Kalen DeBoer calls Alabama’s defense ‘hesitant’ after brutal first half vs. Florida State
By Mark Kern
Published:
Kalen DeBoer and Alabama were looking to get off to a good start in Year 2, but that hasn’t been the case on Saturday. The Crimson Tide are on the road at Florida State, and they entered the game as 13.5-point favorites.
However, the defense has really struggled in the first half to stop the run, and the Crimson Tide are trailing the Seminoles 17-7 at the half. As he was headed to the locker room, DeBoer said the defense was hesitant in the first half.
“We’re a little hesitant on defense right now,” DeBoer told the Crimson Tide Sports Network. “They got a lot of moving pieces. The quarterback is doing a good job of keeping plays alive. We knew that would be the case. Got to trust what you see, trust what we prepared for.”
Florida State established the ground early, as the Seminoles rushed for 126 yards in the first half. Florida State quarterback Thomas Castanellos talked some trash in the off-season, but in the first half, he has backed it up.
In the first half, he rushed the ball eight times for 56 yards and one touchdown.
For the Crimson Tide to get back in the game, the defense is going to have to step up and stop the run. The Seminoles get the ball to start the second half, and a stop for the Alabama defense could go a long way in getting back in the game.
