Alabama football’s offensive line struggled throughout Saturday’s 42-16 win over South Florida. The Crimson Tide put the group together in piecemeal fashion, due to regular left tackle Kadyn Proctor missing the game with a shoulder injury.
To fill his spot, Kalen DeBoer and company moved left guard Tyler Booker to the outside. Geno VanDeMark filled the hole inside of him.
“I think wherever he’s at, we’re really good,” DeBoer said of Booker’s performance on Saturday. “I’m sure he’s gonna look at it and learn a lot about playing tackle, just with the number of snaps he’s played in his career versus (at) guard. Didn’t worry about him too much at all.”
The offensive line was the root of much of Alabama’s woes during a game in which UA held just a two-point lead in the fourth quarter before breaking away late. The Tide was plagued with sloppy mistakes, including a plethora of holding calls that negated touchdowns.
Quarterback Jalen Milroe frequently found himself under duress. Still, after the game he praised the effort of his fellow Alabama captain.
“He’s just a positive light to all of the guys on offense,” Milroe said. “His leadership ahs just grown tremendously throughout the offseason and then influencing going into the season. So I’m proud of him with who he is as a person, how great of a teammate he is. I just enjoy having him as my teammate.”
DeBoer sounded optimistic that Proctor would return in time for Saturday’s matchup with Wisconsin. The Crimson Tide could also see more playing time for Elijah Pritchett, who UA attempted to rest for most of the USF game due to a minor injury.
