Paul Finebaum Draws Clear Line Between Lane Kiffin, Kalen DeBoer After Week 6 Losses

Alabama’s coach won over fans with a rare fourth-quarter outburst against Georgia, while LSU’s coach drew scrutiny for detailing a line judge’s explanation after losing at Kentucky.

SEC Network personality Paul Finebaum does a live report from SEC Media Day | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum says Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer revealed a side of himself during Saturday’s 20-17 loss to Georgia that fans hadn’t seen in three seasons, and he contrasted it with LSU coach Lane Kiffin’s response to a loss at Kentucky.

Finebaum told McElroy & Cubelic in the Morning on Monday the fourth quarter changed how fans view DeBoer: “In a span of three or four minutes, we saw more emotion out of Kalen DeBoer than we had in three years.”

Why Finebaum praised DeBoer’s outburst

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer yells at cornerback Dijon Lee Jr. (5) after Lee committed a personal foul that allowed Georgia to run out the clock | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The sequence started when Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell threw toward Rico Scott in the end zone, and officials didn’t flag Georgia safety KJ Bolden for pass interference despite early contact. Bolden sacked Russell on the next play, pushing the Crimson Tide out of field-goal range.

DeBoer stormed onto the field and threw his headset. Moments later, cornerback Dijon Lee Jr. drew a post-whistle personal foul that let Georgia run out the clock, and DeBoer met him on the sideline shouting, “You just cost us the damn game!”

Still, the third-year coach didn’t blame the officials afterward. “We can’t put the game in that situation where the officials come into play,” DeBoer said.

Co-host Greg McElroy said Alabama fans he saw over the weekend came away encouraged. “Kalen DeBoer is a lot more hardcore than people realize,” McElroy said. “Therefore, people actually feel better about the current trajectory of the program because of Kalen DeBoer’s sideline antics.”

Finebaum agreed. “It will matter most in that locker room,” he said. “He knew that sometimes you rise to the moment, and he knew that moment. He also knew that television cameras were on him, and that’s not why he did it, but he is very self-aware.”

Why did Finebaum single out Kiffin?

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin looks on during the second quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

LSU’s 35-34 overtime loss at Kentucky dropped the Tigers to 4-2, and Finebaum drew the comparison directly. “Unlike Lane Kiffin, who is finding fault with everything and making up officials’ comments like he did the other night in Lexington, Kalen DeBoer moved on,” Finebaum said.

Kiffin objected to Kenny Minchey’s touchdown before halftime, when Wildcats teammates pushed the quarterback into the end zone after his forward progress appeared stopped. The score gave Kentucky a 21-17 lead. “The line judge just said, ‘Hey, in that situation, there’s just too much at stake,’” Kiffin said.

He also questioned a Kentucky false start that was erased by a timeout before the winning two-point conversion, though he conceded his read could be wrong. “That’s a first-time SEC referee that I’ve never communicated with, and it doesn’t mean I’m right,” Kiffin said.

SEC Bylaw 10.5 prohibits coaches from publicly criticizing officials, and the league fined Kiffin $25,000 in 2020 at Ole Miss for social media posts about officiating.

Alabama heads to Tennessee next

Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell (12) throws the ball against Georgia | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Finebaum said DeBoer’s priority is avoiding a second straight loss as Alabama (5-1) visits Tennessee on Saturday. The Volunteers have won the last two meetings at Neyland Stadium.

“He does not want to turn one loss into two, and there’s always that possibility, especially when you’re at the point of the schedule where you turn from your biggest game of the year to what has traditionally been your biggest rivalry outside of Auburn,” Finebaum said. “The fan base chatter will eventually die down. That’s what talk shows are for. That’s what message boards are for. That’s what social media is for. As long as it doesn’t affect the locker room, that team is going to be in great shape.”

LSU hosts Mississippi State next and still faces Alabama, Texas and Tennessee, so the Tigers likely need to win out to reach the College Football Playoff.