Alabama fans have a lot to celebrate. The Crimson Tide continues its dominance over Georgia, after a 24-21 win on Saturday. Kalen DeBoer seems to be turning things around for the season. Alabama needed this win by all means possible to remain in playoff contention. DeBoer has successfully checked that off the list. The HC also tackled a glaring issue against Georgia that had been plaguing him across 17 games. It helped Alabama clear a stubborn blemish.

For the first time since DeBoer’s arrival at Alabama, the Tide has committed fewer penalties than its opponents. Alabama produced only 4 penalties, while Georgia’s tally was 6. This is a big change for Alabama, who usually commit more than 5 fouls in a match. It’s a notable feat for Kalen DeBoer as well, who last managed this in 2023, when his Huskies side beat Texas. It was not just a DeBoer-specific problem. Nick Saban was also racking up penalties during his last years. But DeBoer peculiarly had more penalty totals than his opponents, be it in a win or a loss.

Alabama, under Kalen DeBoer, had an alarming total of 108 penalties after Week 3. That now goes up to 112, but it’s still a feat that can be celebrated. The program is now the 43best in penalties in the FBS, a sharp rise from being the 77 best a little over two weeks ago. “[Our] guys, believe me, they don’t want to have penalties. It’s just going to be a matter of time where they get comfortable out there and we can continue to show that it matters to us,” Kalen DeBoer had said after the ULM game.

The win over Georgia and an improvement in their penalty total prove that Kalen DeBoer can fight back. Being unable to take Alabama back to its glory days in the past year and losing to FSU had ratcheted up the heat under his seat. But after the win against Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs, the intense pressure has been dialed down. He’s not only reclaiming his position in the SEC; he’s also actively working to get rid of these glaring flaws. This impressive stat, however, would not have been possible without the on-field conduct of the players. Ty Simpson made sure to acknowledge that fact.

Ty Simpson on how communication helped in bringing down penalties

Ty Simpson is now turning out to be a budding star for Alabama football after a rocky start to the season. The QB has delivered when the stakes were high and led the charge to keep his teammates disciplined. Alabama-Georgia is easily one of the most hostile environments in college football. There was a huge need for DeBoer to cut down on penalties, but the Tide was facing a raucous Georgia crowd in Sanford Stadium. It was very easy for the vibe among the Crimson crew to get heated.

Ty Simpson shared his thoughts on Alabama’s low penalty total for the first time in so many games. “I made sure communication was key. As long as we’re all doing the same thing, we have a chance. We only had what, one pre-snap penalty? One false start. That’s huge. That’s really, really good, by our O-line, our wideouts watching the ball, that helps us win games,” he told the press. Alabama brought in only 16 penalty yards, while Georgia totaled a whopping 68. That’s troubling for a squad that was bringing only 3.3 penalties per game before the Alabama clash.

Kalen DeBoer now has a chance to roll out a new identity for Alabama football. He has a huge SEC win in the bag and has also attacked his most urgent problem. Fans will only be hoping for more success, and that DeBoer doesn’t get back to resuming this embarrassing streak. He can’t afford that, because he’s still on a tightrope walk when it comes to his job security at Tuscaloosa.