VIDEO
"We've had a pretty good week so far this week. Certainly a real challenge for us to do the things that we need to do as a team to get prepared to play a Mississippi State team that's probably playing their best football of the season. Another opportunity for us to sort of show what kind of competitors we are. We're certainly glad to be back home at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Hopefully the environment Saturday will be encouraging. I know it's another game but we need the players to start fast so that we can create the kind of atmosphere and environment that has an impact on the game. I think the last game we had here against Texas A&M it really did have an impact on the game.
"We really don't have any new injuries to report. Everybody is working in practice and we had a couple guys who were nicked up but I think this time of year that's pretty normal."
Coming off an emotional game against LSU, what challenge is there to get up for an 11:00 a.m. game?
"I don't know that 11:00 kick means much of anything unless it means something to you. It's the same old thing. The game starts at 11:00. Everybody knows it starts at 11:00. That means we have a pregame meal four hours before the game and you guys get ready to play at 11:00. I don't know what last week's game has to do with playing at 11:00 this week. If you're a good player, you're ready to play when you've got to play. When the whistle blows, you're ready to play. Sometimes we practice in the morning, sometimes we practice at night, sometimes we practice in the afternoon. But I don't expect that to determine how a guy plays if he's a competitor and he's working on trying to get better and play his best and be his best as a football player. So I can't answer that question because I really don't know."
How different is Jonathan Allen from when he set foot on campus 3-and-a-half years ago. Also wondering if you can tell that he comes from a military family.
"Jonathan is a very task-oriented, disciplined-type guy. I guess some of those factors could relate to that fact. I know his father. I know what kind of a person he is. I know the standard that he sort of sets for Jonathan in terms of what his expectation is as a person, as a student and as a football player. Jonathan has a pretty high standard for what he expects of himself in all those areas. When we recruited Jonathan, we thought he was really athletic. Would probably be a defensive end. Didn't know for sure if he'd be big enough to ever play all the positions on the defensive line. Might just be an edge rusher. But what he's grown into because he's gotten bigger and stronger, he meets all the size criteria for his position. He still has those athletic qualities he had when we weighed 250 or 260 pounds and he's very athletic and it makes him a unique pass rusher when it comes to the power and strength that he has. But when it comes to good person, doing the right things, working hard all the time, having a high standard for what he wants to achieve and what he wants to do and try to go about it the right way, he's a real warrior in all those regards. He's always done whatever he's asked to do for the team. Last year he could have been a starter most places and probably played about half the time, but we had a lot of good defensive linemen and they all rotated and I think that helped our team in the long run and I think it helped him in the long run. He's been very, very productive this year and I can't say enough good things about him. There's not been one time in the four years that he's been here that he's ever come to my office because he didn't do something the right way."
What strides have you all made in the passing game? Have you seen progress from Jalen Hurts week-by-week?
"Right, well it hasn't been noticeable in the last game, I don't think. They have a good secondary and they have a good scheme. We were out of sorts a little bit in the passing game. Jalen's had a really good week this week. Just sat down with him and watched some plays and showed him the simplicity of 'This is what you're supposed to look at, this is what you're supposed to do and this is what you should have done.' It's not really that complicated and we can't make it more complicated than it is. I think he's really worked harder this week in preparation in terms of trying to understand. I think sometimes guys that have success running as quarterback, it's a little more difficult for them to get the mindset that they want to be a complete player because they know they have the ability to take off running all the time, because that's when they have success and that's when they get a lot of positive self-gratification from. But to be a complete player and for our team to be a complete offensive team, we talked about the fact that we have to get 3, 13, 88, all those guys need to get involved and we have to do a good job of executing as an offensive team to get them the ball. It's pass protection. It's quarterback reads. It's good route-running. It's timing. It's a lot of things. I think he's very, very dedicated to trying to make progress in those areas. I think he's had a really good week this week."
What would you attribute the high sack numbers to this year?
"I think that we're not so much worried about sacks as how we affect the quarterback. Obviously sacks do affect the quarterback, but hits on the quarterbacks affect the quarterback too and pressure on the quarterback and pushing the pocket up the middle so the guy can't step up and throw the ball, or making a guy move his feet and he doesn't make as accurate a throw… All those things are factors in affecting a quarterback. Disguising the coverage in the back end, being able to play good coverage in the back end. We have affected a lot of the quarterbacks we play but I certainly think it's going to be important that we continue to do that. Our guys have to really accept that challenge as we move forward. This guy is very big, athletic, hard to sack. Athletic enough to move in the pocket and scramble and make plays scrambling and throwing, scrambling and running. This is going to be a bigger challenge for us than most of the guys we've played against all year."
