Kalen DeBoer’s offense at Alabama has gotten a real lift from Keelon Russell, and the numbers tell the story. Through the early part of the season, Russell has piled up 1,414 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and only two interceptions, helping the Crimson Tide race out to an undefeated start.
Before Alabama’s meeting with Georgia, DeBoer pointed to the quarterback’s growth as a major reason the offense has found its rhythm. He said Russell’s play has expanded what the staff can do and made it easier to trust him in bigger moments.
“It just opens up more and more of the playbook,” DeBoer said. “You trust him in the moments that maybe sometimes people wouldn’t with younger quarterbacks, and it’s just been a process and growth.
There’s been a growth process for him week after week. And the best thing is, is the things that don’t go perfect, he learned from them.
And really, you don’t see those things show up the next game or in games down the road.”
DeBoer added that Russell has handled broken plays without losing his composure.
“So, him giving us what we want, making decisions when things do break down; he doesn’t panic or anything like that. And so, he keeps the chains moving and putting points on the board. So, he’s done a nice job.”
Russell’s first start at Kentucky in Week 2 was a rough one at the outset. He threw a pick-six on Alabama’s opening drive, and the Crimson Tide then coughed the ball up on their second possession while trailing by four at halftime. But the quarterback settled in and helped Alabama storm back with a 32-0 second half to put the game away.
The challenge only gets bigger Saturday against Georgia. Alabama is set to face a Bulldogs defense that ranks among the best in college football, but Russell has already shown he can take a hit, reset, and get the Tide moving again.
In Other News...
Georgia Alabama Suddenly Faces One Massive SEC Decision
The buildup to Saturdays Alabama-Georgia matchup has quickly been complicated by Tropical Storm Isaias, which has strengthened and is now forecast to become a strong Category 2 hurricane as it approaches the northern Gulf Coast. With the storm bringing the threat of strong winds, heavy rain and even tornado risks to parts of Alabama, the logistics around one of the SECs biggest games of the week have suddenly become part of the conversation.
The storms exact landfall point is still uncertain, but the forecast is serious enough that the conference could be forced to weigh whether the game needs to be postponed or moved. For now, no official announcement has been reported, leaving both programs and their fans waiting on the next update as the weather picture continues to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Alabama Just Got A Storm Threat Fans Can't Ignore
Saturdays showdown between Georgia and Alabama already had enough weight attached to it, and now the forecast is adding another layer. A tropical system is expected to bring very wet weather to the game, though there are still no plans to push it back for now. That leaves the matchup in the same uneasy spot plenty of big SEC games have found before, where the football is scheduled to go on even as the conditions start to look less than ideal.
Georgia has lived through weather-affected battles with Alabama before, so this is not exactly a new kind of backdrop for the Bulldogs. Elijah Griffin and Peyton Woodring both framed it as part of the games physical reality, especially when the elements turn the night into more of a grind. The postponement question is still hanging out there, though, and it is one of those calls that could end up depending on local emergency management decisions rather than anything inside the stadium. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Faces His Biggest Early Georgia Test Yet
Kirby Smart is heading into one of the early measuring sticks of Georgias season, and this one comes with familiar stakes. The Bulldogs travel to face Alabama in an SEC showdown between unbeaten, ranked teams, with Georgia trying to break a long drought in Tuscaloosa and prove its offense can travel as well as it has played at home. Gunner Stockton has helped give Georgia a high-scoring look, while the matchup also carries the kind of national weight that tends to follow these two programs whenever they meet.
Alabama brings its own challenge with quarterback Keelon Russell leading the way, and both coaching staffs have already acknowledged the respect and difficulty built into the game. For Georgia, it is more than another conference trip, because a win would say plenty about where Smarts team stands this early in the season. For Alabama, it is another chance to protect a home field that has been a hurdle for the Bulldogs for far too long, which is why this one feels like an early-season test with a little extra edge. [Read more 🡒]