Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer Believes the Tide are ‘Not There Yet’

The Crimson Tide has been on fire since losing its season opener to Florida State. Alabama is currently on a three-game winning streak, recently achieving a significant upset against Georgia on the road. In that game, the Tide performed impressively on both sides of the ball.

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As of now, Alabama has a record of 3-1 and boasts the No. 10-ranked passing offense in the nation. They rank third in the SEC, behind Ole Miss at No. 9 and Tennessee at No. 6, averaging 321.8 passing yards per game. This strength in passing was evident in their victory over Georgia, where Alabama passed for 280 yards and two touchdowns.

The Tide's offense was very balanced in Saturday's win, with Alabama rushing for 117 yards against the Bulldogs while recording one rushing touchdown. This offense is currently ranked 37th in the nation, with them averaging 443.8 yards per game. Despite this incredible success, DeBoer still doesn't think his team is quite there yet.

"I think there's a toughness that's being built." DeBoer said, "I don't think we are there yet. I think there are things we can still do better." 

One of those things that DeBoer could be hinting at is the Tide's rushing defense, which is currently ranked 90th in the nation and 12th in the SEC, with the Crimson Tide allowing 160.5 rushing yards per game and 4.34 yards per rush, as the Tide allowed Georgia to rush for 227 yards in Saturday's win. However, their passing defense looked solid, holding the Bulldogs to just 130 yards through the air.

DeBoer discussed the areas where he believes the Tide excelled, contributing to their victory. He highlighted the team's improved efficiency in the first half, during which Alabama scored four touchdowns and made one field goal in the red zone. Additionally, DeBoer pointed out that his team performed well in critical situations, particularly on third downs, where Alabama's offense converted 13 out of 19 attempts throughout the game. Compared to Georgia, they converted only two of their eight third-down attempts.

"We've taken care of the football, we executed in critical times, got the fourth down stop, executed on third down, got off the field, especially in the first half. We were good in the rezone offensively, four for four, I think, three touchdowns." DeBoer added, "But there's a toughness that our guys are building on and we still have a long ways to go." 

The Crimson Tide will have a perfect opportunity to showcase the 'toughness' they have been building as they face a talented and physical Vanderbilt team this Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Commodores boast the No. 14 offense in the nation, averaging 494.4 yards per game and 7.85 yards per play. Vanderbilt's defense is also very talented, ranking No. 21 and allowing only 278.8 yards per game this season. Additionally, Vanderbilt's rushing attack is also impressive, ranking within the top 20 nationally with an average of 223.4 rushing yards per game.

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