Reuben Foster's club in practice, does that affect a linebacker?
"He hurt his finger. So to protect his finger in practice they put this big club on there. Obviously it's helpful if you can use your hands when you take on blockers when you shed blocks, when you tackle sometimes you grab cloth. It'll be much smaller in the game so he will have some use. I don't think that it will affect his play at all."
Jalen has had interceptions in the last four games. Are teams playing him differently at all?
"No, we're just not making the progress in the passing game and making decisions and getting our feet and doing things with accuracy like we need to. We just need to develop a little more consistency in that regard."
Have you noticed a difference in the maturity of Ronnie Harrison since the start of the season?
"Ronnie has always been a pretty focused guy. He's a pretty serious guy. He's a very bright guy. He has a good understanding of what we're trying to do. He plays multiple positions in the secondary. He's a really good competitor. Sometimes he gets a little emotional in the game and sometimes I don't think that serves him well. But other than that I think he's very mature in the way he goes about his business and the way he competes in the game. He's played very well for us."
Richie Brown from Mississippi State, is he a player an opposing coach can appreciate?
"I don't really know how to comment about other people's players. I don't really know them that well. I can only comment about how they play. The guy is a really good player."
Did you get to spend any time with Trent last week?
"I spent a little time last week with Trent last week in practice. He came out and ran with Leonard Fournette for a day and I think it really helped our players. We had John Parker here for a couple days being the quarterback. I think that helped us too. I think all the players wanting to come back, wanting to contribute to the program shows their gratitude and appreciation for what they were able to accomplish here, what they were able to do and the opportunities it created for them. I just love it that they all want to be back and they all want to be here. I know we have some guys coming back this week, too, that we're anxious to see. We'd love to see Trent get it turned around and get it on track."
With B.J. Emmons out you're down to 3 running backs. Is that natural as you get to this time of year at that position?
"I think it is. We went into the season where that was not a position where we had an extraordinary amount of depth. We had two freshmen players that came through for us very nicely, Josh Jacobs and B.J. Emmons. We're sorry that B.J. got hurt because he was really coming along and doing well and had really started to become the kickoff returner. You know, the guys are a little banged up and it is concerning. We do have Derrick Gore that we think is a good next guy and can make a good contribution if we need to. He's been a good special teams player for us. Lack of depth at certain positions is certainly a concern. We have it at other positions on the team as well. Sometimes you can ill-afford to lose any other players and I think we're at that position in several of our depth situations."
Your thoughts on yesterday's presidential election? Do you feel like it's best for active coaches to avoid political talk publicly?
"To be honest with you, I didn't even know yesterday was election day. It was so important to me that I didn't even know it was happening. We're focused on other things here. I don't really make political comments. If I say I like one person, that means that everybody that voted for the other person doesn't like me. So why would I do that? I want what's best for our country. I'm not sure I can figure that out. I want what's best for people who want to improve the quality of their life and I hope whoever our leader is will certainly do all that he can do to make our country safe and improve the quality of life of a lot of people in our country and I don't think I’m qualified to determine who that should be."
Is it special or unique for you to be getting so much leadership from the freshmen or underclassmen?
"We've always tried to promote leadership at all levels on our team and not just have one guy do it or one class do it. I think people that have leadership qualities and natural leadership that affect other people that set a good example, act like other people want to emulate and care enough about others on the team to want to help them. I don't think we want to inhibit that in any way no matter what class a guy is in or what his status on the team is. We've always tried to promote that. We actually have had leadership seminars around here to promote that and our players. And I think most of our players know that if they can affect people in a positive way, that increases the value for them in whatever their future endeavors are, because that's something that everybody can't do but it's also something that everybody is looking for."
- No significant injuries, Saban said. The club on Reuben Foster's hand is the result of a finger injury. He'll have something less obstructive on his hand for the game.
- Sounds like there were more ex-players at practice this week, though he didn't say whom. I'd expect to keep hearing about this as more coaches raise issues with it and people talk about the rule more and more.
- Had a really good answer about Jonathan Allen's personality and how his father, who is in the military, might have had an effect on him. I'd recommend checking it out in the transcript below.
