Login to view embedded media
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama didn’t deliver quite the blowout it was expected to against FCS opposition, but the Crimson still had little trouble during a 34-0 victory over Austin Peay on Saturday. Following the game, Nick Saban spoke to reporters, stating he was pleased with the way his team performed on the day. Here’s a transcript of the press conference and my takes on what he had to say.
Opening statement
“I was really pleased with the way the team came out and played today. I thought we controlled the line of scrimmage and had over 500 yards of total offense. They only had 200 yards or something like that. The defense got a couple really key stops after we turned the ball over a couple times in the first quarter in the red zone.
“It’s always great to get a shutout. Liked to have scored more points, but we got to play a lot of players. I thought Jase McClellan played really well, and Burton had a really good day today. And I thought Bryce did a nice job.
“All in all, we wanted to build on the momentum of how we came back and played at the end of last week’s game. Obviously, that’s something that I thought we did a good job of today. It wasn’t perfect. We had some guys out, but other guys got opportunities to get experience and I think that’s probably a good thing for our team.”
Tony’s take: This is a performance Saban could have scolded his team for. Alabama turned the ball over three times, made silly mistakes on special teams and had to play its starters into the fourth quarter against FCS opposition. However, instead of coming down hard on his players, the head coach elected to focus on the positives and cut them a bit of a break.
In my opinion, this approach reveals a lot about where the team is at the moment. Without a national title to play for, it’s all about trying to keep the team motivated and holding everything together for the rest of the season before restarting next year. Saban might have had a sterner message for his team in the locker room, but he probably felt as though his players have been called out enough publicly already this season.
On what he learned from Jase McClellan’s big day
“Jase played well for us last year. Jase was a really good player last year until he got hurt. I haven’t learned anything about him. I’ve always thought he was a really good player. I think y’all are just starting to figure it out.”
Tony’s take: After flirting with reaching the century mark several times over the past three years, McClellan finally tallied triple digits, carrying the ball 17 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns against Austin Peay. He picked up most of that before halftime as he went into the break with 136 yards on 14 attempts.
After going through a midseason slump, McClellan has performed well while stepping in for an injured Jahmyr Gibbs over the past two weeks. That’s encouraging for Alabama as McClellan appears poised to become the team’s lead back next season when Gibbs moves on to the NFL.
On if McClellan’s ability to pick up tough yards is more about skill or mindset
“I think it’s a combination of both. I think people who have skill, if they don’t have the right mindset, they don’t ever play to the potential of what their skill is. So I think that’s the case in anything in any of us do to be the best version of what we wanna be, whatever we choose to do. And Jase is tough. He’s physical. He can make you miss. He’s got a burst. He’s a good receiver. He’s a good blocker. So I think it’s a combination of both.”
Tony’s take: McClellan’s recent success has included some blue-collar carries. Against Ole Miss last week, he gained 66 of his 84 rushing yards after contact. He also provided plenty of tough runs against Austin Peay, including a 1-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal during the game’s opening drive.
Listed at 5-foot-11, 212 pounds, McClellan offers a nice mixture of power and explosiveness in the backfield. Now that he’s found his stride once again, he figures to be one of Alabama’s biggest weapons moving forward.
On why starters played so deep into the game
“I don’t know what would be in the decision to take them out. We’re trying to develop our team. I want Jalen Milroe to be able to play in the game with good players, so he played one drive with that group and then we put the second team in. If that’s the only thing we’ve got to complain about today, I think God’s blessed me.”
Tony’s take: Giving Milroe the necessary weapons to move the ball on offense might have been part of the plan, but I have a hard time believing this is how Alabama drew things up. In a perfect world, Milroe would have entered the game sooner, allowing Alabama to get him a few drives with the first-team offense while still filtering out its starters early in the second half. However, Athe Crimson Tide took longer than expected to put the game completely out of reach, forcing the stars to stay in a bit longer.
On Jermaine Burton's performance
“We’ve had a lot of confidence in Jermaine all year long, and I think he did an outstanding job today. It was really important. I think one of the biggest plays in the game was the fourth-down conversion to him early in the game that allowed us to go down and score. But I thought he played outstanding.”
