Key Quotes from Kalen DeBoer After Alabama's Road Loss to Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 6 Alabama football fell to No. 14 Tennessee 26-10 on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

After dropping the Georgia game last week, this is the first time since 2013 that the Crimson Tide has lost consecutive games.

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer spoke to reporters after the game, and started by getting some things off his chest in his opening statement.

"Just a struggle to sustain anything, keeping drives and continuity there, and a penalty, we came up short on a couple fourth downs. We're going to have to find a way to get some explosives against a front like that, and we struggled to do that. So, turnovers early gave them some field position. They got points, but our defense did a nice job of holding up to field goals. They did score every time they got in the red zone, but I thought those were some key stops to give us a chance.

"We struggled coming out of the locker room each half to put some drives together. Fourth-and-one a couple of times, and coming up short, giving them some field position. The second one and taking opportunity when we were in the red zone away from us there. So they did a nice job bleeding out the clock there, especially in the fourth quarter, but the second half in general. They were efficient with their run game, and so that gave us limited opportunities there, but we've got to find way to get off the field there."

Here are some key quotes from the remainder of DeBoer's press conference.

On having just 201 yards of total offense in the loss:

"They got a pass-rush, and so when you get down in distances, that becomes a little bit more pass situations. You know, they can pin their ears back. Obviously, they got to Keelon early, which kept us from being able to really get anything going. We say stay on the field to get anything going, and that kind of wears on you, I don't care who you are as a quarterback.

"But we've got to get back and find ways to get some run game going. That always opens up our play action, and I don't think that part of our game was really existent, both the run and the play action. And so, that's a lot of what we do, and it's tough to move the ball in the game when you don't have the run game, and you don't have the ability for some explosive plays where you miss the opportunity with some explosive plays."

On the effectiveness of Tennessee's pass defense: 

"They're one of the best pass efficiency, defense efficiency teams in the in the conference, if not the country, and a pass-rush that is really good. So, you get yourself in that spot, it's harder to convert, and that was certainly the case. So, you've got to get yourself into third-and-fourth-and-manageables. We did that a few times and still came up short there. So, they do a good job in the defensive structure and scheme, and with some athletes that can put some pressure on you."

On the Alabama defense tallying just one sack:

"They did a good job running the football. A lot of their passes come off the the RPO game, especially early in the game. That was happening, and so they got rid of the ball quick. Perimeter on the receiver screens. And so there's times and moments where you get them into pass situations, and you're pretty confident it's going to be an opportunity to come after them, and they did a good job of getting rid of the football and escaping pressure."

On the communication between Keelon Russell and Mal Waldrep at center:

"I mean, I don't think it was about that necessarily. As far as communication, I thought there's a couple we pointed [to]. And some of that is you're getting in there, and the guys are in a little different spot. They're going to scheme you up, too. So it wasn't like it was wrong, but there's adjustments you can make. And so, in the end, we struggled to move. So we'll watch the film, but I don't feel like it was a problem with the communication across the board.

"Every step they get with the crowd, the way it is, on the silent count, those are moments that you just try to avoid. You've got to do a better job coming out of the gates, setting the tones, being efficient, executing to take a lead and be able to play our game. They were able to play their game tonight."

On the latest with Zabien Brown and EJ Crowell's injuries:

"Both Zabien and EJ have lower extremity injuries, and we will work through it here later this week. I don't have much more than that."

On what Alabama, Texas and Georgia losing on Saturday says about the SEC:

"You've got to bring your A-game every weekend. You've got to have great preparation, and you've got to make some plays when it really matters that change the game. I don't know what happened in those games, but I'm assuming they were somewhat close, and that's what it's going to be. We talk about life in the SEC.

"We talk about that each week. You've got to reset, especially life on the road in the SEC. And so we're going to have our backs to wall here. Other teams are too in the conference, and so again, the depth of the conference, you know you are going to be in a dog fight every single weekend."

On the message in the locker room after back-to-back losses:

"I just said it's going to be really uncomfortable. And again, everything I said to those guys, it's not like I didn't feel like they didn't practice. We had a lot of motivation, to come back and have a great week and prepare for this game. But moving forward, it's going to be even more. Another level of uncomfortable. A lot of guys haven't been through the last year or the last two, and so I know they feel it. And our older guys had mentioned that even a couple of weeks ago, just what it's going to be like here on this stretch.

The key is that you just hone in on one game. Don't look at the big picture. Just hone in on one game and believe that you have a team that can get it done. At the end of the game, I was looking at the guys and their eyes and stuff. They were they were scraping until the end. Got to keep playing, and that's what this is going to be about moving forward. Continuing to believe that we are going to find a way, and you've got to pick up and come to work.

"The SEC and all the teams, they're all going through it. So who's going to respond and get it done? We've been through this before, and we've gotten it done. And so we've got to make sure we get it done here moving forward. And I told the guys this is a team that can do it. This is a team that can do that, and so you've got to catch some breaks. You've got to stay healthy and that's everyone across the board."

On scoring less than 20 points in back-to-back weeks after scoring 45-plus the first five games:

"There's got to be some continuity and a run game that is going to set up some opportunities for us to be able to have a whole offense available. In the end, it's hard to drive the ball play after play for three or four yards a play in a drive, especially if you have some penalties on top of it and end up in the zone."

On the impact of defensive lineman Terrance Green being out with an injury:

"Well, he's definitely a difference maker, but we also have other guys that I feel could get the job done. And whether it's just guys having played more snaps, and TG was playing a lot of snaps for us, but no one cares. I told the guys that no one cares. We said this from the beginning of the season, it doesn't matter if you have guys dinged up.

"There's a score that's getting printed. There's a score that happened tonight, and every team is going through the same stuff. And so, yes, to answer your question, he has an impact. He's a physical, big presence in the middle for us. And so, when that's not there, it's going to impact us some."

Alabama moves to 5-2, including a 3-2 record against the SEC. The Crimson Tide will host Texas A&M (4-3, 1-3 SEC) on Oct. 24 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok for the latest news.