This story was originally published by Dead Spin
One month into the first season as Alabama head coach, Kalen DeBoer checked off a couple of bucket-list items by beating Georgia in an epic comeback that puts the Crimson Tide in the SEC driver’s seat.
DeBoer’s first SEC game was an instant classic. The Crimson Tide scored 28 points on their first 23 plays, then reclaimed the lost lead on quarterback Jalen Milroe’s second touchdown pass in the game with 2:13 left to play.
“Continue to be proud of the team, the preparation we put in,” DeBoer said Monday. “It’s inside of these guy. They want to be great. Proud of these guys.”
Alabama is the new No. 1 in college football by virtue of a 41-34 win over the Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night. Milroe completed 75 percent of his passes and ran for two scores. But the Crimson Tide tapped the brakes on the celebratory mood on Monday, shifting the focus to Vanderbilt (2-2).
“We’re continuing to improve. What has happened in the past has no impact on the game this Saturday,” Alabama offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said. “There’s no carryover — yards, points completions. In this conference and in the highest level of college football we’re in, it has no impact on what the game is going to look like on Saturday. Obviously (Saturday) was a good job. We’re challenged each week in this league.”
Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said the key to the Georgia game all week was making quarterback Carson Beck uncomfortable. But he woke up testy on Monday unsettled about blowing a 30-7 lead and failing to stop the Bulldogs on fourth down. He praised Beck for making the game closer than Alabama wanted but credited his defense with fighting through disappointment and not folding in the end.
Freshman cornerback Zabien Brown had the 10th game-changing defensive play in the game on Wommack’s scorecard.
“I told the defense, nobody in that room will ever forget that moment. High praise to (Brown) for being able to stay in the fight,” Wommack said. “Now we’ve done that together. There’s a certain level of team chemistry that comes from that.”
Vanderbilt had a bye last week to recover from a near upset of Missouri in a 30-27 two-overtime loss in Columbia. The Commodores haven’t scored a touchdown against Alabama since 2007.
Alabama has won 23 consecutive games against Vanderbilt, last losing in 1984 (30-21).
–Field Level Media
