Alabama heads to Kentucky on Saturday afternoon with a fresh look on offense and a new test waiting on the road.
The Crimson Tide are coming off a 48-10 win over ECU, a game that gave sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell plenty of time to show what he can do. Now he gets a tougher stage in Kentucky, where the Wildcats will try to slow down an Alabama attack that has plenty of moving parts.
Kentucky head coach Will Stein knows Kalen DeBoer from their time in the Big 10, and he sees enough familiar traits on the offensive side to expect a challenge. At the same time, Stein pointed out that Alabama’s defense is a different story than the one DeBoer had at Washington.
“He has a completely different defensive staff. I went against him twice in ‘23, so much has changed since then.”
Stein said. “Their personnel, their defense is completely different.
Offensively I think it stays the same, like I said they are very creative. They attack on all fronts, they’ve got good run game, good pass game, drop back game, play action, they have a mobile quarterback.
So there offense is always good.”
Stein was Oregon’s offensive coordinator from 2023-2025, while DeBoer was Washington’s head coach from 2022-2023. When they met in 2023, the Huskies beat the Ducks both times.
Now the two coaches are back on opposite sidelines, this time in a conference opener that brings Stein’s read on DeBoer’s system back into focus.
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For players like edge rusher Yhonzae Pierre, the value goes beyond technique or scheme. Pierre has pointed to Robinsons willingness to dive into film with his group and to stay engaged with them away from football, a combination that has helped build trust inside the room. In a program that has to keep developing pass rushers, that kind of coaching presence is part of why Alabama keeps leaning on him. [Read more 🡒]