Trotting toward the tunnel with No. 19 Alabama leading Wisconsin by three touchdowns Saturday at halftime, Kalen DeBoer told his school radio team that the locker room message to his team would be simple.
“Don’t let up,” he said. “No mercy.”
The Crimson Tide took those words to heart. On the first play of the third quarter, Ryan Williams turned a well-executed screen pass into a 75-yard touchdown — one of five scoring throws from quarterback Ty Simpson — as Alabama rolled past the Badgers 38-14.
This was the version of Alabama expected in 2025, flexing one of the most talented rosters in college football and reclaiming its spot among the preseason top 10. Left for dead in several College Football Playoff projections after a season-opening loss to Florida State, the Tide have since played with precision on both sides of the ball — a testament to DeBoer and his staff’s ability to spark a quick rebound.
Simpson entered the game nearing Mac Jones’ program record for consecutive completions. While that streak ended, he still pieced together 12 in a row during the first half. He finished 24 of 29 for 389 yards, leading an offense that has outscored opponents 111-14 since Week 1.
That opening loss in Tallahassee may have served as a turning point — proof the Tide needed greater focus to hit their goals as one of the SEC’s elite. DeBoer has expressed confidence in his team’s response, and with an open date before a looming showdown against Georgia, he has reason to feel good about where his players stand mentally.
Alabama attacked aggressively from the start. The Tide went for it on fourth down twice in the opening quarter, including a touchdown run from wideout Germie Bernard on a creative play near the goal line for the game’s first points. Bernard later added a 43-yard scoring reception over the middle. Simpson’s second scoring strike of the half went to Miami transfer Isaiah Horton, a 6-foot-4 target who used his height on a leaping grab in the end zone.
“Ty’s playing within himself, going through his read progressions and is playing super-disciplined,” DeBoer said after the game.
Williams provided the exclamation point. Returning from a concussion that sidelined him last week, he posted his first 100-yard game since last season’s breakout against Georgia. His second score featured a sharp juke at the 20-yard line that left two defenders grasping. The highlight underscored why Williams was rated one of the nation’s top receivers entering 2025 — and why his return makes Alabama’s offense exponentially more dangerous.
Alabama’s vibes are different
Safety Bray Hubbard captured the team’s mood best earlier in the week. Asked about the Tide’s lack of effort and his own poor showing against Florida State, Hubbard didn’t hold back.
“It wasn’t me that game, effort wasn’t me that game, and I’m just going to keep stacking,” Hubbard said. “You ever poured gas on a fire? Like that. My phone’s blowing up. I don’t really care. It’s just fuel on the fire. I took it personally. I saw it. Coaches saw it. I’ve got to take it on myself.”
On Saturday, Hubbard backed up his words with two interceptions as Alabama’s defense maintained its stingy form. After blanking ULM last week, the Tide held Wisconsin scoreless until a 41-yard touchdown pass with 5:29 to play.
A pass rush that had been absent through two games also arrived. Alabama notched three sacks — one each from LT Overton, London Simmons and Qua Russaw — after defensive coordinator Kane Wommack stressed the need to generate more pressure. Cameras later caught DeBoer barking at his defense in the fourth quarter, intent on preventing the second unit from allowing another late touchdown.
Alabama’s response has been direct and emphatic since that ugly opener. If it continues, “playoff” and “Crimson Tide” may soon be linked again in the national conversation.
“We didn’t have a great Week 1, but we were going to make sure these weeks to come we were intentional,” Simpson said.
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