The University of Alabama has its first road test this weekend in the Kalen DeBoer era.
After earning two victories at home, the Crimson Tide’s football team heads to Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday to face Wisconsin out of the Big Ten. Fox Big Noon will have the commentary and FOX will air the matchup at 11 a.m. CT.
RELATED: Alabama’s Co-OC hilariously reveals how he knows young players are ready to play on the road
Coach DeBoer is no stranger to the Big Ten after spending the 2019 season as Indiana’s offensive coordinator.
In hiss weekly radio show on Wednesday, he highlighted the biggest challenge Tyler Van Dyke — the Badgers’ starting quarterback — presents to the Tide. Van Dyke attempted one pass versus Alabama in 2021 when he played for the Miami Hurricanes as a freshman. He has 406 passing yards and a touchdown through two matchups for Wisconsin.
“He’s got experience,” DeBoer said about Van Dyke. “That is the biggest thing. There is not gonna be a situation where he’s overwhelmed by the environment.”
Experience plays a role for Van Dyke, but the Badgers want to run the football.
If the Tide takes the run game away, it will force Van Dyke to beat it in the passing game. He has a talented arm, yet he is not consistent with his accuracy. Alabama has to constantly affect him with pressure. If it does, Van Dyke is in for a long day.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
