Kalen DeBoer laments Alabama's inability to play 'team football'

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer didn’t waste much time pointing out one of the Crimson Tide’s issues, not just in its loss at Tennessee but in recent weeks.

“We just can’t play team football,” DeBoer said. “We can’t bring it together. One side of the ball has highlight moments, and the other side stumbles and some missed opportunities.

“We try to look inward after every game, and we gotta continue to do the same. I know we’ve got a locker room that’s hurting. I feel like there’s always, I guess, a common feel in the locker room after a loss. But these guys, no doubt in my mind, that they pour everything into the preparation. 

“Just frustrating we can’t get over the hump.”

Alabama dropped to 5-2 (2-2 SEC) on the season following a 24-17 road loss at Tennessee.

The Crimson Tide won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff, but Alabama went three-and-out to open the contest. The road team’s first three possessions did not produce any points, with the third ending with an interception in the end zone. The offense was able to light up the board on its fourth try, as Jalen Milroe found Ryan Williams. The last three series of the first half ended in two punts and a missed field goal attempt.

While it was a rocky start for the offense, the Alabama defense was able to get stops and hold the Volunteers to zero points until the midway point of the third quarter. The defense has had its issues the previous two games, and it wasn’t a perfect game for the Tide, with Tennessee wide receivers able to get behind its secondary. But the Alabama defense couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game with three turnovers and a goose egg.

The offense, however, wasn’t able to capitalize on the takeaways. The Tide’s two interceptions didn’t lead to points for Alabama’s offense. The same goes for the one fumble recovery.

But Tennessee woke up in the second half, rushing for 170 in the final two quarters. The Vols were also 5-of-9 on third down in the third and fourth quarters after a 1-of-5 start. Tennessee scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives in the third quarter, while the UA offense countered with a field goal. The Tide took a 17-14 lead at the start of the fourth quarter.

The Vols went back in front, 21-17, with 2:43 to play, but the offense failed to move the chains, turning the ball over on down. When the defense got a stop on its next drive, Milroe threw his second interception of the game to seal the home victory for No. 11 Tennessee.

DeBoer, when asked about his message to the team, first said he doesn’t question the fight or preparation or work of the players but circled back to the lack of complementary football.

“We just can’t mesh right now, the offense and defense, together and play great team football,” DeBoer said. “There’s times where we got to be able to separate ourselves and have that killer instinct. And right now, we don’t do that. And it’s not like they’re not trying. It’s just the execution needs to be better. 

“One play can kill an offensive drive. And then defense does a nice job, and then they get into their tempo – which we knew if we kept them out of that rhythm, we’d be all right. They got into it there, the third quarter, and it was tough to stop. It starts with running the football for them.”

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