It hasn't been an ideal couple of weeks for Conor Talty. The Alabama kicker missed another short field goal against Eastern Illinois, the second straight week he missed a kick under 30 yards, following up his consequential miss before halftime against Oklahoma a week ago.
Talty's reaction to his miss against Oklahoma last week, where he was caught on camera berating Alabama's long snapper because of a high snap that threw off his timing, brought a lot of heat from the Crimson Tide fanbase.
Following a missed 28-yard field goal with a perfect snap and perfect hold against Eastern Illinois, Alabama fans in Bryant-Denny Stadium rained down boos on the redshirt sophomore kicker. He was booed again the next time he took the field to attempt an extra point.
Talty gestured to the crowd to keep booing following the miss, and could be seen smirking on the field when they booed him on the next extra point attempt. He is struggling, but fans aren't helping his psyche by booing him. That's evident to Kalen DeBoer, and he wasn't happy with the response of the Bryant-Denny faithful.
"I wish they'd have his back just like I know our locker room has his back," DeBoer said during his postgame press conference.
Kalen DeBoer admonishes Alabama fans for booing Connor Talty
Talty has certainly earned some vitriol. If not for his poor performance on the field, it's for his reaction last week to the missed kick. Deflecting blame in such a public setting like he did didn't sit well with fans.
Booing your own player, however, is a step too far. And it was obvious from erratic extra point attempts by Peter Notaro, Tucker Cornelius, and Reid Schuback, Talty is the best kicker on this roster. For better or worse. Nothing can be done about that fact right now, so all fans can do is support him and hope he snaps out of the funk.
Because right now, Talty is a major liability for a team fighting for its playoff lives. He's now 11-of-18 on the season, and hasn't had a single game this season where he hasn't missed a field goal if he's attempted more than one.
Alabama fans have no confidence in Talty moving forward. Any meaningful kick moving forward will be met with anxiety Alabama fans haven't felt since the pre-Will Reichard days in Tuscaloosa.