Everything Nick Saban Said on the Monday of Iron Bowl Week

Saban met with reporters on Monday as the team begins preparations to face in-state rival Auburn.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama head coach Nick Saban met with reporters on Monday as the Crimson Tide begin preparations for its upcoming rivalry game against the Auburn Tigers.

Alabama is coming off of a 34-0 win over Austin Peay, while Auburn has won its last two games under interim coach Carnell "Cadillac" Williams.

Here is everything Saban had to say on Monday:

Nick Saban Transcript - November 21, 2022

Opening Statement

"I think we did a lot of good things in the last game. I think one of the things that probably we need to get corrected is, we did get three turnovers defensively but we also had three turnovers. Ball security is a very important part of being successful. It gives the other team three extra possessions, possessions where you could have scored. I think the emphasis has to continue to be on, whenever you're less than perfect in terms of your execution, whether it's fundamental execution or whatever it is, that's when you get exposed.

"So that's why we've got to keep coaching our team to get it right on a consistent basis.

"This is one of the greatest rivalry games in college football. Most every team in rivalry games, it's part of their legacy in terms of how did they do in the rivalry game. And this is one of the biggest ones, and it means a lot to a lot of people in our state. It means a lot to us, our players and our fans, and we're going to do the best job we can to get ready for this game.

"I think Cadillac Williams has done a really, really good job. They've played really well these last three games. They run the ball effectively. They've got a lot of diversity on offense. Their quarterback's a very athletic player who can run and throw. Tank is one of the better backs in the SEC. Their defense is very, very aggressive. [Owen] Pappoe is a really good inside backer. [Derick] Hall is a really good rusher, creates a lot of negative plays. They're very good on special teams.

"This is a very challenging game for us, and our players are going to have to do a great job of getting prepared to play as well as we've played all season."

Has there been a noticeable difference between now and the start of the season?

"I just think they're playing really well now. I'm not making an evaluation. I thought they played hard all year long. I think their players really compete well and they've done that all year long. They've just played really well in the last three games."

How has Will Anderson's challenge evolved as teams have adjusted to him?

"Will's done great for us. Will helps other players play better. It's not just all about what you do. He does his job extremely well. If they're focusing on him a little bit more, I think it gives other players opportunities to make plays. But I think he competes, he plays hard, he gives great effort, he sets a good example, he prepares well. We can't ask any more of Will Anderson than what he does, and I think he helps our team as much as any player on our team."

Elijah Pritchett?

"I think he started back (practicing) like the bye week, right around LSU time. So he's been out there practicing for several weeks now, mostly on the scout team. But as he's kind of gotten back in shape and gotten back in football form, he's a guy that certainly has done extremely well and we think can be a really, really good player. He's got power. He can bend. He's got good balance and body control. So somebody that we want to continue to work and develop."

How is Senior Day an opportunity to recognize stars as well as walk-ons?

"I think it's an opportunity for us — myself, all the coaches, people at the university, our fans — to actually show the appreciation that we all have for the sacrifices and the investments that these guys have made in the program for the last four years, sometimes five. And some of them get a lot of positive accolades because they play, and they get a lot of positive self-gratification for the positive performance, but there's a lot of them who are kind of unsung heroes in terms of, they work hard every week and they play their games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to help the other guys get prepared for the game.

"And don't get a whole lot of recognition. So it is a great opportunity for those guys to get some positive self-gratification for all their efforts."

How has Alabama's offensive line responded after being challenged to be more physical?

"I thought this last week was one of the better games we played up front. We sorta dominated the line of scrimmage, you know, fairly well, finished a lot of blocks. I think we blocked on the perimeter better than we have all year. I'm talking about the receivers and so forth. So I saw a step in the right direction, and I saw it in the Ole Miss game as well, especially in the second half. We started dominating the line of scrimmage a little bit, which I think is a really important thing and will be a great challenge for us this week." 

Ja’Corey made plays in Iron Bowl last year, what can young guys learn from that?

“We need to get all of our players to play to the best of their ability and understand when they have the opportunity to make plays that that’s what competition is all about, that’s what competing in games like this is all about. And that should be their mindset. Anytime you’ve got a young player who makes outstanding plays, I think it sets a good example for everyone else on the team that they have the opportunity, capability and possibility to do the same thing, but they’ve got to do things right in order for that to happen. We’ve got some young receivers, so hopefully they’ll step up.”

How do you choose where to run the ball?

“I think sometimes you do things based on what the other team’s doing. Some of the runs get sort of packaged relative to where’s the strength of their defense, or what are they doing? So in certain situations, if you think you have significant, good matchups on one side of the line versus the other — they may change from week to week — but that’s probably where you’d choose to run the ball.”

Lean into the “juice” or ignore it

“I don’t understand the question…”

Lean into the extra juice? Or keep it like any other game

“They’re all big games. This is obviously a rivalry game which makes it a special game and a special challenge. We’ve tried all year to get our players to focus on being motivated internally in terms of what they want to accomplish and what they want to do, how good they want to be. Rather than counting on external factors to create that motivation for them. But I think in games like this, there’s gonna be some external factors that may be a positive for some of the guys. I can’t discount that.”

How have you seen Cadillac Williams infuse JUICE into their program as the interim coach?

“He’s done a great job — the energy, the enthusiasm, the way the guys are competing and playing, the way they play to win. And that was his personality as a player. I remember when I was the coach at the Miami Dolphins, Ronnie Brown and Cadillac were both coming out the same time in the same draft, and we thought they were both great competitors. He certainly was a great competitor. And I think his personality shows in the way his team competes."

Where’s Khyree Jackson been?

“He’s suspended right now.”

See also:

Nick Saban Remembers Cadillac Williams the Player as he Prepares to Face Him as Auburn Coach

How to Watch the Iron Bowl: No. 8 Alabama vs Auburn

Everything Nick Saban Said on the Monday of Iron Bowl Week

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