What Kalen DeBoer Said After Alabama Defeated Vanderbilt

TUSCALOOSA, Ala -- No. 10 Alabama defeated No. 16 Vanderbilt 30-14 to avenge its loss to the Commodores last season. Head coach Kalen DeBoer spent time with the media talking about what went right for the Crimson Tide in its SEC home opener.

Alabama gave up two first half touchdowns, but was able to score to close the first half with a tie score. The Crimson Tide scored 16 unanswered points in the second half to stay unbeaten in conference play and give the Commodores their first loss of the season.

Everything Vanderbilt Head Coach Clark Lea Said After Vanderbilt’s Loss to Alabama

Full Transcript From Kalen DeBoer

Opening Statement

"Just really proud of these guys, the resiliency throughout the game. The resiliency of the season. The way it starts, with the way they responded, time and time again. It wasn't a perfect game by any means. That's a well coached team that we faced there with Coach Lea. Dude does a great job there. I thought we played hard-nosed. I loved the way we finished the game in the second half, just controlling the line of scrimmage more and more as the game went on. Both sides of the ball. I think we held them to 20-something yards, really over the last probably three quarters rushing. I'm really proud of the way the guys responded. It just goes back to doing your job. The guys did a great job of coming to practice and focusing on us. I think that's been a huge theme for us here on this run we're on and the momentum we're continuing to gain. There's a confidence between offense and defense that the other side will come through when it matters most and so, again, it wasn't perfect by any means, but proud of the way we responded and continued to fight all game long."

How good was it to lean on the run game and see Jam Miller have a big game?

"Yeah, it really was. It's huge. It takes a lot of pressure off the play-calling and obviously, Ty too, when every play doesn't have to be a pass or protection. Just good to see Jam out there doing his thing, breaking loose. Bigger chunks, bigger chunks. I still feel like between the line and the tailbacks there's still a few more opportunities we can improve on and we need to continue taking the next step in the run game, but I thought it was something we worked on a lot. We knew we were getting closer last week and I feel like we took another step this week."

That's two straight games you've taken punches and punched back. What has led the program turning a corner in your ability to improve in this area?

"Just really understanding when it first happened week one. There's one of two things you can do. You can just take it, or you can fight back. If we are who we are and we really believe that we have a good football team then we should only have one option and that's to give it everything we've got and leave it all on the football field. That's what these guys are doing. The defense is just doing a good job of making sure that they make the opposing offense play another play. Line up, you see the drives, I mean, there was two turnovers in the red zone, really and so forcing them to play another play and just making them earn it. Our guys are kind of getting that feeling of takeaways like we did last year. I think it's starting to come back to us. The physicality now on top of that that I felt we brought today. I thought it was a positive step for our defense."

What went into the Kadyn Proctor short yardage play? How long has that been installed?

"Not as long. Less moving parts on this one. Just give it to the big man and just let him rumble. He did a great job. It's hard to bring down a guy that's that size and that athletic. I'm happy that he did a good job handling the football and securing it. That's not something he does as much as the other guys and it's a big moment in the game. I love the idea to put the call in. Love the play call and good execution."

How did the first possession in the second half set the tone for the defense?

"Really key. One thing I think we've done a good job here as of late, until today, was coming out of the locker room to start the game defensively and that didn't happen. That didn't happen at the level we wanted in the first quarter, giving up a couple runs and giving them some life. So really coming back out of the locker room, I was really proud of the way the defense -- and there was some adjustments today, I know we made in the second and third quarter there that led to what we're doing. That's part of plan A, and plan B and plan C that you have when you're working throughout the week. You put those things in, you have them ready to go. You've got to change it up, because you've got good players on the other side too, coaches that are going to attack you if you just sit in the same thing. So I thought our guys understanding the other parts of the game plan and then being able to go out and execute it. I was really proud of them."

What did you think of the pass protection and Ty Simpson managing the pocket?

"Yeah, a little bit of both. I think Ty could've thrown it away a couple times, just a couple lessons learned there. I thought we were better last week, probably with as much as we were getting. Some of his one-on-ones, I think that's really what a lot of it probably was when you watch the film, but I haven't seen it in that detail, so having them in his face, backed up, you know it kills a drive. You have to punt and give them good field position. So there's things you improve on and there's things that -- I don't think it was awful, but I think that it definitely could've been better. Sometimes you've got to live with throwing it away too. We have enough threats. As long as we're not way behind the chains, we feel we can convert the third down and tens, third down and twelves. When you start getting past fourteen, fifteen yards, obviously, there's less and less plays in the playbook and there's a lot more defensive opportunities to just sit back and give you a few yards and then make you punt."

Was there a mindset shift or something different between the first quarter and the rest of the game in terms of stopping the run?

