After what Alabama did to WKU in Week 1, beating them 63-0, fans were expecting a similar kind of energy in Week 2. But when they met South Florida on the field, it was a slow start. The final score may have led anyone to believe that the Crimson Tide dominated the game on Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium, but that wasn’t the case. 

Kalen DeBoer remained unfazed despite a slow start against USF. He saw what went down in the messy three-and-a-half quarters in their last game. Instead of mulling over the mistakes, he takes it as an opportunity and a lesson to better themselves. 

After the USF game, Kalen DeBoer insisted that it wasn’t a “wake-up call.” Instead, he believes that the struggle they faced will help them move forward. Touchdown Alabama uploaded a quote of the Alabama HC on X on September 11 which read, “Excited about the challenge, the opportunity. Because that’s what this is. You need games like this. This isn’t a wake-up call or anything like that. It’s just, you know, keep raising standards.”

In the last game, Alabama suffered three second-half turnovers and 13 penalties, including two holding calls that kept them stagnant until the final quarter. Kalen DeBoer summarized the importance of learning from mistakes as he said after the game, “In the fourth quarter, staying away from the penalties and turnovers, it’s amazing what can happen.” There were only 6:45 minutes left in the game, where Alabama led just 21-16. But the way the Crimson Tide scored three touchdowns in these final minutes raised their score to 42-16. Still, the South Florida game exposed the vulnerabilities of Alabama’s offense.

A look into Alabama’s area of improvement in USF game 

This season isn’t the first time Alabama exhibited struggles against the AAC program. Last year, they won against South Florida in a similar manner with a 17-3 victory. Looking at this season’s gameplay, most of Alabama’s mistakes stemmed from self-inflicted wounds causing injuries. 

Alabama’s O-line was flagged eight times for 60 yards. Tackle Kayden Proctor suffered another injury for the second game and was sidelined. This led to Geno VanDemark and Wilkin Fornby filling in, but they both endured a painful game. In the second half, the Crimson Tide fumbled the ball three times. But the defense remained steadfast throughout, ultimately giving the offense a chance to shine in the final minutes of the game. But as Kalen DeBoer said, this is a lesson for improvement that might be implemented in their next game against Wisconsin.