Kalen DeBoer talks Jalen Milroe, run defense, Deontae Lawson as Alabama falls to Oklahoma

Alabama football’s College Football Playoff dream was likely crushed on Saturday, when it lost to Oklahoma 24-3. The defeat to the Sooners, who had won just one SEC game before taking down the Crimson Tide, dealt UA its third loss of the season.

It’s not the first time Kalen DeBoer’s team has lost to a heavy underdog. Alabama fell to Vanderbilt on the road earlier this year, in addition to its defeat at the hands of Tennessee in Knoxville.

This one could all but effectively ruin the 2024 season. It’s the first time UA has lost three games in a year since 2010, and knocks the Tide off its path to both the CFP and SEC championship game.

After the game, DeBoer took questions from reporters in Norman. Here’s a recap of some of what he said.

Kalen DeBoer press conference after Oklahoma beats Alabama

— “Extremely disappointed. Frustrated.”

— “It comes down to the end of the first half.” DeBoer pointed to Oklahoma scoring a touchdown before halftime, and then Alabama turning the ball over right away in the second half on the first drive.

— DeBoer credited Oklahoma’s run game for the Sooners’ success.

— DeBoer said the game got away from Alabama in the third quarter.

— “Anytime you lose a guy like Deontae, it’s going to affect you.” (Lawson left the game with an injury in the first half).

— DeBoer on Jalen Milroe: “We just all needed to be a little better… I thought he kept battling.”

— DeBoer’s message to Jalen Milroe after second interception: “Have no regrets. Go out there and keep swinging.”

— DeBoer said the locker room right now is “win and lose as a team”

— “We’ve got to regroup. Stick together. “The right things are said in there by the guys.” \

— Deontae Lawson status: “We will evaluate further here when we get back.”

— DeBoer on Alabama struggling to run the football: “We have to credit a little bit who they are and what they do defensively.” DeBoer said staying on blocks was a problem at times. “And then the penalties there in the fourth quarter get you behind the sticks as well.”

— “We didn’t run it as well as we would have expected early in the game.”

— DeBoer on Oklahoma’s running game: “That was the story for them, those guys, inside, outside, different ways moving the chains and hitting the explosives they had. It seemed like they were always falling forward.”

— DeBoer on what Oklahoma did to make things tough for Jalen Milroe and Alabama: “I think there were some things that were pretty easy that didn’t happen for us.” DeBoer mentioned drops, not having explosive plays and more as some of those issues. “We couldn’t get over the hump tonight. That’s the unfortunate thing.”