Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Malachi Moore is facing significant criticism for his behavior during the 40-35 upset loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores in Week 6. This game marked one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 college football season and possibly one of the most significant victories in Vanderbilt’s history, as they defeated No. 1 Alabama in Nashville. The Crimson Tide, fresh off a major win against No. 5 Georgia the previous week, were favored by 22.5 points according to ESPN Bet. After Vanderbilt secured the game-winning first down, Moore appeared to lose his composure, kicking the football in frustration after the officials made their call, leading to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. To make matters worse, he also pushed Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia on the final play of the game.
Moore is one of the veteran players on the Alabama roster. Following Nick Saban’s retirement in the offseason, the former four-star recruit chose to remain as a graduate student and play one final season under first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer. The Trussville, Alabama, native has participated in 57 games for Alabama over five seasons, recording 177 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 21 pass breakups, and five interceptions.
Alabama ranked 18th in the nation for total defense in the 2023 season, but through five games in 2024, they have fallen to 50th in that category. Given this drop in performance, it’s understandable that Moore felt frustrated with the Tide’s defensive showing against Vanderbilt. However, his reaction is not what the team hopes to see, especially since he was chosen as a player representative at this year’s SEC Media Days. On Monday, Moore issued an apology on social media for his “selfish and unacceptable” actions during Saturday’s loss.
“I want to apologize to my teammates, our coaches, the fans, our alumni and my family for the way I acted on Saturday,” Moore wrote. “I was completely out of line. I let the emotions of the game get the best of me and put myself before the team. 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.”
DeBoer addressed Moore’s actions after the game with a calm and measured response.
“The guy pours everything into what he does,” DeBoer said. “Doesn’t make it OK. We want to be first class in everything we do…”
It remains uncertain whether DeBoer will impose any punishment on Moore for his actions. The Crimson Tide, currently 4-1 and 1-1 in SEC play, still have a chance to shape their path in both the SEC and the College Football Playoff race. Their next matchup is against South Carolina (3-2) in Tuscaloosa next week, followed by a significant game against No. 8 Tennessee (4-1) in Knoxville in Week 8.
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