Alabama football just kept their winning ways rolling with a 21-6 road victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores, but the biggest shocker was who lined up under center. Quarterback Keelon Russell ended up starting the game despite an ankle injury that was initially expected to keep him off the field, slated only as an emergency backup.
DeBoer’s High-Stakes Decision
After the game, head coach Kalen DeBoer spilled the beans on the wild, last-minute decision to throw Russell into the fire. College football insider Mike Rodak reported on X that DeBoer admitted Russell had “minimal reps” during the week. Minimal reps! That’s insane for a starting quarterback, especially one coming off an injury. DeBoer did note there was “a lot of improvement” from Russell in the 24-48 hours leading up to kickoff, which is a testament to the kid’s grit. The coach’s confidence in his QB is clear, too, with Charlie Potter reporting DeBoer’s stance on Russell moving forward: “If he can go, I expect him to go.” That tells you everything you need to know about what DeBoer thinks of Russell’s potential and his will to play.
Not Exactly Inspiring, But Still Kicking
Russell, to his credit, put up a solid game in Nashville, especially considering the circumstances. He completed 22 of his 33 pass attempts and tossed three touchdowns against one interception. That’s a strong stat line for someone who barely practiced and was nursing an ankle. Still, let’s be real, it wasn’t exactly a dominant performance from the Crimson Tide. They had to survive a four-quarter slugfest against a Vanderbilt team that has been pretty much putrid in its conference games this year. A win’s a win, though, and Bama now sits at 8-2 on the season. They are still very much alive in their quest to make it to the SEC Championship Game, and that’s the ultimate prize right now.
Next up, the Crimson Tide hit the field at home next Saturday against Chattanooga. Kickoff for that one is set for 2:00 pm ET. You know they’ll be looking to clean things up and show out before diving deeper into that SEC Championship hunt.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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