Kalen DeBoer explains Alabama’s fourth-down gambles in win over Mizzou
By David Wasson
Published:
The 8th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide needed a pair of crucial 4th-down conversions late against No. 14 Missouri.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer spoke with sideline reporter Katie George following Alabama’s 27-24 victory and talked about those 4th-down gambles while clinging to a 20-17 lead – the first a 29-yard pass from Ty Simpson to 29-yard pass to freshman Lotzeir Brooks on a 4th-and-8 at the Mizzou 38-yard line to keep the drive alive, and then a 4th-and-goal at the 1 where Simpson found sophomore Daniel Hill for a touchdown to go up 10 points.
“You’ve just got to trust your guys,” DeBoer said. “We practice these situations all the time. We said a year ago and all offseason, we’ve got to be great in critical positions and at critical times. Obviously, we could have done better here at the end, but there were some critical moments we went and made plays.
“Our guys are resilient, and I love the fight in them.”
That touchdown to Hill proved to be the difference in the game
Alabama finished 3-for-3 against Missouri on 4th down, and also converted on 6-of-15 plays on 3rd down en route to dealing Missouri (5-1) its first loss. The Crimson Tide won its 5th straight to improve to 5-1.
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.
