The No. 10 Crimson Tide are far from a flawless team 12 weeks through the 2025 season. Kalen DeBoer’s offense struggles to run the ball, and his defense has been susceptible against rushing quarterbacks. Yet, the biggest problem for Alabama is in the third phase of the game, and it could cost the Tide in a big way.
Sophomore kicker Conor Talty entered Alabama’s Week 13 matchup against Eastern Illinois 11-for-17 on field goals, but with four of those misses coming on attempts of over 40 yards. It’s a problem, though, that seems to be getting worse.
Talty missed his eighth field goal of the year in the first quarter against Eastern Illinois on Saturday, a 28-yard attempt, and was booed off the field by fans. The miss came on the heels of a 36-yard miss in last week’s two-point loss to Oklahoma, and Talty was booed off the field by the fans at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Week 13.
One drive later, as Talty was booed again as he came out for a point-after attempt, following the Tide’s third touchdown score of the day, a one-yard rush from Kevin Riley.
Fans once again booed Conor Talty as he trotted out to kick the PAT for Alabama's third TD of the game.
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) November 22, 2025
After Alabama’s fourth touchdown of the day, it wasn’t Talty who came onto the field for the extra point. Instead, it was Peter Notaro, who entered the game 4-for-4 on extra points this season. The crowd cheered after the kick went through the uprights.
Peter Notaro attempts the extra point -- and not Conor Talty -- after Alabama's late first half touchdown. It's good, and the crowd cheers.
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) November 22, 2025
Alabama fans are fed up with kicker Conor Talty after Week 13 miss
While his Week 12 miss against Oklahoma was kicked, it appeared to be off-line immediately, and the low trajectory is what allowed a Sooner defender to get his hand on it. The miss didn’t just allow the Sooners to pull the upset in Tuscaloosa; it helped to send the Crimson Tide tumbling from No. 4 to No. 10 in Tuesday night’s College Football Playoff Rankings.
If Alabama wins out, it will go to the SEC Championship, where it could lock up an automatic bid into the CFP. Even with a loss in Atlanta, the Tide should have a strong case for an at-large bid into the field. However, with the Tide sliding behind Notre Dame, which sits at No. 9, there are disaster scenarios in which BYU upsets Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game, allowing both BYU and Texas Tech to make the field and keeping the three-loss Tide on the outside looking in for the second-straight season.
If that’s the case, Talty’s miss against Oklahoma will linger in the minds of Alabama fans for years. If not, and the Tide do make the CFP, Talty will cause the fanbase, and the coaching staff for that matter, plenty of stress if he’s called in to make a big kick and keep the season alive.