"That was a game we should win": Kalen DeBoer reflects on FSU loss as Crimson Tide gear up for Week 3 showdown against Wisconsin

Kalen DeBoer's Alabama started the 2025 season with a 31-17 loss to then-unranked Florida State on Aug. 30.

The loss snapped the Crimson Tide's 23-game winning streak in season openers and gave them their fourth loss to an unranked program under DeBoer in just two seasons, matching the total number of such losses Nick Saban suffered in his final 14 years before retiring.

DeBoer addressed the setback with candor.

“We better be keeping the pain of what happened Week 1 internally,” DeBoer said on "Hey Coach & The Kalen DeBoer Show" (via On3). “And again, I channel the energy channel, whatever level of frustration, being upset, whatever you want to call it. We need (to) channel that into our preparation.

“I think through two days this week, we’ve done a good job of continuing to not let that pain, not let that fade off and understanding that we have a lot to prove. That’s just one game, and it was a game we should win.”

NCAA Football: Alabama at Florida State - Source: Imagn

Alabama showed its faith in DeBoer back in January 2024 when it handed him an eight-year, $87 million contract to take over for Saban. With a buyout figure still in the upper-$60 million range, any move to replace him in the near future seems highly unlikely.

In his first year with Alabama in 2024, DeBoer led Alabama to a 9-4 record. It is the program’s worst mark since Saban’s inaugural season in 2007, when the Tide finished 7-6.

Kalen DeBoer reflects on Week 3 game against Wisconsin

After suffering the stunning Week 1 loss to Florida State, Alabama bounced back by dismantling Louisiana-Monroe 73-0 in Week 2, marking the Crimson Tide's largest victory margin since the early 1950s. Now, Kalen DeBoer’s programs turn their focus to a home showdown with Wisconsin on Saturday.

The Badgers arrive in Tuscaloosa undefeated at 2-0 under third-year coach Luke Fickell. Wisconsin opened its season with a 17-0 shutout of Miami (Ohio) on Aug. 28, followed by a 42-10 win over Middle Tennessee in Week 2.

DeBoer said that Alabama must carry the same energy and preparation from its Week 2 rout into the game with Wisconsin.

“This week, we’ve got a very good opponent with Wisconsin coming in,” DeBoer said (via On3). “And we’ve got to make sure that the same mindset we had on all week long leading up to Saturday, that it continues for sure.”

Once the Crimson Tide wrap up their clash with the Badgers, they will face an even bigger challenge on Sept. 27 with a road trip to Athens to take on No. 6 Georgia. The Bulldogs also sit at 2-0 after rolling past Marshall 45-7 on Aug. 30 and defeating Austin Peay 28-6 last weekend.

About the author

Maliha is a High School Sports news and listicles writer at Sportskeeda. A post graduate in Management Information Systems, it was her love for writing and sports which led her down the path of sports content creation. An experienced NBA and NFL writer, she covered the two sports extensively at SportsZion and SportsKnot before joining SportsKeeda.

Maliha is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and is in awe of quarterback Lamar Jackson's dual-threat abilities. She also admires Tom Brady and her all-time favorite coach is 3-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid. She is a big advocate of high school sports and believes that elite athletes reach a top level owing to the discipline, hard work, team dynamics, resilience, adaptability and self-confidence learnt by playing sports in high schools. Aaron Rodgers leading the Green Bay Packers to victory on his debut against the Minnesota Vikings is one of her fondest NFL memories.

Maliha places a high emphasis on accuracy in her content. She does thorough research, always double checks facts, and only uses information from most relevant and credible sources for her articles. When not writing, she likes to read history and biographical books.

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