Alabama WR Reveals Kalen DeBoer’s Immediate Locker Room Action as OC Takes Ty Simpson Call

After the humbling loss to Florida State in their season opener, Alabama and Coach Kalen DeBoer desperately needed a breather. That breather came in the form of a commanding 73-0 win over UL Monroe. But make no mistake, while the dominant victory felt like a much-needed reset, it wasn’t a cause for celebration or complacency inside the Crimson Tide camp. Kalen DeBoer praised the team’s relentless effort, saying everyone executed from snap to whistle for the whole game. Quarterback Ty Simpson was flawless. He scored three touchdowns, securing his first career win as a starter.

The defense responded too, smothering ULM into just 148 total yards and forcing turnovers. But while the dominant score stands out, this game wasn’t Alabama’s absolute best. Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard was quick to point out that despite the big win, the team still has work to do. “The players had a meeting,” Bernard said on the Next Round Live podcast. “And we just knew that it wasn’t our best football and that we have to step it up in order for us to get to where we want to.” He further adds, “We just couldn’t execute at the level that we wanted to. And it was really disappointing.”

Alright, let’s get to the senior WR’s stat line against ULM. Bernard hauled in three catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday’s win. He’s off to a hot start this season, coming right after that 147-yard showing in the Tide’s loss to Florida State. Alabama’s win over ULM is the largest margin of victory for the program since 1951. Three different quarterbacks tossed multiple touchdowns, and the offense piled up 583 yards. But the offense still showed signs of growing pains. And particularly in the offensive line, which allowed some penetration and occasional disruption despite the scoring spree.

“The players had a meeting, and we just knew that it wasn’t our best football, and we have to step it up in order for us to get to where we want to. Our goal is still the same.” – Alabama WR Germie Bernard on the bounceback win vs. ULM@oti_germie @AlabamaFTBL @innisfreettown… pic.twitter.com/TNYW64S3uX

— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) September 8, 2025

On the other hand, Alabama’s defense looked tough on paper during that 73-0 shellacking of ULM. But not everyone is sold on what’s really going on behind the scenes. Former Alabama standout Marquis Maze voiced some concerns about the Tide’s defensive scheme, particularly their 4-2-5 Swarm Defense, that raised eyebrows among fans who expect nothing but dominance. Maze, who’s seen it all in his Crimson Tide days, didn’t find the scheme impressive in how it puts real pressure on opposing offenses. One glaring stat? Alabama didn’t register a single sack through the entire game. That’s pretty unusual for a defense loaded with talent and depth.

The only sack on the season so far belongs to safety Keon Sabb. He got to the QB in the opener against Florida State. So, despite the shutout and forced turnovers, that pass rush just wasn’t there against ULM. James Smith led the team with four solo tackles, bouncing back from a costly personal-foul penalty in the Florida State game that highlighted some discipline concerns. Alabama showed up and proved what they could do in that ULM game. But that was just the opening act. There was only so much Bama could really prove. ULM was totally outmatched in Tuscaloosa—nothing like that 2007 squad that shocked Nick Saban and company. The road ahead is about to get a whole lot tougher. And, Alabama knows it.

Ryan Grubb stands firm behind Ty Simpson

Ty Simpson’s performance against ULM was nothing short of electric. He went a perfect 17-for-17, throwing for 226 yards and three touchdowns without a single interception. He became the first Alabama quarterback to start a game with 17 consecutive completions. But behind Simpson’s flawless game was the steady voice of Alabama’s Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb. “I thought maybe I wasn’t hard enough on Ty [before Florida State], Grubb said.

“Didn’t harden him enough for the moment … I didn’t want to make that same mistake again.” The Florida State game was a rough night for Simpson. He started the game hot, engineering a nearly nine-minute, 16-play opening drive that ended with a textbook two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Josh Cuevas. Simpson finished 23-of-43 for 254 yards and two touchdowns, with a completion rate just over 53%. Not terrible, but far from the flawless effort Alabama dreamed of.

The Seminoles’ defense shoved Alabama’s offense around, and Simpson was sacked three times for a brutal 28 yards lost. When he had clean pockets, Simpson was sharp—completing 20 of 29 passes—but under pressure, it was a different story, completing just 3 of 14. Fast forward to now, Simpson used that rough outing as motivation. And came back firing in Week 2 against ULM with a flawless passing performance.

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