DeBoer Shows Improvement in Win Over Gamecocks

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Alabama gutted out a difficult win on the road over the South Carolina Gamecocks, 29-22, on a Saturday night in Columbia, South Carolina. The game started with the Gamecocks hot offensively, with Alabama's defense keeping the Crimson Tide in the match for much of the game, thanks to a pick-six and key stops early by the defense, which played 19 minutes and 15 seconds in the first half.

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The type of performance on Saturday is one that Crimson Tide fans have grown accustomed to since Kalen DeBoer took over for Nick Saban last January. Alabama has played in eight one-score games since DeBoer took over for Alabama, and currently holds a 5-3 record in those games. All three of the Tide's one-score losses came away from Bryant-Denny Stadium during the 2024 season.

Saturday had many Alabama fans groaning, 'here we go again,' as South Carolina punched Alabama in the mouth, controlling time of possession in the first half and shutting out Alabama in the third quarter. Heading into the final 15 minutes, the Gamecocks held a one-point lead over the Crimson Tide. That quickly became an 8-point lead, as LaNorris Sellers kept the read option himself and walked in for a 10-yard touchdown with 10 minutes left in the game. Last season, it would've been the dagger that ended any chance at a Crimson Tide comeback.

This season, however, Alabama has shown fight and toughness when sitting in those situations. The Crimson Tide's offense was shut out in the second half against Georgia. Alabama faced an early deficit against Vanderbilt. Beau Pribula led the Missouri Tigers down the field and cut Alabama's lead to just three points late in the fourth quarter two weeks ago. Each time, Alabama has responded, largely due to a big play defensively.

Against Georgia, Alabama's defense forced a fourth-down stop that eventually led to Ty Simpson's third-down conversion to Jam Miller to seal the game. Against Vanderbilt, the Tide's defense shut out the Commodores in the second half. Against Missouri, freshman cornerback Dijon Lee picked off Pribula to seal the game. On Saturday against South Carolina, Kane Wommack's defense rose to the occasion once more, with linebacker Deontae Lawson forcing a fumble, which Tim Keenan II landed on, leading to Alabama's game-winning 25-yard touchdown run by Germie Bernard.

The grit and resilience of the Tide's defense is something that flashed last season when Alabama got punched in the mouth on the road, but Alabama now has a complementary offense, headlined by first-year Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and first-year starting quarterback Ty Simpson. The resolve of those two players has seeped into the rest of the team, and this is what Kalen DeBoer seems to have wanted from the beginning of this season.

"I think the experiences we've had since [the week one loss to Florida State], where we have come through and found a way," DeBoer said after Saturday's comeback victory. "Understand that getting points at the end of the first half, and we didn't separate ourselves - I know we fell behind - but knowing that we've scored a lot of points over the course of the year. All you need is one touchdown drive. Again, that's easier said than done against a really good defense. But it's the resiliency piece. Leave it all on the football field and have no regrets. That's how I want our guys living and how I want our guys playing."

Alabama showed that resiliency on both sides of the ball on Saturday. It would have been easy for the defense to give up after playing 32 minutes and change in the game. It would have been easy for Alabama's offense (whose last touchdown had come with 1:45 left in the first half) to succumb to the pressure South Carolina was forcing. Yet everywhere you looked on the field Saturday night, there were players in crimson and white fighting for their lives, so to speak, to come out on top. A game like this showed us more about who Alabama is than if the Crimson Tide had come out and won 49-18. It showed that Alabama has rallied around its head coach, leaning on its experiences from last year's disappointments (and week one's disappointment) to understand how to execute in critical moments.

Four separate times, Coach DeBoer mentioned that phrase on Saturday, 'critical moments.' It was something quarterback Ty Simpson said as well in his postgame comments.

"We were just doing stuff that hurt ourselves. I missed a lot of throws. We missed a lot of runs that we block one more guy; it gashes them. It just was one of those nights," Simpson said, "but super talented guys, great critical moment, and a win is a win. It’s hard to win in the SEC, and I’m not going to depreciate it or anything like that.”

Playing in one-score games, you face a lot of critical moments that can alter the outcome of a game. Yet Kalen DeBoer-led teams continue to find ways to win those games. He's done it five times (so far) at Alabama, and he did it eight times as he led Washington to an undefeated Pac-12 Championship in 2023. Would it be great to come out and spank every opponent 42-0? Absolutely, but every great team faces adversity at some point - even Nick Saban-led Alabama teams. Showing that response to adversity, especially in a hostile environment like Williams-Brice Stadium, is what championship-caliber teams do. Four games are left in the regular season before we can even begin to discuss the SEC championship and the College Football Playoffs, but the constant response that makes an embarrassment by Florida State feel like seasons ago is something that can help Alabama as the competition gets tougher down the line. Just be sure to have your heart medication on standby.

The 29-22 win over South Carolina (3-5, 1-5) improves No. 4 Alabama to 7-1 on the season, and 5-0 in SEC play. The Crimson Tide will be on a bye next week as it searches for much-needed rest for a banged-up roster. Alabama's next game will come on Saturday, November 8, against the No. 20 LSU Tigers (who likely won't be ranked in Sunday's AP Poll) after LSU got smacked around by Texas A&M, 49-25, on Saturday night. The Tigers fell to 5-3 (2-3 in SEC play).

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.