The Alabama Crimson Tide hasn’t lost a season opener since 2001. Tomorrow will be the debut game for Tuscaloosa’s new head coach Kalen DeBoer. The Tide will face the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Bryant Denny Stadium. Las Vegas oddsmakers are predicting that Alabama will win by least thirty points. Offensive Coordinator Kane Wommack says veteran players like defensive back Malachi Moore help motivate the new players on the team…
“When you when you talk about leadership and being a person that emulates what it's supposed to look like, right? Leading by example, he is one of the hardest workers that I've ever seen in practice every single day, whether it's a workout, whether it's a walk through, whether it's a practice,” Wommack said,
Much of the offseason talk has been about replacing a coach who led Alabama to six national titles and won another one at LSU. This week, it's about the team and how it performs on the field under a coach who led Washington to the national championship game last season.
"When you're prepared well, you're going to be confident," DeBoer said. "That's the whole key and it just doesn't start this week. It's something that's been ongoing since the staff got here, since the first day of workouts in the winter.
"There's just a mind-set that's been happening. We talk about creating an attitude, not installing special plays that help your attitude. You create your attitude all year long."
Kane Wommack, the Tide’s new Offensive Coordinator, says coach DeBoer acts the same whether no matter the stress level at a give point in a game…
“Whether you're game planning, or you're hanging out on a on a back porch in a pool, right?” observed Wommack. “Or you're, you know, in the fourth quarter in the middle of a big game, he's the same guy, and that is a superpower”.
Milroe's Return
Jalen Milroe returns after a season that included an early-season benching and ultimately a sixth-place finish in the Heisman Trophy balloting. Milroe is the unquestioned leader of the Tide's offense this go-around, a strong-armed passer who accounted for 35 total touchdowns last season (23 passing, 12 rushing).
Tide Playmakers
There's no shortage of candidates to replace Alabama's departed top receivers and running backs.Tailbacks Jam Miller and Justice Haynes figure to shoulder much of the load in the running game, but there are other former blue-chip recruits behind them. The Tide must also replace the top three receivers from last season. The big names to watch include Washington transfer Germie Bernard and freshman Ryan Williams, one of the nation's top prospects. Returning players like Kobe Prentice and Kendrick Law could play bigger roles.
"We have six solid guys for sure and there's a couple of others that are pushing really hard, too," DeBoer said.
New at WKU
Quarterback TJ Finley, who's on his fourth college stop, heads a long list of newcomers at Western Kentucky. Coach Tyson Helton brought in 53 new players, including 33 transfers. The 6-foot-7, 238-pound Finley is a former LSU and Auburn quarterback who had a breakthrough season at Texas State in 2023. Finley passed for 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns against eight interceptions last season. His targets figure to include transfers Kisean Johnson (Alabama State) and Bryce Childress (New Mexico State).
Winning Openers
It has been just shy of 23 years since Alabama lost a season opener. The Tide have opened 22 straight seasons with victories since losing 20-17 to UCLA on Sept. 1, 2001. DeBoer has an 8-1 record in openers as a head coach, with the only loss coming at Fresno State, 34-19 to Hawaii in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. That game was played on Oct. 24.
Special teams
Alabama's kicking game should be top-notch again. The new placekicker is Graham Nicholson, who won the Lou Groza Award last season for Miami of Ohio. He'll replace the FBS's all-time leading scorer Will Reichard.
Punter James Burnip is also back after averaging 47.6 yards per punt, the second highest average in a season for the Tide (minimum 50 kicks).
