Kalen DeBoer Details Role of Games in Rapport Between Ryan Grubb, Ty Simpson

The Alabama football offense has a first-year coordinator and a first-year starting quarterback, but head coach Kalen DeBoer doesn't see any hiccups in the relationship between Ryan Grubb and redshirt junior Ty Simpson. In fact, the second-year coach feels that rapport is growing with time and in-game experience.

Simpson has passed for 2,184 yards and 20 touchdowns this fall after winning the offseason quarterback battle. The No. 4 Crimson Tide sits at 7-1, with a perfect 5-0 mark against SEC competition. It recently became the first-ever SEC team to beat four straight ranked opponents without an open date, a feat it accomplished with an Oct. 18 home victory against Tennessee.

"There's a relationship that exists where you just enjoy hanging out, and I think that continues to grow. What adds to it is the experiences that they've gone through," DeBoer said on Wednesday during the SEC coaches' teleconference. "The moments that they've fought together, and been on the same page, and come through and had success."

One of the grittiest moments for the offensive unit, and Simpson in particular, came this past weekend when the Crimson Tide eked out a 29-22 comeback win on the road at South Carolina. Alabama trailed 22-14 in the fourth quarter. Grubb and Simpson helped engineer a nine-minute, 54-second drive that spanned 14 plays and 79 yards, tying the game with the help of an unconventional play call on the two-point try.

The Crimson Tide later won the game after a late fumble by Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers led to another touchdown drive. DeBoer believes the chemistry between coordinator and starting signal caller isn't solely a bilateral product of Simpson and Grubb, but rather emblematic of a shared focus across the entire position group.

"It's just a great room that we have there with the quarterbacks. It involves those two, it involves [quarterbacks coach] Nick Sheridan, who does an amazing job, along with the other two guys who are so supportive with Austin [Mack] and Keelon [Russell]," DeBoer added.

Games like the one that happened on Saturday are not typically won by teams without strong bonds. Trial by fire in sports is far from uncommon (especially in the SEC), but Alabama didn't get burned in Columbia, and Grubb and Simpson were two of the reasons why. The Crimson Tide has played three of its five conference games away from home and won them all.

"Their relationship and just the way they communicate, it becomes more and more efficient. There's reps that they can refer to now because of their experiences together," DeBoer said. "Coach Grubb can say something and Ty can quickly understand what the meaning is, and what the expectation is and how we should execute when that moment comes up the next time."

Alabama has four games left in the regular season, three at home and one away, with its next coming at Bryant-Denny Stadium against LSU (Nov. 8, 6:30 p.m. CT). Familiarity between DeBoer and Grubb helps on a stretch run, but so does a bond between quarterback and play-caller, and the Crimson Tide will need that to remain a factor as it pushes for its goal of a College Football Playoff berth.

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