Why Kalen DeBoer challenged his players to watch games during BYE week

Aug 30, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer reacts after a play against the Florida State Seminoles during the second half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Kalen DeBoer wanted Alabama football to take full advantage of its time away from the football field during its BYE week.

The Crimson Tide were not in action last weekend after beating ULM and Wisconsin to improve to 2-1 on the season. While Alabama was not strapping up their own pads Saturday, DeBoer wanted his players to pay close attention to the teams that were.

“I challenge the guys to watch football this weekend, and we’ve pulled up a game or two and tried to learn from what other teams are doing and what happened to them, good and bad, and that you fight till the very last play and that’s whether you’re ahead or whether you’re on the wrong end of it at that time and that is an example last year was exactly one that we lived out,” DeBoer said during his Monday press conference. “And so it was great, and then it was hard, and then we found a way. You play because crazy things happen and you play because you love to compete and that’s what you know our guys are gonna do here this Saturday.”

Alabama returns to action against Georgia in Athens on Saturday.

The Crimson Tide have faced their fair share of road struggles during the DeBoer era. Alabama football is 2-5 on the road with Kalen DeBoer as its head coach. On the flip side, the Tide is 9-0 at home under DeBoer.

DeBoer and company will look to flip their luck on the road this weekend.