'We can't continue to have those mistakes:' Kalen DeBoer on the second loss of the season for the Tide

Uh *** times throughout the season where we've, uh played very complimentary. Uh, it might be, you know, takeaways and, and scoring. Uh, it might be, you know, 11 team needs *** little pick me up, uh The other comes through. Um, but, you know, when the losses happen, um, those things get amplified, you know, you're, you certainly, uh really look into that more. We gotta play, play better as *** team. Um, you know, it's what great teams do and so we haven't been our best, uh in those two games in particular. And I know there's *** lot of times we can always look and know we got to improve, but, um, can't have the mistakes, you can't have the penalties, you know, gotta have better execution, you know, all those things that put you behind the eight ball, you know, throughout the course of the game and here in the sec, you know, there's such *** fine line obviously between winning and losing, you know, and that's how you get beat. And so, you know, that's on all of us. Um, it starts with me just, uh, continuing to set the standard, um, you know, that will lead to high performance. And, uh, I know that, uh, it just comes down to competing, competing, um, can be solution oriented, uh, every day, you know, bringing everything you have to the football team. I'm confident in, uh, *** group of guys that, uh, wanna be great. There's no doubt about it. I can see in their response each and every day, um, just showing up to work. And so, um, you know, I have no doubt that that's gonna continue to happen. Um, you know, we know that just being *** championship football team is, is hard. Uh, we all signed up for it. We all wanna wanna continue to improve our awareness, uh, you know, our intensity, um, and that's not just intensity on the football field and all that, that's just everything we do. We know it takes everything we got and, uh, you know, that's what we signed up for. So, um, just, you know, I think the biggest thing is the message has been over the weeks, not just this week or not just after Vanderbilt, but the weeks, you know, all season long, the message is always going to be, there's never going to be excuses. That's the one thing that, you know, only softens character. It, uh, it lowers the standard and that will never happen. And so, um, again, talk about being solution oriented, continue about moving forward, you know, making sure you got the right people here and I firmly believe that we have *** lot of great people with *** lot of great skill sets, whether it's uh players staff, um, and that they're all working together. And so, uh really, you know, know that that's gonna be the case. Um, you know, kind of moving on to *** couple other things, uh, just with injuries, you know, I'll give you an update. Um I know with Kon Kon SAB, um, he does have *** lower, uh, extremity injury, you know, we're still gathering information here, but, uh, we do expect him to be down for *** while, you know. And so, you know, that, uh, could be an extended amount of time and we'll just continue to, to evaluate that. Uh, I know there's *** lot of, I think one position group in particular, just kind of put them all together. Uh, the, all the other DB si think, you know, just look to see how they progress throughout the week. Uh, *** lot of similarities between, uh, just kind of the level of the injuries that they all have, you know. And, uh, right now, uh, I'd be expecting them all to be able to play, uh, on Saturday. So, um, be ready to go, uh, when it comes to Missouri, uh, just coach Drinkwitz, uh, especially over the last two years, but I know it takes time for him to build to this has done *** great job. Uh, I mean, *** great football coach, uh, just as far as how he's developing guys and, uh, you know, bringing the right people into his program, um, got some transfers that have added to, you know, uh, *** solid group of returning starters, uh, 17 and three over the last two years. Um, just *** resilient group won some close games. And so, uh, we got ***, you know, another great task at hand, uh, as they're all gonna always gonna be in the sec. And, uh, you know, our guys are looking forward to the challenge. I can, I know this week's gonna be, you know, one where we get back to work and, uh, wanna bring *** homecoming win, hope, uh, back home for all our fans, all our alumni. Thank you coach. Let's start with, uh, Charlie Potter here on the, right. Yeah, because just with Jalen, uh, is he dealing with anything from an injury standpoint, maybe banged up *** little bit? And if not, what do you do to kind of build his confidence up after the last two weeks? Yeah, I think at this point in the year, um, I don't think there's, I don't think there's many guys that put *** lot of that play, *** lot of snaps who don't have something, you know, and just, uh, working through it. But, um, he's more than capable, uh, and, you know, as he goes through the week, uh, you know, you're just, uh, ready to play on Saturday, So there's nothing that's gonna be holding him back from going out there and being able to help us get *** win, um, confident of that on the right side. Kirk Kirk right there. Uh, coach, I know the head coach is responsible for everything but I wonder if there are some coaches take exclusive, uh, uh, responsibility for things like play calling for instance, or substitutions or clock management. I wonder what sort of things you are besides your veto power, anything that are exclusive to you? Yeah, I think all those things you mentioned are, are part of, uh, the, the job responsibility and how I look at it and, uh, you know, take all those things seriously. And