Bryant-Denny Stadium has seen its share of fireworks. But Saturday felt like No. 19 Alabama is back in shape. Kalen DeBoer‘s Tide outclassed Wisconsin 38-14, stringing together dominant back-to-back wins that made Tuscaloosa buzz like the old days. Ty Simpson was dialed in, the defense finally got its sack swagger back, and Ryan Williams reminded everyone why he’s one of the most electrifying players in the SEC. But that doesn’t mean you can be complacent. 

The scoreboard told one story, but Kalen DeBoer told another, and he’s already warning his team about what comes next. “Don’t let off the gas. That’s where we’re at right now,” he said in his postgame speech as Alabama settles in for a bye. “We’re being intentional, and when I say that, everything we do has purpose. So moving with purpose and how we operate within the building. And the guys have the energy right now that is becoming contagious. They’re reaping the rewards of it. They see what we’re capable of, and we’re so far from where we need to be.” Because the real test comes against Georgia in Athens on September 27, after the bye week, the Tide’s first SEC game. 

Ty Simpson was brilliant against Luke Fickell‘s squad. He threw for 382 yards and four touchdowns while completing 24-of-29 passes. His only incompletions are a pair of drops, one from Ryan Williams and another from freshman Lotzeir Brooks. That’s nitpicking when you’ve joined Mac Jones as the only Alabama quarterbacks to complete 80% with three touchdowns in consecutive games. But the QB wasn’t the only highlight. Ryan Williams, cleared after a concussion kept him out last week, exploded for 165 yards on just five catches. His 75-yard sprint on a screen pass to open the second half had Bryant-Denny sounding like 2015 all over again. 

Meanwhile, the defense had its own statement to make. After two weeks of sackless football, Alabama’s pass rush finally showed teeth. Bray Hubbard picked off two passes, LT Overton opened the floodgates with a drive-ending sack, and by the end of the night, Kane Wommack’s defense had notched four sacks and limited Wisconsin to 209 total yards. Wisconsin’s Danny O’Neil, filling in for injured starter Billy Edwards, never had a chance. His 41-yard strike to Jayden Ballard and a 95-yard kickoff return from Vinny Anthony II were about the only sparks the Badgers could manage. Alabama snuffed out everything else. And yet, even in a 24-point win, Kalen DeBoer wasn’t ready to hand out gold stars.

Kalen DeBoer gets real about Alabama’s lackluster run game

Alabama managed just 72 rushing yards, 86 once you adjust for sacks, against a Wisconsin front that looked more stubborn than strong. “I think there’s certainly an area where we can improve in the running game, and we have to,” Kalen DeBoer admitted. “It’s execution, that’s where it starts. The ability to be physical exists. We’ve gotta continue to work on it. I know the guys wanna do it, but that’s definitely an area where I can continue to see us emphasize, watch the film exactly, and see what was the execution, where we’re not technically sound in executing our jobs.”

Last week against Louisiana-Monroe, Alabama piled up 212 yards on the ground. Before that, it was just 87 yards against Florida State in the opener. That inconsistency is the crack in the armor heading into Athens. Help may be on the way. Top back Jamarion Miller, sidelined with a dislocated collarbone, could return after the bye. Simpson didn’t hide what that would mean when he said, “You know that guy’s a really, really big part of our team. He works really hard. He’s a leader. He’s very vocal, and I know he’s itching at the bit to get back.”

Until then, Alabama leans on Richard Young, Daniel Hill, Dre Washington, and Kevin Riley. So, Alabama sits at 2-1, riding the wave of momentum into a bye week with Georgia looming. The Tide looks dangerous, but Kalen DeBoer won’t let anyone get comfortable. Because in two weeks, they’ll need every ounce of fuel they can muster in Athens.