Alabama’s win over Georgia showed why Kalen DeBoer stuck by Ty Simpson despite a shaky start that had everyone on edge
Kalen DeBoer is showing why Simpson was always quarterback one.
Think back to Week 1 when the Alabama Crimson Tide came out and got flatlined by the Florida State Seminoles. Ty Simpson looked like a deer in headlights; the same issues as last year seemed to persist, and there was a “here we go again” kind of feel to what Kalen DeBoer’s version of the Crimson Tide showed.
But then Simpson settled in and looked like the second coming of Tom Brady against Wisconsin. That was encouraging, but the real test was always going to be Saturday night in between the hedges. A place where the Georgia Bulldogs hadn’t lost since pre-pandemic.
And what did Simpson do? He threw for 276 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions en route to a 24-21 win over the Bulldogs, proving the doubters wrong, and his coach right.
Ty Simpson carries Crimson Tide to Victory over Georgia
“I think he’s continued to do a really good job of keeping his eyes downfield, and trusting his offensive line more and more, in pass protection,” said DeBoer of Simpson after the game. “And then, you know, the guys are getting in the right spots at the right time, the repetitions that are happening in practice, just even the completion percentage and execution in practice, you can see it continue to build.”
“And so, you know, he’s ripping it, cutting it loose, and I’m proud of him, because he he’s playing with some energy and some emotion. He’s given some talks to the team that are pretty passionate, and he’s all in, that’s for sure.”
I didn’t see this player inside of Simpson in Week 1. The question was, if you were Kalen DeBoer and wanted to start someone with little to no starting experience, why not go with Keelon Russell? Why stick with what seemed to be an overwhelmed signal caller despite his years in college?
Saturday night in Athens was why.
Simpson played with such graceful timing and anticipation. He was the definition of smooth. He got through his progressions and played fast, but never rushed his process. He, like the rest of Alabama, took the FSU loss personally, and they have come back better.
“It started that they pretty much just got an edge to them,” said DeBoer on what changed among his players after the FSU loss. “[They] took everything that was out there and channeled the energy into into us being better and getting better. And there’s two things you can do when things are coming down on you a little bit. You can go back yourself in a corner, [or] you can fight. And these guys, you know, made up their minds ]that they] are going to fight.”
Alabama Crimson Tide News
Alabama’s win over Georgia came at an immediate cost after a controversial call on a key Crimson Tide defender
The Alabama Crimson Tide and James Smith took a big L on Saturday night.