- I know I'm playing with fire and the "no politics" rule by bringing this up, but you guys are going to see this answer anyway. Don't get this thread off the rails. "To be honest with you, I didn't even know yesterday was election day. It was so important to me that I didn't even know it was happening. We're focused on other things here. I don't really make political comments."
- Said there is definitely some worry about depth at RB now with BJ Emmons out. They're down to 3 real RBs now: Harris, Scarbrough and Jacobs. That's a good group but it's an injury away from being in a critical place. Saban said it's normal this time of year but still a point of concern.
"We've had a pretty good week so far this week. Certainly a real challenge for us to do the things that we need to do as a team to get prepared to play a Mississippi State team that's probably playing their best football of the season. Another opportunity for us to sort of show what kind of competitors we are. We're certainly glad to be back home at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Hopefully the environment Saturday will be encouraging. I know it's another game but we need the players to start fast so that we can create the kind of atmosphere and environment that has an impact on the game. I think the last game we had here against Texas A&M it really did have an impact on the game.
"We really don't have any new injuries to report. Everybody is working in practice and we had a couple guys who were nicked up but I think this time of year that's pretty normal."
Coming off an emotional game against LSU, what challenge is there to get up for an 11:00 a.m. game?
"I don't know that 11:00 kick means much of anything unless it means something to you. It's the same old thing. The game starts at 11:00. Everybody knows it starts at 11:00. That means we have a pregame meal four hours before the game and you guys get ready to play at 11:00. I don't know what last week's game has to do with playing at 11:00 this week. If you're a good player, you're ready to play when you've got to play. When the whistle blows, you're ready to play. Sometimes we practice in the morning, sometimes we practice at night, sometimes we practice in the afternoon. But I don't expect that to determine how a guy plays if he's a competitor and he's working on trying to get better and play his best and be his best as a football player. So I can't answer that question because I really don't know."
How different is Jonathan Allen from when he set foot on campus 3-and-a-half years ago. Also wondering if you can tell that he comes from a military family.
"Jonathan is a very task-oriented, disciplined-type guy. I guess some of those factors could relate to that fact. I know his father. I know what kind of a person he is. I know the standard that he sort of sets for Jonathan in terms of what his expectation is as a person, as a student and as a football player. Jonathan has a pretty high standard for what he expects of himself in all those areas. When we recruited Jonathan, we thought he was really athletic. Would probably be a defensive end. Didn't know for sure if he'd be big enough to ever play all the positions on the defensive line. Might just be an edge rusher. But what he's grown into because he's gotten bigger and stronger, he meets all the size criteria for his position. He still has those athletic qualities he had when we weighed 250 or 260 pounds and he's very athletic and it makes him a unique pass rusher when it comes to the power and strength that he has. But when it comes to good person, doing the right things, working hard all the time, having a high standard for what he wants to achieve and what he wants to do and try to go about it the right way, he's a real warrior in all those regards. He's always done whatever he's asked to do for the team. Last year he could have been a starter most places and probably played about half the time, but we had a lot of good defensive linemen and they all rotated and I think that helped our team in the long run and I think it helped him in the long run. He's been very, very productive this year and I can't say enough good things about him. There's not been one time in the four years that he's been here that he's ever come to my office because he didn't do something the right way."
What strides have you all made in the passing game? Have you seen progress from Jalen Hurts week-by-week?
"Right, well it hasn't been noticeable in the last game, I don't think. They have a good secondary and they have a good scheme. We were out of sorts a little bit in the passing game. Jalen's had a really good week this week. Just sat down with him and watched some plays and showed him the simplicity of 'This is what you're supposed to look at, this is what you're supposed to do and this is what you should have done.' It's not really that complicated and we can't make it more complicated than it is. I think he's really worked harder this week in preparation in terms of trying to understand. I think sometimes guys that have success running as quarterback, it's a little more difficult for them to get the mindset that they want to be a complete player because they know they have the ability to take off running all the time, because that's when they have success and that's when they get a lot of positive self-gratification from. But to be a complete player and for our team to be a complete offensive team, we talked about the fact that we have to get 3, 13, 88, all those guys need to get involved and we have to do a good job of executing as an offensive team to get them the ball. It's pass protection. It's quarterback reads. It's good route-running. It's timing. It's a lot of things. I think he's very, very dedicated to trying to make progress in those areas. I think he's had a really good week this week."
What would you attribute the high sack numbers to this year?
