The Alabama Crimson Tide ended their 2024 season in ugly fashion, falling 19-13 to the Michigan Wolverines in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Tuesday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
Alabama finished 9-4, marking its first season with four losses since 2007. Michigan finished 8-5 and closed the year on a positive note with wins over both the Crimson Tide and Ohio State.
Here’s what Kalen DeBoer had to say after Alabama’s loss to the Wolverines.
Kalen DeBoer opening remarks after Alabama lost to Michigan
“Just congrats to Michigan here. Obviously, we dug ourselves in a hole in the first quarter. The turnovers gave them great field position. I thought our guys did did a good job on both of those drives holding them to field goals. They gave us a chance. I love the fight in our team at the end of the first half to gain some momentum. Just got to finish some drives there and at the end of the fourth quarter. That’s what it comes to: make a throw, make a catch.
“Guys played their hearts out, though. Never going to question the competitiveness. Some guys out there playing through a lot, even when it comes to just the physical pain that they’re trying to grind through and trying to finish this thing off right. So, I feel for those guys. I want the guys that are obviously going to be coming back here to remember this feeling and remember some of the feelings throughout the year, but we’ve got to keep building, continue to move forward.”
Kalen DeBoer explains fourth-down decision in final quarter
DeBoer opted to go for it on fourth-and-7 at the Michigan 34-yard line early in the fourth quarter with Alabama trailing 16-10 instead of trying a long field goal from Graham Nicholson that could have made it a one-score game. Here’s what DeBoer said of the decision.
“Yeah, you think about it. Felt like at the time — and obviously now we know he can kick the one at the end from that distance (51 yards) — I just felt like we were on the fringe of what…
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