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The old Nick Saban 24-hour rule, under which Alabama football’s former coach implored players to forget about both wins and losses in 24 hours to turn their attention to the next opponent, never said anything about a 12-month rule. And 12 months after the 2023 Alabama team’s disaster-averting, 17-3 win at South Florida, there can be little doubt that the team’s returning veterans are looking to make a better showing this Saturday as they prepare to host the Bulls at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
It was the 2023 Alabama team’s worst performance of the season, one it surely had no problem forgetting in far fewer than 24 hours. An uninspired UA offense slogged its way to halftime tied 3-3, and needed a very late touchdown to put the contest out of reach. But as the Crimson Tide prepares to host the Bulls on Saturday to complete a two-year home-and-home contract, in a new season, under a new coach, and with a new offense, there’s still an old score to settle. That USF was ultimately on the wrong end of that score is of little consolation to Crimson Tide veterans who were embarrassed by the team’s most uninspired afternoon.
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None of this is lost on new coach Kalen DeBoer, even if he sees his first Alabama team as one that only needs to look forward.
“I didn’t experience that with them. So it’s not like I’m really (focusing) on that. Reminding them that it was a closer game, that falls in line with what one of our pieces of our program is − to respect all and fear none. So the respect factor was there last week, it’s going to be there again this week,” DeBoer said Monday. “I’m sure there are certain guys who went through that, (who) have a different type of determination on top of what we’re trying to do with this 2024 team, but I think we’re really trying to make it about this season, this team.”
Along with those who played poorly against an American Athletic Conference team that Alabama had no business struggling against, there’s one who should find some extra motivation in that he didn’t play a down that day: quarterback Jalen Milroe. The fourth-year junior was benched for the USF game after struggling in a loss to Texas the previous week, and the Alabama offense was even more dismal in his absence. Sitting out that game gives him a little different perspective, one year later, and he’s spoken more than once about the lessons he learned from a day on the bench watching his teammates survive a non-conference scare.
South Florida went on to go 7-6 last year and win the Boca Raton Bowl handily over Syracuse. To open this season, it blew out Bethune-Cookman on Saturday. Like Alabama, USF returns a starting quarterback in Byrum Brown, whose athleticism gave UA problems last year, and several other key talents from the Bulls team that took the Tide to the wire.
Alabama moved on from its narrow escape in Tampa well enough to win an SEC championship.
But this week, it’s better off remembering than forgetting.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football nipped USF last year, but still has score to settle