‘It all starts with me’: Alabama football head coach Nick Saban on loss to Texas
Updated: 3:12 AM CDT Sep 10, 2023
So, um, you know, this was *** test, you know, for us, uh I told the players, uh, early in the week, last week that this was going to be *** test that we were going to play *** really good team and we would actually find out where we were as *** team. And, um, this was *** test for everybody. It was *** test for the coaches. It was *** test for me. It was *** test for all the players and we obviously didn’t do very well, but it’s the midterm, it’s not the final. So, um, if we can learn from some of the mistakes that we made, um, coaches and players alike, we can all get better and have *** lot better opportunity, I think to be successful in the future. So, but everybody’s got basically two choices. You know, you can throw in the towel and quit and be mediocre or you can fight and grind and do the hard things that you need to do to be successful. And I think you don’t want to waste *** failing and we certainly don’t want to waste this failing. Um, so we’re all going to be committed to trying to do things, better practice, better prepare, better, have *** better plan, you know, for the players, whatever it is, all of us coaches and players alike and it all starts with me and obviously let our team down in terms of, um, you know, how we were able to execute and play. We went back up and had like 10 penalties, uh, two of which, um, you know, negated touchdowns, Um, you know, they got 10 points off of turnovers and we gave up way too many explosive plays on defense. Um, and, you know, we have to correct all those things if we’re gonna be able to play, uh, and have the kind of team we’re capable of, of, of having. So I believe in these players, these players have worked hard. Um, there’s *** great atmosphere in the stadium tonight. I appreciate the fans and they did their part for sure. Uh, we didn’t do our part. Uh, well, enough, uh, starts with me, as I said before. Um, but we’re going to do everything we can to get it right and get it fixed. Texas had five sacks. Uh, what do you think led to some lapses at times of pass protection? Well, um, you know, *** lot of those sacks were four man rushes. Um, one of them I think was *** three man rush. Uh, we didn’t get any pressure on their quarterback. Uh, we’re trying to play so we could cover their receivers and rush four guys and we didn’t affect him at all. And, um, you know, the third down stuff that we did do, they did *** good job of moving the pocket, picking us and playing man to man. And so we didn’t do *** very good job of affecting their quarterback and, you know, we just gotta do better. I, I can’t sit here and say one guy broke down in pass protection. I know like something different happened just about on each one of those. Uh, and I think, you know, sometimes we held the ball at quarterback, we got to do *** good job of reading it and getting it out of your hand and I don’t think we did *** good enough job of getting away from people and getting open and they did *** good job of matching the patterns. So with Charlie, hey, coach, just, what do you think of the way that Jalen played? Not? And did you give any thought that maybe play multiple quarterbacks? Uh, I did but when he put the drive together, uh, to go down the field and score when we got ahead, um, you know, I thought that gave him *** lot of confidence and, um, but we, we never ever discussed it. I can’t sit here and say the thought doesn’t come to mind for any player that’s, you know, having *** difficult time. And, um, but he made some good plays at the end of the game. And that was good to see, obviously the interception was, you know, critical, you know, in the game. And, um, so we’re just gonna work to try to get all our players better. What did you see the point from 20 years? And the job he was able to do kind of moving the ball and hit some of those deep passes against you guys? Well, um, we didn’t do *** very good job adjusting to some motions. We made some mental errors, got people in the wrong spots and we didn’t match the patterns *** couple times. We were fine. We had *** middle field safety, we got pass interference *** couple of times. Uh They made *** good catch one time, you know, had *** guy covered really well and five made *** really good catch and, um, you know, we were playing quarters and they had *** quarters beater and we didn’t poach the safety. I mean, it’s *** lot of technical stuff, but, um, can’t let people throw the ball over your head if you’re playing in secondary. So we need to get that fixed. What do you think is the root cause between behind having so many bad or bobbled snaps? Uh That’s *** good question. Uh It was very surprising to me, we haven’t had an issue with that in the past. We haven’t had an issue with that in practice. Um And you know, those kinds of things put you behind the eight ball on offense, you know, you get *** five yard penalty. Um, we had *** couple of those false starts. I think we had two snaps and one false start. So, um, put you behind in sticks. So the discipline of playing and this is one of the things I talked to our players about is um it’s great to be to have emotion and play with emotion. Everybody should have that, but that motion has to be channeled into tangible functional execution. So you got to focus on the task at hand one play at *** time. It’s got to be very intentional. If you get emotional, then you make bad choices and decisions. Your brain doesn’t work like it needs to and bad things happen, whether you make mistakes on defense, whether you snap the ball poorly, whether you jump off sides, um I mean, we had *** chance to stop him at the end of the game *** couple of times and, you know, couldn’t get off the field and let him, you know, bleed the clock. So, um just all in all, we just didn’t do what we needed to do to have *** chance to be successful against *** good team coach when she throws the first interception. Did you see him kind of being able to talk about taking him one play at *** time? Did you see him *** little cautious throughout the rest of the first half at all and did that impact why this slow start in the beginning? I can’t