Vanderbilt shocked the world on Saturday by knocking off the (then) No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in Nashville.
Clearly, Kalen DeBoer’s team had gotten full of themselves after a week of celebrating their dramatic victory over rival Georgia.
Quarterback Jalen Milroe was being talked about as a Heisman Trophy favorite. Meanwhile, DeBoer was being touted by some as being the best coach in all of college football.
However, all of the hype and hoopla came crashing down in epic fashion as the Commodores accomplished something they hadn’t done since 1984: BEAT Alabama.
Aside from the actual game and result, the biggest storyline to come from the stunner was the outrageous behavior by Alabama captain Malachi Moore.
During the final moments of the game, Moore, a graduate senior, drew attention when he aggressively slammed Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s head into the ground after the whistle.
The situation escalated as Moore became visibly upset with his own teammates. After tossing his mouthguard about 65 yards, Moore received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when he inexplicably kicked the football.
The Alabama safety then refused to leave the field when coaches signaled for Bray Hubbard to replace him, dismissing both Hubbard and the coaching staff’s attempts to sub him out.
While his anger and frustration were certainly understandable, the fact of the matter is Moore had lost all control of himself.
In the 48 hours since the nightmare loss, DeBoer has been criticized for how poorly he’s handled Moore’s outburst.
There have been calls for DeBoer to punish Moore as a way to let everyone know that his behavior will not be tolerated in the program.
While a suspension wouldn’t be fitting, many thought DeBoer should at the very least criticize Moore verbally. In fairness, maybe he has, however all he’s done in public is coddle Moore and make excuses for him.
Today, DeBoer addressed Moore’s actions in a press conference, explaining that the situation was being “handled internally.”
“What he did, he has gone above and beyond and owning, taking ownership in it,” DeBoer said. “This is pretty much immediately after the game to this morning, things that are all prompted by him, but also part of just our conversations.
“The thing I want to make sure that Bama fans know is that this guy has been rock-solid and has been a critical, critical piece, along with others, of keeping this thing together since January.”
DeBoer emphasized that Moore’s behavior does not define his overall character or contributions to the team. He pointed to Moore’s commitment to the program since his arrival as head coach in January, praising his leadership.
“When a lot of people chose to leave, This guy stood firm. This guy loves Alabama football. He works relentlessly out there every single day on the football field,” DeBoer continued.
“The passion and frustration, I mean, that’s what you saw from him. There are some things he regrets and wishes probably didn’t do. But he’s owned up to it, and we’ve handled it internally, and still handling it internally.”
DeBoer also highlighted Moore’s status as a two-time captain and his impact both on and off the field.
“He’s a first-class guy. He’s out in the community weekly,” DeBoer added. “That’s just part of who he is. Doing things to give back, understanding the platform he has. A lot of eyes are on our program. A lot of eyes are eyes are on him. This guy plays hard for himself and his teammates, but this program means so much to him.
“It doesn’t make it right by any means what some of the actions were, but I want people to understand also that he’s had my and our back since day one, and there comes a point too where sometimes, as things play out, you got to have your guys back as well and understand that we all make mistakes and we all just got to own up to it. We’re doing that and we’ll continue to move on.”
Again, the criticism of Moore has been warranted in many cases. However, we shouldn’t get carried away and make it a bigger deal than it is.
As DeBoer stated, Moore has been loyal to the program and the frustration he displayed was coming from his deep-rooted passion for the team.
Sure, it looked horrible in real time, but hopefully Moore will learn how to better control his emotions.
Speaking of which, he took to social media to apologize for his actions and promised that his outburst wasn’t indicative of his character.
“I want to apologize to my teammates, our coaches, the fans, our alumni and my family for the way I acted on Saturday,” Moore posted. “I was completely out of line. I let the emotions of the game get the best of me and put myself before the team.
Moore acknowledged his role as a leader and expressed regret for failing to meet the standards of the Alabama program.
“As a two-time captain and a fifth-year player, I understand the standard that we are expected to live up to at Alabama, and I failed to do so by acting in a selfish and unacceptable manner. I came back this season to represent myself, this team and this University because it means something to me.
“I am blessed to be able to wear the ‘A’ on my chest, and I know all that comes with the responsibility of representing this program. I will do better to uphold the Alabama standard moving forward, and I will continue to work and improve while conducting myself in a first-class manner.”
What are your thoughts on Moore’s meltdown?
Are people making too big of a deal about it? … (After all, you’d rather have a player who gives a damn rather than one who sleepwalks and doesn’t care.)
What do you think about the heat that DeBoer has been getting for his handling of the situation? … Do you agree with ESPN’s Paul Finebaum that the lack of accountability shown is proof that the program has lost its way???