Everything Nick Saban Said During Final Iron Bowl Press Conference
Here's what Nick Saban had to say Wednesday evening as Alabama is set to face Auburn in the annual Iron Bowl :
"I'm honored" Saban said of the light turnout of reporters. "Don't you guys have someplace else to go?"
[Note: Saban does he has his radio show tonight as tomorrow is Thanksgiving]:
Shorthand version:
• The most important thing is to stay focussed and prepare well. We want to finish strong.
• Saban wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Let's think about what we do have, and not the things we don't.
• Family-oriented meals Thursday for all the players.
• Saturday is Senior Day. Honoring 17 seniors.
• Left tackle Tyler Steen (ankle) is practicing.
• Auburn has been running the ball well. They play a lot of formations and personnel groups. You have to try and match that.
• Running back Jahmyr Gibbs (ankle), cornerback Eli Ricks (head) and tight end Cameron Latu (ankle) all practicing.
• Are you looking forward to being at the stadium after having covid two years ago? Saban laughs and eventually says yes. Said he didn't quite realize there was a delay on the broadcast. So he was watching the live feed he had and would then see the play over again a couple of seconds later on TV.
"I think the most important thing for our players is to be able to stay focused and have the kind of energy and enthusiasm day in and day out in preparation for this game. Obviously, everybody knows it's a big game for a lot of people and our players certainly would like to finish strong and have a lot of pride in what they've done and, playing a very good team. The best chance for us to play well is to stay focused and prepare right all week long.
"I'd like to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving. This is a time of the year where we give thanks of gratitude and appreciation for all the things that we have. I know most of the time we think about what we don't have, but this is a really good time to think about what we do have and be thankful and have a lot of gratitude for that.
"One of the things that we'll do with the team tomorrow is move up practice so that we can finish a little earlier, so that guys that either live local or their family is here, they can have Thanksgiving dinner with them. For those who can't do that, we have players at our home, as well as some of the other coaches have players at their home. We try to make this as family oriented as possible as we can for the players, so they have a good feel for Thanksgiving.
"Then Saturday being senior day we're honoring 17 seniors that have contributed amazingly well to this program. Not only in winning 46 games but a national championship and two SEC titles but the class that they've represented the university with, as well as how they've grown and develop as people, which we're very, very proud of. Almost all of these guys have graduated or on track to graduate, so we're also very proud of them for their accomplishments and how they made an investment and created value for their future by what they've been able to accomplish while they've been here at Alabama."
On Auburn's run game:
"They're playing really well. They do a great job running and they have really good schemes. They've got you know, good players, good backs, quarterbacks a good runner, so he kind of adds to that as well. I still think they're very capable of throwing the ball, but they have played and tried to win on the line of scrimmage and have been pretty effective doing it these last couple of games."
On Tyler Steen:
"He's practiced."
On the emphasis of stopping the run:
"They play a lot of different personnel groups and most of the time we play against three wide receivers and a tight end, sometimes four wide receivers. They do have three wide receivers formation, but they play a lot of tight ends and a lot of play a lot of personnel groups. You've got to try to match that as much as you can, but they do a very good job, using formations to try to create advantages for them. You've got to be able to adjust all those things as well."
Injury updates on Jahmyr Gibbs, Eli Ricks and Cam Latu:
"They've all practiced."
On coaching in his first Iron Bowl at home since 2018...
"I was here in 2020."
You had COVID, you were home.
"Yeah, but I was here. I watched the game."
Are you looking forward to being back in the stadium?
"Hell yeah. You're acting like I went to the moon or something. I was watching the game. The interesting thing about watching the game at home is I never realized that the TV copy is like a couple seconds behind the real copy. So I have a real film shooting and I have the TV on so I could watch the play and I could see it again. It was a pretty effective experience and for the little bit that I was able to communicate, I could contribute to some degree."
See also:
Running Back Trey Sanders Enters Transfer Portal
Biggest Rivalry Really Not Up for Debate, Alabama-Auburn
How to Watch the Iron Bowl: No. 8 Alabama vs Auburn
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