Alabama’s offense has hit a rough stretch, and the conversation around Ryan Grubb has only gotten louder after the Crimson Tide’s loss to Tennessee three weeks ago. Grubb took the heat head-on, saying he was responsible for the defeat and for the lack of offensive rhythm in Knoxville.
Kalen DeBoer, though, isn’t ready to pin the slump on his coordinator alone. A few days after Alabama bounced back against Texas A&M, the head coach defended Grubb and argued that the issues go beyond play-calling.
"I was a play-caller, so I know the way you envision it doesn't always go the way you want," DeBoer told The Tuscaloosa News."But usually there's a reason for that: an execution error or things like that. You're just trying to put your guys in the best spots."
There’s something to that. Alabama’s first five games all ended with the Tide scoring at least 45 points. Then came Georgia and Tennessee, and suddenly the offense managed just 27 combined points across those two games.
The level of competition matters here, too. Before those rivalry matchups, Alabama had faced only one ranked opponent, 16th-ranked Mississippi State, and that team ranked 83rd in points allowed per game. Georgia and Tennessee, by contrast, are both in the top 25 in that category.
Still, the numbers point to more than just tougher opponents. The offense is young, and that shows in the way Keelon Russell is being asked to operate. He’s trying to walk the line between efficient pocket passing and hunting explosive plays down the field, and that’s not an easy balancing act against SEC defenses.
Since Georgia week, Russell has been holding the ball longer than he should. He’s been sacked 22 times for 142 yards, and his 3.11-second average time-to-throw suggests he’s often scrambling or waiting for the big shot to open.
That approach makes the problem pretty clear. DeBoer may be right that execution has hurt Alabama, but it also raises the question of why a 19-year-old first-year starter is being asked to force deep throws against SEC powerhouses.
With a young quarterback, the safer path is usually to build confidence first and let the deep ball come later. Russell has the arm and the vision to pull those throws off, but doing it under pressure is a different animal.
The Texas A&M game offered a perfect example. Deep in Alabama territory, Russell made a gutsy escape when the Aggies collapsed the pocket, then tried to find Derek Meadows while moving to his right. The pressure threw off his mechanics, and the pass came up short and landed in the hands of Dezz Ricks.
Instead of connecting with Meadows, the throw ended up about five yards short and flipped momentum in Texas A&M’s favor. Alabama’s defense kept the damage to a field goal, but those are the kinds of plays that can bury you against SEC competition.
Grubb’s job has often been easier in the past because he’s worked with more seasoned quarterbacks, from Michael Penix to Geno Smith to Ty Simpson. Russell is not operating in that kind of comfort zone, and the growing pains are showing up in the most unforgiving ways.
In Other News...
Alabama Still Has One Noah Rogers Decision Hanging Over The Offense
Noah Rogers has been back in the mix since Week 4, but Alabama still has not fully unlocked what it wants from the NC State transfer. A knee injury in spring practice slowed his rollout, and while the staff has clearly been interested in finding more room for him on offense, the challenge has been fitting him into an already crowded rotation without pulling someone else off the field.
Kalen DeBoer has said the Tide would like to involve Rogers more, which leaves this as more than a simple health update. It is a usage question now, and one that will keep lingering as Alabama sorts out how to balance its personnel. Elsewhere around the program, sophomore guard Amari Allen is entering the year with some real buzz after being named preseason All-SEC first team by league coaches following a strong freshman season and a solid preseason showing. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Heads To LSU With DeBoer Taking A Very Different Approach
The Alabama-LSU matchup on Nov. 7 already carried plenty of weight, but Lane Kiffin helped sharpen the edge by calling out the SECs decision to put the game in an afternoon window and suggesting the schedule favors LSU. His comments added another layer to a rivalry that rarely needs much help getting attention, especially with both programs entering a stretch where every move feels magnified.
Kalen DeBoer, meanwhile, has taken a noticeably different tack in the buildup, keeping the focus on Alabama rather than joining the public back-and-forth. With LSU dealing with injuries and the stakes obvious for the Crimson Tide, the game sets up as one of those November tests that can reshape the conversation around Alabama almost immediately, depending on how it plays out. [Read more 🡒]
Kalen DeBoer Just Landed In An Alabama Scenario Fans Will Hate
Kalen DeBoer is already getting pulled into the kind of rumor mill Alabama fans never want to see around a coach who is still settling in. After signing a long-term deal with the Crimson Tide, DeBoer has nevertheless surfaced as a name to watch if USC ever decides to make a change with Lincoln Riley, whose tenure in Los Angeles has yet to produce a national championship or a College Football Playoff berth.
For Alabama, the concern is obvious: whenever a coach starts showing up on another blue-bloods wish list, the speculation follows. DeBoers contract was built to give the Tide stability, but the USC angle keeps his name in circulation for a job that would be hard for any coach to ignore, and it leaves Alabama fans waiting to see whether the noise fades or grows louder. [Read more 🡒]