"I think that we're not so much worried about sacks as how we affect the quarterback. Obviously sacks do affect the quarterback, but hits on the quarterbacks affect the quarterback too and pressure on the quarterback and pushing the pocket up the middle so the guy can't step up and throw the ball, or making a guy move his feet and he doesn't make as accurate a throw… All those things are factors in affecting a quarterback. Disguising the coverage in the back end, being able to play good coverage in the back end. We have affected a lot of the quarterbacks we play but I certainly think it's going to be important that we continue to do that. Our guys have to really accept that challenge as we move forward. This guy is very big, athletic, hard to sack. Athletic enough to move in the pocket and scramble and make plays scrambling and throwing, scrambling and running. This is going to be a bigger challenge for us than most of the guys we've played against all year."
Reuben Foster's club in practice, does that affect a linebacker?
"He hurt his finger. So to protect his finger in practice they put this big club on there. Obviously it's helpful if you can use your hands when you take on blockers when you shed blocks, when you tackle sometimes you grab cloth. It'll be much smaller in the game so he will have some use. I don't think that it will affect his play at all."
Jalen has had interceptions in the last four games. Are teams playing him differently at all?
"No, we're just not making the progress in the passing game and making decisions and getting our feet and doing things with accuracy like we need to. We just need to develop a little more consistency in that regard."
Have you noticed a difference in the maturity of Ronnie Harrison since the start of the season?
"Ronnie has always been a pretty focused guy. He's a pretty serious guy. He's a very bright guy. He has a good understanding of what we're trying to do. He plays multiple positions in the secondary. He's a really good competitor. Sometimes he gets a little emotional in the game and sometimes I don't think that serves him well. But other than that I think he's very mature in the way he goes about his business and the way he competes in the game. He's played very well for us."
Richie Brown from Mississippi State, is he a player an opposing coach can appreciate?
"I don't really know how to comment about other people's players. I don't really know them that well. I can only comment about how they play. The guy is a really good player."
Did you get to spend any time with Trent last week?
"I spent a little time last week with Trent last week in practice. He came out and ran with Leonard Fournette for a day and I think it really helped our players. We had John Parker here for a couple days being the quarterback. I think that helped us too. I think all the players wanting to come back, wanting to contribute to the program shows their gratitude and appreciation for what they were able to accomplish here, what they were able to do and the opportunities it created for them. I just love it that they all want to be back and they all want to be here. I know we have some guys coming back this week, too, that we're anxious to see. We'd love to see Trent get it turned around and get it on track."
With B.J. Emmons out you're down to 3 running backs. Is that natural as you get to this time of year at that position?
"I think it is. We went into the season where that was not a position where we had an extraordinary amount of depth. We had two freshmen players that came through for us very nicely, Josh Jacobs and B.J. Emmons. We're sorry that B.J. got hurt because he was really coming along and doing well and had really started to become the kickoff returner. You know, the guys are a little banged up and it is concerning. We do have Derrick Gore that we think is a good next guy and can make a good contribution if we need to. He's been a good special teams player for us. Lack of depth at certain positions is certainly a concern. We have it at other positions on the team as well. Sometimes you can ill-afford to lose any other players and I think we're at that position in several of our depth situations."
Your thoughts on yesterday's presidential election? Do you feel like it's best for active coaches to avoid political talk publicly?
"To be honest with you, I didn't even know yesterday was election day. It was so important to me that I didn't even know it was happening. We're focused on other things here. I don't really make political comments. If I say I like one person, that means that everybody that voted for the other person doesn't like me. So why would I do that? I want what's best for our country. I'm not sure I can figure that out. I want what's best for people who want to improve the quality of their life and I hope whoever our leader is will certainly do all that he can do to make our country safe and improve the quality of life of a lot of people in our country and I don't think I’m qualified to determine who that should be."
Is it special or unique for you to be getting so much leadership from the freshmen or underclassmen?
"We've always tried to promote leadership at all levels on our team and not just have one guy do it or one class do it. I think people that have leadership qualities and natural leadership that affect other people that set a good example, act like other people want to emulate and care enough about others on the team to want to help them. I don't think we want to inhibit that in any way no matter what class a guy is in or what his status on the team is. We've always tried to promote that. We actually have had leadership seminars around here to promote that and our players. And I think most of our players know that if they can affect people in a positive way, that increases the value for them in whatever their future endeavors are, because that's something that everybody can't do but it's also something that everybody is looking for."