so, um, every element of the program, it's, it's always, uh, you know, things that I'm gonna discuss if it involves other people, which usually it does, uh, and go to those people, uh, you know, making sure our coaching staff is always aligned on the same page, whether it is the play calling, whether it is the situational, uh, piece, um, off the field recruiting efforts, uh, making sure everything's always aligned. And so, uh, you know, evaluating, um, you know, I will tell you, I'll tell you this *** lot of times there's, uh, situations that do come up, uh, that, uh, that really work out for you and, you know, you think about many times where, you know, in the past with different teams and, and all of that, you know, maybe it's not the decision you would have made as far as that particular call, but there's *** lot of good calls that you can make that all work. And so is what happens is you gotta make sure that the guys are prepared that they're confident and then going out and execute uh what it is that uh that you've been working on. So, um you know, I feel full confidence in, in who we have and my job is to continue to guide them, uh, and give them, uh, you know, my perspective, uh, be there in the moment in the games, uh to continue to make sure we're sticking to the plan that we, uh, you know, that we worked on the plan that, uh, was created, uh, the ones that the guys have, have practiced and, uh, just making sure we're staying the course, you know, in that moment and then also staying the course as we continue to develop our players over the course of the year, years and their careers. I wanted to ask you about the personal foul against Kendrick law at the end of the game to set up the 4th and 22. What was your, I don't think you got asked about that on Saturday. What was your message to him after the game on that? Yeah, I mean, while the message continues to be right with the team, it's not just one, it's, it's you know, we gotta, we gotta learn from those moments. Those moments are big and, um, you know, our choices, our decisions, our words, our actions, I mean, all of those things, um, you know, they have to be focused on what's best for our team and obviously in that moment, um you know, we're fighting to, to try to find *** way to win and, uh it's *** big moment and so, um, you know, we gotta make sure we, of course, address them, but we gotta, you know, we, we can't have continue to have the mistakes and, uh, you know, that those are in particular that we can control some things. You just can't control the things that happen to you the way the ball bounces and all of those things. So, you know, I think just everything in general it starts with our thoughts. We gotta make sure other people's thoughts don't become ours. And, uh we gotta make sure that, you know, if someone's, if someone's talking to us, we gotta, we gotta learn to walk the other way. And, um, you know, be *** more emotionally disciplined, uh in every facet, not just the high aggression type things, but also just when you know, the momentum swings and things like that happen in *** game, be able to trust in your preparation, trust in what you're doing. But uh, yeah, we gotta be better, we gotta be better there and obviously that's, that's an important part of what great teams do is, uh, be great in those times. Second row lap to me. Obviously, if Keon's gonna be out for any time, you're gonna need Ray Hubbard to step up, just what have you seen from him? And how much of his has he grown in, in this season? Yeah. You know, Bray's been working hard for this opportunity and, um, you know, he, he, he worked, uh, he not just last week but every week he's worked, uh to be ready and, uh, we had no doubt that he would be, uh, come, come Saturday, uh when he was called upon and, uh, he'll go out there again this week and, and, uh, you know, our team really believes in him. He, he does *** lot of things on special teams and you can see it every day in practice. And so, um, you know, he's been around the program and now, you know, this is that time that next step, you know, next man up mentality, you know, that's what we talk about and that's what it's gotta be. And, uh, you know, uh I know again, high level of want to that he has, uh, and, you know, I'm excited for his opportunity. You know, I, I love Kon to death and Kons ***, he's ***, he's *** lawyer man. There's, there's more things I wanna say about Keon and what, uh what he did to go out there and try to help our football team. Um, but there's, uh, you know, next man up mentality and, and I'm excited for, you know, the opportunity that Bray has in front of him, jump right across the aisle here at the map. What needs to happen offensively to better capitalize on some of those defensive takeaways. Yeah. You know, sat, it's different, I think each week. Right. We talk about matchups and how they present themselves, but *** lot of the things were just, um, you know, drive, stalling because we were, we were, um, I don't wanna say it's always shooting yourself in the foot, but we weren't executing or something would do, it would happen. Uh, and *** lot of times it was right, false starts or whatever it might be. Um, we just wasted plays and got ourselves behind the chains, weren't able to have our full offense available on every play. And, um, you know, we were good at that early in the season and we got to get back to, um, you know, taking advantage of those opportunities playing off the defense and, and, uh, those momentum swings, you know, keeping them on our side when those, when those times come. So, um, credit the defense. Now, *** couple of weeks in *** row, they've, they've got the ball loose or, um, they've, they've