Kalen DeBoer: Alabama Has to Do Its Part for Home Crowd Against Tennessee

This Saturday's contest between Alabama and Tennessee is the Crimson Tide head coach's first home game against the Volunteers.

Oct 19, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer speaks with an official during the first quarter against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

When No. 6 Alabama faces No. 11 Tennessee on Saturday night (6:30 p.m. CT, ABC) for the 2025 edition of the Third Saturday in October, it will mark Kalen DeBoer's first home game against the Volunteers in his Alabama career. The significance of the contest isn't something DeBoer is unaware of.

"It's one of the greatest rivalries in the country. It goes way back, and generations of our fans care so much about this game," DeBoer said Wednesday during the weekly SEC coaches' teleconference. "We understand what it means. We just gotta make sure we do our part to get the home crowd going... and find a way to get it done in the end."

Throw in the fact that both teams are 5-1 and, if Tennessee wins, it will claim the advantage over Alabama in the SEC standings, and one naturally arrives at the conclusion that Saturday's game is going to be no walk in the park for either side.

The Volunteers have not won a game in Tuscaloosa since 2003. At that time, DeBoer had not yet been appointed to his first head-coaching position. Tennessee got close (but no cigar) on multiple occasions to winning this game on the road in the Nick Saban era, putting a scare into the Crimson Tide during its 2009 and 2015 national championship seasons.

Josh Heupel's squad has tasted victory in two of the most recent three overall meetings in the rivalry series, both coming at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. The latter result of those two, a 24-17 win last season, makes DeBoer 0-1 against one of Alabama's most hated adversaries early in his tenure.

The game, which DeBoer was correct to point out as important to very many fans, was also recently entrenched as a protected rivalry for the SEC's forthcoming move to nine annual conference matchups. That scheduling format goes into effect next season.

Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, one of DeBoer's longtime coaching colleagues, will be experiencing his first Third Saturday in October this weekend. Grubb said he's still learning about the various conference rivalries but is excited for what's to come in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

"I love that, in general, about the SEC," Grubb said on Monday. "I think it’s awesome. I love lining up every week, playing tough ranked teams... You think about playing Tennessee at home and what that stadium’s going to be like and where our players are going to be at, it’s going to be a lot of fun."