What Nick Saban Said on Monday of Middle Tennessee State Week

A full transcript of everything Saban said to the media on Monday afternoon.

Austin Hannon | Aug 28, 2023

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Alabama Crimson Tide

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama head coach Nick Saban met with reporters on Monday afternoon ahead of the Crimson Tide's season-opening game against Middle Tennessee State on Saturday night.

Here's a full transcript of the media availability:

Opening Statement

"I'm sure that our team, players are all looking forward to the challenges of the season. I think the biggest challenge for our team is to create an identity for this team, to prove that you can be a dangerous team, to prove that you have the energy, focus and enthusiasm not just to win a game but to beat the other team. And there is a difference in that, and I think that difference primarily is the way you compete, the way you play, the relentless competitive attitude that you have for 60 minutes in a game to play to a standard, your standard. Not let the scoreboard or anything else determine what your performance level is. That's something that I think this team has to prove that it can do."

"Middle Tennessee, they won eight games last year. They beat a Top 25 team in Miami. They won a bowl game against San Diego State. Rick Stockstill's been there for a long time. He's done a really good job. They've got a great offensive scheme in terms of how they do things, the problems that they create. So it's going to be challenging for our players from that standpoint."

"They're a very aggressive defensive team. A lot of stunts. A lot of blitzes. A lot of negative plays. So it's a very challenging preparation for our offensive team. And they're sound and solid and do a great job on special teams. So this is a challenging team for us to play but again, we're concerned about how do we establish an identity for our team in terms of how we compete and how we play, regardless of who we might play."

"I know that your No. 1 focus is not on the game, it's on the depth chart. Look, there's a lot of competition on the team and when we put a depth chart out, you all think that's like final. Like this is etched in stone and it's going to be this way forevermore, just because we come out of fall camp and that's where it is. But it creates a lot of distractions on our team. It creates a lot of guys thinking that, well, this guy won the job now and I'm not going to play or whatever. And quite frankly, we don't need that."

"I want all of our players to continue to compete, to continue to compete for playing time, to try to play at the highest level. And I don't want anybody on our team to think that they're a backup player or whatever. The depth chart kind of does that. I think most of the players on our team know who should start in the game and who shouldn't start. But that's something that they do day to day in terms of the way they compete and the way they play. And nobody's entitled to play just because we put it on a piece of paper and say this is the way it is today."

"I apologize for that, but it is what it is."

Progress from safeties?

"[Caleb Downs has] done a really good job. I know he's a young player but he's done a really good job. He's smart. He's bright. He understands football very well. Jaylen Key has done a really good job. He's got a lot of experience. Even though he hasn't played here, he's played other places in a very similar system. Those two guys have done a good job. Malachi can play safety or Star."

"[DeVonta Smith's] been out with his foot for a while and we certainly think that he would be in the mix if he were healthy. Kristian Story is a dependable guy at the position. So that's kind of where it's at right now."

MTSU's secondary?

"I think they play really well. They get a lot of turnovers. But they create a lot of pressure. They're a pressure defense and they put a lot of pressure on their secondary and the corners have played very well, whether they've played off or played man to man and press. Their safeties are very aggressive and make a lot of plays."

"I think there's a little bit of big-little that goes with this team, if you look at the statistics of the way they play. They make a lot of plays on defense when it comes to negative plays that they create, turnovers that they get. But they've also given up plays. And I think you've got to have lots of patience. You've got to have a good plan in terms of trying to minimize how much they can create negative plays but also maximize taking advantage of making some explosive plays."

How have you seen dominant brand of football from OL?

“Well, I would say that's up to them. They want to be dominant and physical — that’s part of the identity we’re trying to create and want to create at every position, not just the offensive line."

“To be able to have balance on offense, you’ve got to be able to control the line of scrimmage. You get moving up front and play physical. But it’s the same thing in the passing game. You’ve got to be able to protect the quarterback so you can make plays in the passing game. So we always want to be physical. We always want to be dominant. We want to be that on the defensive line. We want to be that on the offensive line. And style of play can determine that to some degree, but having balance and being able to do both those things I think is a critical factor.”

Challenges of MTSU passing game?

“I think the multiples of formations that they give you whether it’s empty, four open, wide outs, all kinds of things are gonna put guys … you know, at some point, you’re going to have to play guys man-to-man. And your guy’s gotta win. You can’t give up explosive plays. So I also think you’ve got to mix it up, and sometimes when people spread you out, you got to play maximum coverage. Sometimes you got to play maximum pressure. But whenever, you have to be able to execute, so that you're not giving up explosive plays."