really answer that. Probably *** better question to ask him. Um, I think they kind of, you know, they, at *** corner from the backside and they rolled the coverage. We were on trips and, um, I, I don’t think he saw, you know, them, the thing roll up and it was *** poor decision. But, um, I don’t really think I, I didn’t see *** bad look from him on the sidelines ever. You know, he was into it. He was talking to Tommy, he was getting new information. So, um, he certainly didn’t get the poor me over any of it. He was competing like crazy and came back and made some really good plays. I mean, we had *** chance, we got ahead in the game and what was there 11 minutes to go in *** game or something. And, um, so anyway, two were Katie and then Nick Everest, if you just hit on getting ahead at the end of the third quarter and then, uh, and help Texas scoreless in the third quarter, what changed between the third and the fourth? Did you see something in the players or was it just *** lack of execution in that final quarter? No, they hit big plays. I mean, if, if you look at, until the end when they ran the, the clock out with like five or six minutes to go. Um We had *** chance to stop him on third down. They ran for first down. Um We had another chance to stop him on third down, jumped off sides. Um But all the plays that they made were all explosive plays. All were explosive plays. Um And that was the difference. They didn’t make explosive plays in the third quarter and um we played better. We got off the field on third down. So, um, they took *** lot of shots in the game and they made them and we knew they would take shots in the game. They did last year. Um, that’s how they play and it’s *** good way to play. So, um, but if you play them correctly, they can turn out to be long foul balls too. And we, we, we didn’t do that, we didn’t make that happen. How did you, how did you feel like you guys handled substitutions and alignment on defense when Texas went earlier? Couple of times? Not good. And that’s when we missed twice, missed *** match on the, you know, wide delay pass where they fly the back out, tight end comes across. We didn’t match the pattern. Um, so, and I think in both cases, I think we had to call, but I think when they went, hurry up on it, we were on our heels. So I don’t think we did *** good job of that. We’re good. All right. Thank you. Appreciate it. But I do think that there was *** great atmosphere out there. You know, our fans did *** tremendous job. We appreciate the support. It was fantastic and, you know, it’s ***, it’s *** privilege to play in games like this. It’s *** privilege to play at the University of Alabama. Um It’s *** privilege to play where you have such great tradition and it’s *** privilege to play where you have such great fan support. So, uh we really appreciate it. Thank you.
‘It all starts with me’: Alabama football head coach Nick Saban on loss to Texas
Updated: 3:12 AM CDT Sep 10, 2023
Alabama football head coach Nick Saban addressed the Crimson Tide’s 34-24 loss to the Texas Longhorns in a Saturday night press conference. “You know this was a test, you know, for us,” Saban said. “I told the players early in the week that this was going to be a test, that we were going to play a really good team and we would actually find out where we were as a team and, um, this was a test for everybody. It was a test for the coaches, it was a test for me, it was a test for all the players, and we obviously didn’t do very well.”The offensive line was pushed around much of the night. Penalties proved costly. The Tide faces renewed questions after losing a pair of down-to-the-wire games last season.”It all starts with me, and I obviously let our team down in terms of how we were able to execute and play,” Saban said.While Texas ultimately took home the win, Alabama put up a solid fight, with QB Jalen Milroe putting up big plays, both passing and running. He was 14 of 27 for 255 yards with a pair of touchdowns.Despite the loss, Saban had a vote of confidence for his players and the program for the rest of the season.”I believe in these players, these players have worked hard,” Saban said. “It was a great atmosphere in the stadium tonight and I appreciate the fans. They did their part for sure; we didn’t do our part well enough. It all starts with me as I said before, but we’re going to do everything we can to get it right and get it fixed.”Next week, the tide travels to take on South Florida. Watch the full presser in the video player above.This article contains information from the Associated Press.
Alabama football head coach Nick Saban addressed the Crimson Tide’s 34-24 loss to the Texas Longhorns in a Saturday night press conference.
“You know this was a test, you know, for us,” Saban said. “I told the players early in the week that this was going to be a test, that we were going to play a really good team and we would actually find out where we were as a team and, um, this was a test for everybody. It was a test for the coaches, it was a test for me, it was a test for all the players, and we obviously didn’t do very well.”
The offensive line was pushed around much of the night. Penalties proved costly. The Tide faces renewed questions after losing a pair of down-to-the-wire games last season.
“It all starts with me, and I obviously let our team down in terms of how we were able to execute and play,” Saban said.
While Texas ultimately took home the win, Alabama put up a solid fight, with QB Jalen Milroe putting up big plays, both passing and running. He was 14 of 27 for 255 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
Despite the loss, Saban had a vote of confidence for his players and the program for the rest of the season.
“I believe in these players, these players have worked hard,” Saban said. “It was a great atmosphere in the stadium tonight and I appreciate the fans. They did their part for sure; we didn’t do our part well enough. It all starts with me as I said before, but we’re going to do everything we can to get it right and get it fixed.”
Next week, the tide travels to take on South Florida.
Watch the full presser in the video player above.
This article contains information from the Associated Press.