Tony’s take: Burton led the team with seven receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns in what was by far his best performance in an Alababma uniform. He could have added another 15 yards and a touchdown to that total had Bryce Young hit him in stride on a 50-yard completion in the third quarter.
On getting young players opportunities
“I think it’s very important. We want to play as many guys as we can. We played a lot of receivers today the whole game. We rotated a bunch of guys in the game to try to get them experience from the start. Obviously, Latu was out, so we got some experience for some other tight ends. Jahmyr not playing got all the running backs an opportunity to play, including 5 [Roydell Williams], 6 [Trey Sanders], 26 [Jamarion Miller] as well as Jase.
“Defensively, we got a lot of guys banged up at a some positions, so we didn’t have quite as much depth in some places and we still got a lot of players that got a chance to play. But actually, it would be great if we could even play more players.”
Tony’s take: Despite leaving its starters in a bit longer, Alabama was still able to get extended playing time for some of its younger players. Both of the backup quarterbacks saw the field, while freshman running back Jamarion Miler had 10 carries for 33 yards. Alabama was also able to dig deep into its receiving corps as freshmen Isaiah Bond (3 receptions 19 yards), Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (1 reception, 14 yards), Kendrick Law (1 reception 3, yards) all recorded at least one catch.
On creating turnovers
“It was good. And we had another opportunity where we could have had one. So we’re gonna keep emphasizing getting turnovers, but we’ve also gotta emphasize ball security. We also had three turnovers – one on special teams, one interception, one fumble. Turnover ratio is so important, so it was good to get the turnovers today. I was excited for the defensive players. I think, hopefully, that can be contagious for us and we can continue to do that. But we also have to be very conscious of ball security on the other side, as well.”
Tony’s take: Alabama forced a season-high three turnovers on the day as defensive backs Kool-Aid McKinstry and Brian Branch recorded interceptions while defensive lineman Damon Payne recovered a fumble. It marked just the second time this season the Crimson Tide forced multiple turnovers in a game as it tallied a pair of takeaways during its loss to Tennessee last month.
On Amari Kight replacing an injured Tyler Steen
“He did a nice job. I thought we really controlled the line of scrimmage actually better in the second half than the first. It’s hard to see from the sidelines how guys are doing, but the way we were able to run the ball, I thought the offensive line did a really good job.”
Tony’s take: Starting left tackle Tyler Steen left the game after twisting his ankle just before halftime. He was replaced by redshirt junior Amari Kight, who performed admirably in his place for the remainder of the game.
On Robbie Ouzts replacing an injured Cameron Latu
“Robbie has kind of been the second guy all year long. He’s played a little more H as the off-the-ball guy than the on-the-ball guy. He’s matured a lot and certainly is a very dependable guy. He’s always gonna do his job, and he does it well. He’s very conscientious and he’s got enough ability to make plays if we need him to, so it was good to get him a lot of playing time today, as well.”
Tony’s take: Latu is also dealing with a twisted ankle that caused him to sit out Saturday. Ouzts, a sophomore, started in his place, recording a reception for 11 yards while also contributing as a blocker. With Latu set to leave this offseason, Alabama might be seeing more of Ouzts in the near future.
On Alabama's injuries
“I don’t have a list in front of me. You wanna be specific? Who do you wanna know about? (Steen)’s got a twisted ankle. He’ll be day-to-day. Gibbs has a twisted ankle. He should start practicing on Monday. Latu’s got a twisted ankle. He should started practicing next week, as well. Ricks has cleared concussion protocol, so I think he’ll be able to start practicing Monday. You have to ask, you have to do your homework. I am not bringing an injury report in here and telling you. You wanna know about a specific guy? I’ll be glad to share the information. But I don’t have an injury report.”
Tony’s take: Saban is never too happy about divulging injury information, but he still usually answers when asked about it. None of the injuries he mentioned appear to be severe, so the team should be close to full strength for next week’s Iron Bowl.
Sarcastic goodbye
“You know how much I appreciate you all. Thank you so much.”
Tony’s take: While Saban smiled to himself after saying this, it’s further proof that he was a bit frustrated at the end of this one.
alabama.rivals.com
alabama.rivals.com
alabama.rivals.com
