime. But that was, to me, the worst-case scenario. 

“I guess I’m always just aggressive that way. You try to weigh the risk/reward and put the trust in the guys, things we talk about. That’ll be something obviously me, J-Mill, Coach Sheridan, we’ll sit and talk about just when we’re in that moment and we want to keep the pedal down and try to give ourselves another play. 

“I’m looking for anything. The pass might be defensive pass interference. It could be anything that gives us one more play. We’ve seen crazier things happen, right? That’s just the aggressiveness I like to have.

“Now, we’ll talk about the trust. I think the guys appreciate when you put the trust in them, but we have to learn from those things when they do happen because, obviously, they got three points out of it. That’s probably the last thing I was thinking about when it did happen.”

Milroe also shared the message from the coaches entering the final drive of the first hafl.

“It was for us to manage the field, cut the field in half and just execute the play at hand,” Milroe said. “I have to do a better job of having great eye discipline, great details and managing the field. It’s definitely something that I need to do a better job at, having better ball dominance and details. 

“But I think we were just trying to execute the play at hand and cutting the field in half.”

South Carolina got the ball to start the second half and marched down the field to take its first lead of the game, 19-14. Alabama was able to score 13 points in the second half, though, to avoid a second straight loss and escaped Week 7 with a 27-25 win over Carolina.

Milroe threw for 209 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions on 16-of-23 passing in the Crimson Tide’s victory. He also rushed for 36 yards and two more scores on 18 attempts while being sacked four yards (-36 yards). Milroe led Alabama to back-to-back scoring drives on its final two possessions, closing the second half much better than the first.

But the trust DeBoer and the staff had in Milroe late in the second half is what stood out to the Tide starting quarterback when he spoke to a group of reporters after the 2-point victory. 

“That’s something that I appreciate about Coach DeBoer so much is the trust factor and the belief he has in me,” Milroe said. “It’s always vocalized. His belief in me is greatly appreciated from my end, especially when you have a head coach that believes in you each and every day and always has your back despite anything. Despite your failures, despite anything. 

“He always has my back. So as a quarterback, I’m greatly appreciative of him.”

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