Kalen DeBoer reveals why Alabama wasn’t afraid to put Germie Bernard at quarterback on game-winning TD against South Carolina
Alabama has all the confidence in the world when it comes to No.5.
The Alabama Crimson Tide played a bad three quarters on Saturday. But then came the fourth quarter, when Ty Simpson, Ryan Grubb, Germie Bernard, and the Alabama defense rose to the occasion to create a 15-point swing, winning the game 29-22.
The game-sealing touchdown came after the forced fumble from Deontae Lawson, saving Alabama from having to answer a lot of tough questions. And if you told someone that said touchdown would have come via the quarterback from Alabama, they wouldn’t have batted an eye.
But Bernard at quarterback on third and 10 with the game on the line? I’m not sure even he knew that was coming.
Alabama had all the trust in the world in Germie Bernard on third and 10 TD
“We got all the trust in the world [in him],” said Kalen DeBoer after the game. “You’ve seen us, every week, have different things that we do. He’s lined up in Wildcat, out of the backfield, throwing the ball [on] double pass opportunities. So guys who are disciplined, guys who have the game slow down for them…You give them the opportunities as much as possible in critical moments to go make plays for you.”
Let’s envision the inverse of this play for a second. Can you imagine if, on third and 10, with the game on the line, Alabama takes the ball out of the hands of the Heisman Trophy frontrunner, gives it to Bernard out of the gun, and he fumbles or, better yet, decides to throw the ball and is intercepted?
Instead of championing Grubb for his miraculous two-point conversion call and game-winning touchdown play, fans and media would be ripping Grubb, Bernard, and DeBoer to shreds. But that didn’t happen, and Alabama escapes the trap game, heading into the bye week atop the conference as it sits undefeated in SEC play.
It wasn’t easy and it was far from pretty, but a win is a win in the SEC. I’m sure many in the national media will discredit Alabama for keeping it close and, in all honesty, almost losing to South Carolina. Still, the fact that it pulled out the win tells me it is different from last year’s team.
The 2024 Alabama Crimson Tide doesn’t win that game. And who knows, maybe Alabama falters and loses a game down the stretch, showing it isn’t who we think it is. But to end an absolute gauntlet of five games undefeated is very impressive.
Up next, the LSU Tigers on Nov. 8.
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