Alabama Injury Report: Kalen DeBoer Loses Star Wide Receiver in Devastating Blow Against Vanderbilt

Kalen DeBoer had been reigning high with confidence before the October 6 face-off against the Vanderbilt Commodores. Why wouldn’t he? After all, Alabama’s 60 wins against Clark Lea’s squad are the second-most against any SEC program Tide has faced. But DeBoer now has to worry a little. No, definitely not about the stats but his offense game. Right before Sunday’s game, Alabama loses their star WR who has been bogged down by injury.

That’s definitely going to be tough for DeBoer and Co. But even in his hard times, the Tide debut HC is keeping GOAT Nick Saban’s philosophy alive ahead of the Vandy game. 

A blow to Kalen DeBoer’s offensive strategy

Ahead of the No.1 Crimson Tide’s road matchup against the Commodores, the SEC availability report had shaken things up! While there has been a hushhush going on when on Wednesday, October 2, DeBoer confirmed that their WR Kendrick Law’s status for the Saturday game was still being determined. Law, who finished one catch for 19 yards against the Dawgs and worked as DeBoer’s primary perimeter run blocker, has been suffering a “lower-body injury.” And the final reports came out on October 5 that confirmed that the WR will be “out.”

It pains DeBoer’s heart to find out that Law will no longer be able to fight against Vanderbilt. Poor Law! “He was putting in a lot…doing some good things just as far as helping our offense,” claimed DeBoer even though the WR’s efforts did not reflect on the stat sheet. 

On a lighter note, Tide’s linebacker Justin Jefferson has been listed as “probable.” While the fans have to wait for the final hour before the kickoff to release the final availability report, DeBoer tries his best to keep the program’s spirits high by keeping Saban’s rat trap philosophy alive.  

Throwback tactics from the Saban era

“It’s a trap!” That’s what Admiral Ackbar famously exclaimed in Star Wars Episode VI during the Battle of Endor. And it might as well be the name for Tide’s upcoming game against the Vandy squad. Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama team, riding high after their victory over Georgia, is facing a potential ambush from Vandy. Not just this, as per the AP poll, Tide bumped into No.1 in the country. As they are going to face the Commodores, Alabama is further hyping up their fan base. Guess how?

Around the facility a few days back, the local Tuscaloosa media noticed something interesting. A rat trap with no bait on it was placed in the hallway of the Mal. M Moore Athletics Facility. That takes the fans back to Saban’s era when, last season, they did the same thing before the Kentucky game. The GOAT always tells his players to watch out for traps aka “rat poison,” which could be both good praise as well as harsh criticism about them, which can be distracting.

As the former Alabama CB Terrion Arnold once said, “I’m kind of like, as they would say an adventurer, so I put my hand to see if it really works. I did get popped, right here in my finger. Coach Saban (was) reiterating this is a trap game, don’t get caught in them.” The Tide players received the message well and were able to crush Kentucky 49-21 in Lexington. While a player like Law has already fallen into the injury trap, it’s now to be seen how Kalen DeBoer’s crew leaves the Commodores squeaking in defeat. 

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