We saw many images of Kalen DeBoer in 2024 as a first-year head football coach for the University of Alabama, but the final one was in a 13-19 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Alabama fans enjoyed a 16-year run of having 10+ win seasons (2008-23) under Nick Saban that snapped last year with the program finishing at 9-4. Supporters endured the highs of DeBoer leading the Tide to victories over Georgia, LSU, Wisconsin, Auburn, but were highly frustrated in the defeats against Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Michigan.
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Greg Byrne, Alabama’s athletics director, believes in DeBoer and the majority of fans do as well, but the 50-year-old knows what must be done in his second year for the team to return to the College Football Playoff. DeBoer explained to ESPN’s Paul Finebaum and the panel from the Next Round show at the Region Traditions Pro-Am golf tournament Alabama’s most crucial for improvement.
“We got to be better in critical moments,” DeBoer said Wednesday to Finebaum.
“I know that’s an area we’ve emphasized. We lost three one-score games. You win one or two of those at the minimum, and it’s a different picture that we’re looking at. That’s been the story of Alabama, is winning those moments. Be great in those moments.”
DeBoer told the Next Round panel that Alabama ‘has to be better in the big moments.’
“We have to find a way to come from behind in those games where we were down in the fourth quarter,” he said. “We found ways to get over the hump when games got a little close, but we found ways to win when we had the lead. … But we have to be better in the critical moments.”
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In its losses to Vandy, Tenneesee, Oklahoma, and Michigan, Alabama had moments where it played from behind. The defense did not respond in critical moments versus the Commodores, but it was DeBoer’s side of the ball (offense) that really struggled in the other three defeats.
Hopefully, the Tide develops the consistency to be better in the marquee moments.
Stephen M. Smith is a senior analyst and writer for The Bama Standard. You can follow him on X via @CoachingMSmith.
