Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer sent a clear message to his players about facing South Carolina.
After overcoming tough starts against both Kentucky and Florida State, the Alabama Crimson Tide are now getting ready to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Alabama has been able to withstand the slow starts this season, but it's not something that the team wants to continue dealing with. In this era of college football, teams are as good as ever, and many times, slow starts aren't able to be overcome.
But for the Crimson Tide, they have used strong second halves to ensure that their undefeated season has stayed together. However, as the team prepares for South Carolina, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer wants to see more fight from his guys early on.
DeBoer knows that his team won't always be able to come back, and he is looking for a better beginning to this game. The veteran coach sent a clear message to his guys ahead of the game.
“A game that you got to be ready to play and be at your best,” DeBoer said.
South Carolina has the talent to make life tough for the Crimson Tide in this game, even though the game is being played in Tuscaloosa. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers can change a game on his own, and the Alabama defense will be tested heavily in this matchup.
The Gamecocks are also coming into this game following a tough loss to Mississippi State at home. South Carolina knows that they can't drop another game if they want to contend for a potential playoff spot, so there may be a sense of desperation from them.
Alabama, even with the 3-0 start to the season, will need to match this level of energy from the opening kickoff. The Crimson Tide have the talent to win this game, but they have been allowing lower-tier teams to stay with them during games, which can be a problem against better competition.
Many see Alabama as the favorites entering this game, which makes sense, but on any given Saturday, a team can lose. Alabama will need to make sure that they don't overlook South Carolina heading into this crucial game.
This will be a big game for DeBoer, especially with all the outside noise around his job status heading into this season. Alabama needs to at least make the playoff again this season; otherwise, DeBoer could be looking for a new job very soon.
After the game with South Carolina, the Crimson Tide's schedule gets much tougher, with matchups against Mississippi State and Georgia upcoming. This team needs to take care of business against South Carolina, bringing their A-game from the start.