made some interceptions and, uh, again, we gotta play team football and make those opportunities really pay off that there just to clarify our knee injuries in the secondary. Does that include Xavion? Because I know we didn't see him for most of the game there? Yeah, that'd be Zaben. Um, Devante. Is there anyone else you're wondering about Red, red? Yeah, ready to be in that group as well. That's, uh, Colin. Hey, Ken. Um, I'm curious, do you, do you feel like there's still *** learning curve, uh, in terms of Jalen Mro and the rest of the offense, in terms of learning your offensive scheme, you know, adapting to, to what you expect out of them or is it kind of? Yeah, I'm just really, I mean, I'm pleased with *** lot of the things that he's done and the way he's, uh, really wanted to learn the offense, uh, our system, I think there's always, uh, um, *** management of *** game that goes between coaching staff and, and your quarterback because he's the ultimate guy on the field that runs the show and, uh, you know, um, just, uh, yeah, I think when you, when you ask, is there *** learning curve or, you know, there, I think there always is. I think it, it continues, but obviously we're halfway through the season and, uh, we gotta, we gotta make sure we continue to do things he, he's comfortable with, uh, which I think he's comfortable with, you know, everything we ask him, you know, and, uh, you know, there's, there's also then situations you get into that are in front of you. Um, you know, how many times do you like to be in second? Longs, third and Longs, you know, those are hard on any quarterback no matter how good you are. And so, um, there's, I know in Jen's case, um, I know how he takes it all on himself, but there's other things that we all can do to help support him and put him, keep him from being in those tough spots, especially when you have ***, you know, *** loud environment. Um And it's, it's hard enough just to be able to communicate with your, with your team. Um make those extra little checks or calls that need to be made. Um You know, that energy is *** lot, we need to, we need to come through and help him *** lot out *** little bit more too and just like, uh just like you guess, uh he, he, he can continue to improve. Well as well, *** couple more questions. Start with Katie *** second. It's obviously been *** small sample size overall with his number of attempts here at Alabama, but in his career, Grahams one for four on kicks of 50 yards or more. And we've seen Connor handle the Kickoffs this year. Has there been any consideration of Connor maybe doing longer kicks or is Graham kind of the guy y'all are sticking with for all field goals? Yeah, I have *** lot of confidence in Connor. I've really seen Connor in practice, uh, continue to, uh, really be more consistent, uh, that I remember in the spring and, um, you know, I think we were right on the edge of what Graham was capable of. I felt that, uh, did think about, you know, just which way the kicks, even though there was just *** small win, um, looking for that little bit. I knew it would be close. Um, you know, you go with your gut on those things and, uh, um, you know, obviously it came up just short, but I felt like he was on point. I felt like he could put *** good solid, uh, swing on it. And, uh, you know, we, we got, we got *** lot of confidence in both of those guys to be honest with you finish off Jonathan all the way to that. Hey, coach Kane was talking about in adverse times like this. He said you gotta keep the main thing, the main thing focus on this Missouri game as you get later in the season, things like standings rankings, that kind of thing creeps in and, and maybe becomes *** conversation. How do you do that? And how do you keep the guys focused on just what's ahead this week? Yeah, I still feel like, you know, really or my, my experiences have been, you, you, there's too much football left. Um And maybe the last week you try to give some perspective, uh because there's so many things that can change between now and then. So that's really, you know, as Kane, I guess said with now that's really, you know, where our focus is at is, uh, just on, on this game. Wanna know, I already heard in the locker room from our players, they understand the big picture is one thing in order to make the big picture relevant, we have to take care of what's in front of us. And, uh, we got to continue to, you know, build, do what championship teams do, build on, uh, championship caliber teams do, build on your belief, uh, build on your, you know, just intensity and everything that, uh, that you do. And, um, and then just have some grit, you know, I think if you look across, uh, the championships that have been won this program, uh, obviously I wasn't *** part of them. Uh, but there's probably *** lot of common things that I just mentioned that are, that are, you know, right there. And II, I firmly believe that this team is capable of that. Um, we just got jump over that, that line that is *** fine line on, you know, the winning and losing and what it takes to be great. And, um, again, uh, that we have the people here that, that are gonna work, work hard, uh, to do everything they can, uh, within their means to, to make that happen. So, uh I'm excited to get back to work. We knew this wasn't gonna be easy. Uh We knew this is, uh, winning *** championship, uh, each and every year, especially in the SEC is gonna be hard. We knew, um, there are gonna be challenges along with uh, transitions, all that, no excuses. You know, we gotta continue to move forward, we got to continue to build and, uh, you know, that's what this week is all about is taking that next step. You bet real tight.