Alabama OC Ryan Grubb addresses 'boo birds' after slow start vs FSU
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Alabama football in Week 3 once again found itself in an early hole, this time against Florida State, as the Crimson Tide stumbled out of the gate and found itself facing a 21-6 near the end of the second quarter.
The sluggish start from Keelon Russell and Co. drew what offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb called "boo birds" from the Bryant-Denny Stadium crowd, as fans voiced their displeasure at the offense's ineffectiveness in the first half.
Grubb, speaking to media on Monday, Sept. 21, acknowledged the boos from the crowd — and talked about how he used it as motivation for his unit.
"I told the guys, I said, 'Shoot, guys, if you had quit as fast as some of your fans, (expletive), we wouldn't win that game,'" Grubb said.
The slow start against Florida State was hardly an outlier. As noted by Colin Gay of the Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, Alabama averaged 4.9 yards per play in the first quarter on Saturday. Through its first three games, the Crimson Tide has been outscored 21-20 in the opening period.
"I know there's a lot of talk out there about slow starts and things like that," Grubb said. "Obviously we're taking some really calculated measures in practice to help continue to address that."
Alabama OC Ryan Grubb with a fiery opening statement:
On “boo birds:”
“If you would have quit as fast as some of your fans, shit, we wouldn’t have won that game.” pic.twitter.com/fCs1Xj3ndD
— Colin Gay (@_ColinGay) September 21, 2026
Alabama's offense finally found its rhythm late in the second quarter. Russell's 21-yard touchdown pass to Cederian Morgan with 2:36 remaining sparked a stretch in which the Crimson Tide scored three consecutive touchdowns in the final three minutes of the half. Alabama's late surge was aided by an interception from Ivan Taylor, helping fuel the offensive outburst before the break.
The Crimson Tide outscored the Seminoles 24-15 in the second half. Alabama piled up 567 total yards in its eventual 50-36 victory, with Russell leading the way through the air. The quarterback completed 23-of-30 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns in another productive performance for the Crimson Tide offense.
"I was proud of the guys," Grubb said. "They just didn't have any quit. They're a really resilient group. I'm super proud of that."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alabama OC Ryan Grubb addresses 'boo birds' after slow start vs FSU
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