“Turnovers and explosive play ratio — those are the two most critical factors in winning and losing games. So, I think you’ve got to be patient. These guys are gonna go no huddle. They’ll go fast at times. Players have got to be able to get lined up and execute and not let that affect their rhythm and how they play."

“And they did make a lot of explosive plays against Miami last year, and that's something that we're always trying to take away. And that's going to be a challenge for our guys in the back end. When you give up explosive plays, it's usually all 11 guys. Sometimes you lose the pass rush lane and the quarterback scrambles, throws a big one, whatever. So everybody's got to do their job to eliminate the other team's ability to make explosive plays.”

How much of being a good blitzer is instincts? How has defense looked at blitzing?

“We've done a pretty good job with the pressures so far, containing the quarterback. Not necessarily thinking just because you pressure, you want to sack the quarterback. Because the worst thing that can happen when you pressure is somebody gets pushed by. If you get pushed by the quarterback, you’re playing with 10 guys. So you asked me how much of it is instinctive and how much of it is … I don’t care what position you play, at some point in time, instincts take over."

“Just like defensive back. OK, the ball’s coming. I can intercept it. I can swat and hook it. I can break down and tackle the guy. It all depends on how fast the ball’s getting there and what your position is. How much is that coaching, and how much is that instinct?"

“So if I’m pass rushing, and I try to speed rush a guy, and he soft sets and pushes me by, how much of that is ability, and how much of that is lack of instincts? If a guy soft sets, you should bull rush him, power rush him. You won’t get pushed by the quarterback. Not the time to try and make a sack. When do you use your hands? When do you use what pass rushing move? It’s like a wrestler. When do you use what move? The same thing when you're playing defensive line or offensive line. When you’re using your hands, you’ve got body position. You’ve got a guy off balance one way, and how’re you going to push him another way?"

“So we try to teach guys all those things. But when it comes to fastball application, it's no different than the baseball analogy. I use it with the players all the time. I say, ‘You just swung at a pitch over your head.’ Everybody understands. It’s like, what are you doing? These guys in the Major Leagues do it — a ball four feet outside, slider, swinging at it. Look bad doing it.”

Opening week at BDS? Fan support?

"We've always had great fan support regardless of where we played regardless. There's always been great enthusiasm. I think our fans are a big part of the team. The atmosphere they create during games is something that's part of the tradition around here that makes guys wanna play here, whether they're recruits coming to see the game or whether they're players on the field. It's always important. This game is important to us. It's important for this team to create an identity and the fans can have a significant impact on that with their energy and enthusiasm."

JC Latham?

"JC's played really well. He's shown a lot of maturity. He's become a leader, of sorts, of the offensive line. Physical guy, plays with a lot of toughness. We've tried to eliminate penalties and being able to stay focused on doing the right things with the offensive line and with JC. He's done a pretty good job of taking those challenges and trying to implement them in a way that's gonna be a positive thing for a team."

Jalen Milroe?

"I think Jalen has made a significant amount of improvement. I think he's more comfortable in the pocket. He has more confidence in the way he executes and the way he plays. He's been more consistent in the way he's played and I think that's going to be the key of the drill for him to be able to maintain that consistency in every practice so that he is developing the kind of habits that are going to carry over in the game and help him be successful."

Jah-Marien Latham?

"Um, he's done a really good job, you know? He's been hurt a little bit on and off since he's been here. He's gotten a little bigger, he's gotten a little stronger. He's very good athlete. I think he's more confident in terms of learning the defense, making less mental errors. I think it's important to him. I think he's showing a lot of maturity in the way he's developed and progressed so I think he's a guy that can make a significant contribution for us up front."

Expecting to use multiple QBs Week 1?

"I don't have any expectations for that right now. I mean, we're going one day at a time. We're repping the players and regardless of what happens in this game, it's the same thing that I told you guys before. Just because whoever starts in the first game, that doesn't mean you don't have to continue to compete and play throughout the season because the competition doesn't end with the first game, at any position, including quarterback so. My expectation is what can we do to get them better today so we can play better the next day and the next day and then when the game comes we'll be playing as well as we need to be playing to create value for themselves as players as well our team to be able to have success."

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