What Kalen DeBoer Said After Defeating Tennessee

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- No. 6 Alabama defeated No. 11 Tennessee on The Third Saturday of October 37-20 to win the Crimson Tide's fourth ranked game in a row.

Alabama stays undefeated in SEC play and gets revenge on the Volunteers after losing in Knoxville last season. Crimson Tide cornerback Zabien Brown capped off the first half with a 99-yard pick-six to send the program into the locker room with a 24-7 lead.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer spends time with the media after the victory and details what went right and what the program still needs to improve on after the win.

This article will be updated with a full transcript and a YouTube video link to the press conference.

Full Transcript

Opening Statement

"Just really proud of our guys. Another gutty win against a very good team. Well coached and they constantly put pressure on you, especially with their offense. They've got some playmakers defensively. It wasn't perfect, you'd love to have no turnovers and all that good stuff, but our guys did a nice job of continuing to fight, just like we have been and we played for four quarters.

"It was a big rivalry game, so glad we can do that for our fanbase and I appreciate the support we had tonight. Loud. Just great energy from the time we did the walk our guys felt that so appreciate everyone for showing up for that. Just feeding off it all game long. I think the biggest thing for our guys is just the way they're so committed to the process each and every week. You can see it. You can hear it, pads are popping every single day in practice. They've got an edge to them still and they haven't lost it since the beginning there after week one. That's hard to do. That's really hard to do as you go through the weeks. There's been enough reasons, right? From different motivation factors to get up for games and our guys each and every week find a way to do it. We've got to keep the pedal down. There was critical moments that we continued to make plays in, redzone in particular, both sides of the ball, executing in those times. That's something that we didn't do a great job of in the past. Just really proud of the guys. They need to enjoy it tonight and just stay humble and hungry and keep charging ahead. We've got another one next week."

What's your stance on cigar smoking?

"I haven't got into that yet. We've been busy. The guys are enjoying their time downstairs and they need to because they've worked hard for it."

What did you see from the pass rush, specifically with Yhonzae Pierre?

"Yeah, you've just got to keep coming. There's going to be times where they do a good job getting rid of the football, they don't hold onto it long enough. I think that's been a lot of why they've been successful. They do a good job making decisions of where to go with the ball. The quarterback does a really good job. There comes those times in critical moments -getting him down when you do get your hands on him and as a unit, as a front and that includes linebackers and safeties at times when we bring pressure, working together and not giving up big running lanes for him to escape, whether it's breaking contain or up the middle. It's a full defensive unit and just what they're doing because you've got to have the coverage behind it. So again, they've got threats all over the place. I thought we did a really nice job over the course of the game really keeping them under wraps. Doing what we did in the redzone time and time again and just putting their cleats in the dirt and just making them snap the ball one more time. We talk about it all the time, make them snap the ball one more time. At the end of the first half that was what it took and just a smart play by ZB [Zabien Brown] of just knowing that they didn't have any timeouts, more than likely got to throw it and just baiting and jumping it and finishing the play. Huge play for us."

Seemed like you had more juice and energy tonight, where did that come from?

“Our guys, they were fired up, so they got me fired up. I was excited to see them go out there and do their thing. Again, you get before the game, at halftime, just a lot of a chatter, positive, you know— not too high a level of emotions. It’s right where, I think we understand the week of preparation gets you mentally in the right space to where you’re confident going out on the football field. When you’re confident, you’ve got a little more energy. That’s really what I see with our guys. That fires me up. We played, I think, that whole game and channeled the energy into the right things, being disciplined and all of that. I know there’s some penalties at the end the last couple drives, but I’d rather make them have to earn it. If we get beat or something like that, I’d rather make them have to earn it than just give up some free yards. Just really pleased with the discipline and how we’re channeling that energy into the right areas.”

What changed for Yhonzae Pierre tonight?

"He's been right there. I'm really pleased with the last couple weeks what he's done. He played a lot of snaps last week. I don't know what his number was today, but just with the depth chart there and the guys that are out, we're asking more out of him and he's rising to the occasion. He's worked hard in practice. He's built his stamina up more to where he can compete for four quarters now and that's just really cool to see. It's really him understanding that any play I can go win one-on-one and making sure he's lined up and does his assignment and just strains from start to finish each and every play."

Ty Simpson as a Tennessee native, how did you see him respond to Tennessee?

"Yeah, I don't know if I noticed him being different in a different way than any other game. He's amped up and for him I think the big thing is balancing the emotions and just staying within himself and he's always going to tell you and I think there's always things he can do a little bit better, just like every other guy on the football field. He's getting it. He's kind of understanding where that fine line is for him. I think he just prepares so hard for every game so this game isn't going to be a lot different. Yeah there's probably going to be a little more feelings and some things that go way back, again where he's from and all that. He just prepares so hard for every game that this game wasn't going to be much different than the others anyway."

How would you evaluate the team's ability to run the football tonight?

"Yeah, just the one guy here, the one guy there that we just missed and I'd love to see us miss and break some tackles at times when we do get out in space. Daniel [Hill] I think had the hot hand in the second half for sure and was really great to see him do his thing, felt very confident about him inside and outside. The touchdown you can see him open up more and more. He's getting healthier here and so it was really good to see him out there picking it up for us. More room for improvement. I think being committed to it, being committed to the run has helped us be able to still get our opportunities throwing the ball down the field, but we need to continue to be better in that area as we go through the season to accomplish the things we want to accomplish."

Are you just playing along with the people with the hoodie or do you think there's something to this look you've got going on?

"This isn't new. I've done this for years, but we're going to ride the momentum. I told the guys not to put any ashes or get any ashes on it. So whatever works."

A lot of emotion after the game. What was it like in the locker room to continue the home winning streak against Tennessee and as a staff stay unbeaten at home?

"Yeah we talked about that throughout the week and really reminded the guys last night and again right before we went on the football field that Bryant-Denny is our home and what we've done here and how great we've played and its us and the fans working together to bring that energy to make it a home field advantage. There's something that I've already felt. I felt it early, not just this year, but last year, when you're out there there's just a comfort level I think our guys have. Again, you can't take it for granted, you've still got to go out there and make the plays, but having that home field advantage is a big deal. As far as just celebrating downstairs in the locker room, a lot of smiles. A lot of smiles, they're excited. Last week, I would say this, we talk about the 24-hour rule and enjoying that win. I don't think our guys enjoyed that win very much because they were getting ready to go be back to committing to the process and getting back to work and being better, because I think they know in both areas, both sides of the ball we left some things out there on the table that we didn't take advantage of last week. That'll be the case again when we watch the film here from tonight, but again, we're playing solid football, team football. That's what matters, each side of the ball finding their times to pick up the other. Guys grinding and trusting that the other sides going to get it done sooner or later."