"Yeah, I think the one explosive that they had, probably the longest run they had. We've got to do a better job holding our - sometimes it's not a whole defensive thing. Sometimes it's just one to two guys that have to hold their ground and be more physical and understand where the help's at and the angles. A better job of execution that we need to have. It's the guys believing that if we just execute the game will come to us and we'll make the plays and that's really what they did. They just still honed in on doing their part and knowing that the rest of the guys will rally and that's what we did. I felt like we kept the option stuff under control, they hit a play-action there in the fourth quarter on the third down that got behind us a little bit. I thought the guys did a good job with their eyes. The discipline was going to be a big thing that way. I thought we took some good steps against an offense that has a lot of wrinkles and things that they'll show you."

How did ya'll slow down Diego Pavia?

"Yeah a lot of the discipline. The hardest ones are when he takes off and runs and keeps his eyes downfield and you're drawn to him. You come off your man in zones, especially in zones. I know he got a couple first downs that way where he just flipped it our there. Again, everyone's got to contain and that's easier said than done. They do a good job moving the pocket so he's not just sitting back there. They've got enough other threats and they get rid of it quick. The option game and all that. They've got good personnel besides him."

Can you speak to the confidence the team has in Ty Simpson?

"Yeah we do and you can feel it in the calls that we're making. We're aggressive. We're backed up in our own territory and we're throwing the ball down the field with some play action shots. Ryan [Williams] catches one down the right sideline there and when you can do those things and you trust your quarterback as a play-caller and he goes and makes those plays there is a lot of confidence. We still haven't hit our full swing here like I feel like we're capable of as an offense, especially with finishing drives. But there's no doubt that I think our defense sees what I think we can do offensively and now it's a little bit of a balance too where the offense sees what the defense can do if they continue to stay the course and do a good job. The adjustments, the physicality continues to get better and better as a football team. I love the way we compete right now."

What went into taking the two timeouts to save clock for your two-minute drill before the end of the half?

"Yeah, it was huge. It was huge. You're playing the percentages, right? You're playing the percentages to just give yourself a good opportunity. You're letting them get a good play call. It goes both ways and they did a nice job of scoring. You're playing the percentages that you're going to have as much time as possible and with our offense getting in a rhythm like that, like we did. I'm really proud of the fight and just the belief to go down the length of the field in a short amount of time like we had. That happens in practice. We call it clutch two minute drill every single week and we did it a lot in fall camp. There's a lot of opportunities that our system allows for whatever you call, it's probably going to be wrong. The guys are understanding that. Ty's understanding that. You can see some of those windows that he's starting to hit. I love how we're going not just in the middle of the field now, but we hit some balls down the outside, so the defense has to cover the entire field, short, long, sideline-to-sideline."

Can you speak about the impact of Ryan Williams, Germie Bernard and Isaiah Horton and how they played today?

"Yeah, they're just competitors. They all have something different. There's a ton of overlap on their skill sets. I think they can all do things with the ball. You see Isaiah going up, just a big, tall target, grabbing the ball out of the air in between safeties and corners and along the sideline. He's done that a number of times now, that's awesome for a quarterback to have that. As a group, it isn't just those three. Lotzier [Brooks], and Rico [Scott] caught a nice ball over the middle today. The guts and the pride that that group has in each other and as a unit to go out there and keep getting better. They push each other in practice. That's what's cool to see. They're good friends. They all want to be out there, but it's a healthy competition, much like we've talked about at other positions. So great job by those guys. Found a way to get explosives. Really, a third-and-extra-long, we still believe we can convert it. We don't want to be in those spots, but I feel like we're calling plays to where if there's any time for Ty he's going to make the throw, they're going to make the catch, and if you come after us we get singled up, that's an opportunity right there too."

What's the next step for the offense?

"Just keep getting better in all the things in the run game. Finishing drives a couple times now in the last couple week, just finishing drives. And just also understanding what our strengths are. I know we had a turnover today, early. But just taking care of the football. That is a huge piece of our success. We're not putting the defense in very many tough positions. Make sure our strengths are our strengths, and keep bringing the things we know we've got to get better at along."

What was the week like with the noise from the other side?

"Well there's enough to where it's not just this week, right? There's enough to where you can't help but here it. I can hear it in the questions we get asked in the press conference with you all and stuff. You know it's out there. The thing I'm really proud of - this is what I talked to the guys about. Our guys right now are just showing up and doing the work. That's what's got us to this point and just keep reminding them and it gets really tempting and I'm sure there'll be something that pops up. They're doing a really good job of just showing up and doing the work and focusing on us and this is what you get. You get these games that you know are going to go four quarters in the SEC. I showed them a stat. You guys probably can find out if I'm wrong on this. But I believe there was 12 games going into this week, I think eight of them were seven points or less, the other two were ten points or less. These guys won big at South Carolina, but these games are going down to the wire. I just love the way that our thought process and our mindset is that you've got to be in it for four quarters. We've used the analogy of a 15-round heavyweight fight and that's what it's got to be every week and we've got to go do that again this next week against Missouri."