Kalen DeBoer comments on Conor Talty’s key missed field goal vs. Oklahoma
By David Wasson
Published:
Alabama kicker Conor Talty was visibly upset with Crimson Tide long snapper David Bird after a high snap was a component in a missed 36-yard field goal at the end of the first half vs. Oklahoma.
A make would have tied the 4th-ranked Tide with No. 11 Oklahoma 17-17 and potentially changed the direction of what ended up being a 23-21 Sooners victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
After the game, though, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer criticized the entire kicking operation equally when he was asked about the critical miss that was also tipped at the line of scrimmage by Oklahoma’s Taylor Wein.
“We can get a little better snap, but we can make the kick too,” DeBoer said. “It is a little bit of everything on the execution – from snap to the kick. We gotta find a way to kick it through when it’s not perfect. We gotta find a way to execute better on the whole operation.”
Talty is now 11-for-17 on field goal attempts in 2025 and he has made all 35 of his PAT kick attempts. His long in 2025 is 48 yards, with Talty going 2-for-3 from 20-29 yards, 4-for-5 from 30-39 yards, 5-for-8 from 40-49 yards and 0-1 from 50+ yards.
The redshirt sophomore earned the starting position after serving as a backup in 2023 and 2024 – with Talty exclusively handling kickoff duties in 2024.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
