Former Alabama Heisman Trophy winner and legend rips Kalen DeBoer after 'atrocious' loss to Vandy

The vultures were ready to swarm over Kalen DeBoer the moment he inevitably lost his first game as Nick Saban's heir. What might not have been expected was that Alabama would lose to a traditional bottom-feeder like Vanderbilt or that program legends would speak out in the aftermath.

However, DeBoer's first loss with the program has brought out tons of criticism. One of the least expected voices has been former Alabama running back Mark Ingram. The 2009 Heisman Trophy winner had sharp words for Alabama's performance on The Triple Option podcast.

"You don't lose to Vanderbilt," Ingram said. "That's not what happens when you go to Bama. When you wear that script A, like, you do not lose to Vanderbilt. There's a lot of other things that might happen, but you don't lose to Vanderbilt."

"No matter how you slice this cake, the loss is atrocious," Ingram added. Considering this was Alabama's first loss to Vanderbilt in 40 years, it's understandable that one of the key cogs of Saban's dynasty would call the loss "unacceptable."

"You go on the road to Vandy, off of huge momentum and just take an L and fall straight on your face like that?" he said. "But the positive is, you have one loss, OK? It's one loss to Vanderbilt. It's terrible, but it's a 12-team playoff. It doesn't exclude you from the playoff. You have no room for error. You lost your room for error."

Ingram said Alabama's defense was "completely unprepared" for Vanderbilt's triple-option scheme with star QB Diego Pavia.

"They weren't sound in their assignments," he said. "You got to know who has the dive back, who has the quarterback, who has the pitch man. We had people that were stagnant, sitting there, kind of hesitant, and that's what you want out of option offense. I ran it with the Ravens and that's what you want. People who are standing still, kind of indecisive, that's where you take advantage of a defense like that."

DeBoer has kept Ingram close to the program, having him speak to the team twice since taking over. The first time was in August, and the second time was right before facing Wisconsin.

Ingram added, "Bama's defense is in crisis mode. Last six quarters, 67 points. 784 yards. Opponents are converting third downs at a 54 percent rate. They've allowed 10 20-yard plays. You thought the second half of the Georgia game might have just been Georgia, but that's truly who the defense is right now."

"It's actually quite comical," he continued. "Like, you just go and get smacked by Vandy? Bro, my man Diego Pavia. I'm sitting here on the plane watching this, like, is this even real life? What's happening? We go on the road, we can't do anything. No matter how you slice this cake, it's atrocious."

At least Ingram had some positive things to say about the offense.

"The positives is, you had a pick-six, you had a fumble that they scored a touchdown on. That's 14 points. You don't do those, you win the game. Our offense is still elite. Jalen Milroe is still the man. You still have Ryan Williams making unheard of plays up the sideline. We still have to find a way to run the ball more efficiently."

Ingram had an illustrious career as a running back at the University of Alabama, solidifying himself as one of the greatest players in the school's history. He played for the Crimson Tide from 2008 to 2010, and his time at Alabama was marked by consistent excellence and several historic achievements.

Ingram burst onto the scene during his freshman year, rushing for 728 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, his sophomore season in 2009 propelled him into college football stardom.

In that season, Ingram rushed for 1,658 yards and 17 touchdowns, leading Alabama to a perfect 14-0 record and their first national championship under head coach Nick Saban. His standout performances earned him the prestigious Heisman Trophy, making him the first player in Alabama history to win the award.

Ingram returned for his junior season in 2010 but dealt with injuries, splitting carries with Trent Richardson. Despite this, he still managed to rush for over 800 yards and 13 touchdowns.

After the 2010 season, Ingram declared for the NFL Draft and was selected in the first round by the New Orleans Saints. His legacy at Alabama remains strong, especially as a key figure in the program's modern dominance.