Alabama is heading to Tallahassee to open the 2025 football season against Florida State, and Kalen DeBoer has to get his team ready for the elements. Bad weather has been expected for the matchup leading up to the weekend, and now, just a day out from kickoff, it appears even more certain that rain will be falling on the newly laid turf at Doak Campbell Stadium.
The precipitation presents concerns about footing on the fresh field surface, but it also presents the possibility of ball security issues, especially with a first-time starting quarterback in Ty Simpson and without starting running back Jam Miller, who is out with a dislocated collarbone.
According to the Weather channel, there is a 62 percent chance of thunderstorms on Saturday in Tallahassee. If there is lightning it could delay the game, but if it’s just rain, the game will be played in adverse conditions. So, to prepare the Crimson Tide, DeBoer is getting creative, forcing his team to practice with wet and slippery football this week.
Instead of just drenching the ball in water, as Mike Rodak of Bama247 reports, DeBoer is adding some soap to the mix to make ball-handling even more difficult than it’ll be on Saturday.
Kalen DeBoer on Alabama's preparation for potential rain at Florida State: "Wet balls, balls that are wet with soap on them. Anything to make it as slippery as possible."
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) August 27, 2025
Without Jam Miller, Alabama’s run-game will get a test in rainy conditions
Rainy weather typically forces games to be decided on the ground and in the trenches, and while Alabama’s veteran offensive line should have the advantage over Florida State, DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb may need to lean on an unproven stable of running backs.
With Miller out, the Tide are turning to Dre Washington, a Louisiana transfer who has never carried the ball more than 16 times in a game, and redshirt sophomore Richard Young, who has just 36 collegiate carries under his belt.
After Justice Haynes transferred away to Michigan this offseason, Miller was slated for a work-horse role. Last season, he finished second on the team to Jalen Milroe in carries and rushing yards, but with Simpson’s relative lack of mobility (at least compared to Milroe), he was almost certain to lead the team in both categories. Now, in a matchup that may require the run game to be excellent, the Tide have a significant question mark in the backfield.
On the other side, FSU’s run game should see a significant boost after Mike Norvell hired Gus Malzahn to be his offensive coordinator. Malzahn is known for his run-heavy, option-based attacks, which even gave Nick Saban defense issues when he was the head coach at Auburn. Kane Wommack’s unit struggled against a similar offense in Alabama’s loss to Vanderbilt last season.
The Tide are nearly two-touchdown favorites in Week 1, but Mother Nature could be the great equalizer for the Seminoles.