In football, you can judge an offense’s scoring ability by how well it performs inside the 20. The higher the red-zone completion rate, the better the coordination. Brent Venables’ Oklahoma Sooners are one of only two or three FBS teams with a 100% red-zone success rate through their first nine games. And keep in mind, they’ve faced one of the toughest schedules in the country. So how do you even stop them? Well, let’s just say Kalen DeBoer has a plan, as always.

On November 11, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer appeared on his weekly Hey Coach podcast for a Q&A session with fans. One long-time Alabama fan basically asked, ‘How do you plan to stop Oklahoma’s 100% red-zone success rate? And what changes are you making on defense to stop them?’

The offensive-minded DeBoer immediately switched into a defensive mode with his response: “Our defense has done a great job. I think a lot of it starts with mindset. You know, a lot of teams, I think people drive into the red zone and, you know, I mean, that’s not how we are, obviously, because we’ve been very successful defensively, but you know, are you going to bow up or, you know, has it just kind of broke you? And so our guys do a great job of having a mindset.”

Their main goal is to hold teams to field goals instead of touchdowns, and that attitude has fueled several key stops this season. Alabama’s defense has been elite, especially in the red zone and against the pass. They play with a tough bend-but-don’t-break mentality that has them ranked in the top 10 nationally in most major defensive categories.

DeBoer doubled down by addressing the challenge of facing Oklahoma’s offense, led by mobile quarterback John Mateer. The Heisman front-runner before his hand injury. Running quarterbacks are always tough to defend in the red zone because of the limited space and extra blocking help. To make it even, the Crimson Tide currently ranks eighth in the country, allowing opponents to score on just 70.8% of their red-zone trips.

The only real concern for Alabama might be its run defense, but luckily, the Sooners’ ground game outside of Mateer has been almost non-existent of the lowest-ranked in the nation. Contain John Mateer, and Alabama should be just fine. Meanwhile, DeBoer can rely on his wideouts to attack Oklahoma’s defense on the other end.

Kalen DeBoer praises Ryan Williams’ maturity

Ryan Williams has quickly become one of the biggest stars in college football since joining Alabama last year. He’s not only made a name for himself on the field but also off it, becoming the cover athlete for EA Sports College Football 26 and landing several major NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals. His NIL valuation has soared to $2.1 million, showing just how popular and marketable he’s become. Despite all the attention, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said Williams has stayed focused and mature.

“There’s a lot of access to this guy,” DeBoer said. “NFL players and professional players, that is really their job. He’s doing that, and then he’s also going to school and going to get his degree in less than three years.” Coach DeBoer praised Williams for how well he balances football, academics, and business opportunities. “He’s got all those things, and then getting pulled in a lot of directions even within our program … but he manages it well,” DeBoer said.

He pointed out that while professional athletes only have to focus on their sport, Williams is juggling both his studies and his growing fame. Even with media appearances and leadership roles on the team, Williams has kept his priorities straight and continues to lead by example.