Nick Saban: "It Will Be a Real Battle" Against Georgia
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama football coach Nick Saban spoke to the media on the weekly SEC coaches teleconference while he prepares his team for its upcoming Saturday matchup against the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs.
For his opening statement, the 68-year-old coach gave his assessment of the Crimson Tide’s opponent that will be making its way to Bryant-Denny Stadium this weekend.
“I think the big thing that we want our guys to do is really lock in and prepare well and get ready to do their job against a very, very good team,” Saban said. “Georgia has one of the best defenses in the nation and Kirby [Smart] has done an outstanding job there in terms of the personnel that they have at every position. Their offense is very efficient, very effective. They play great on special teams.
“So this is a really good team that we're playing, and we certainly want to fix the things that we're not doing well so that we can play better. But we also have to lock in and do a great job of preparing for the challenges that we have this week.”
Alabama enters the weekend as the No. 2 team in the country, just one spot above Georgia. The Bulldogs have one of the best defenses in the nation while the Crimson Tide sports one of the country’s most-prolific offenses.
Alabama’s offense is definitely impressive. This past weekend at Ole Miss, the Crimson Tide totaled 723 yards of offense and 63 points on its way to the win in Oxford. Quarterback Mac Jones tossed 28-for-32 for 417 yards and two touchdowns while running back Najee Harris carried the ball 23 times for 206 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
On top of that, two Alabama wideouts had 100-plus yard games in DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle.
All of that being said, Jones and his receiver core haven’t faced a defense quite like Georgia’s yet this season.
“I think their secondary is very, very good,” Saban said. “That's why they're one of the best in the country in terms of pass efficiency defense. They have good players. They're really well coached. They mix things up. They disguise things well. They get good pressure up front with their pass rushers.
“It's going to be a challenge for us not just relative to their secondary but you know all 11 guys defend the pass. So we've got to be efficient and effective at every position.”
While Alabama’s offense has been solid this season, the Crimson Tide’s defense has been less than stellar. In the same game against Ole Miss, Alabama allowed 48 points and 647 total yards. Poor tackling and technique were abundant, leaving Saban and defensive coordinator Pete Golding plenty of mistakes to correct before their team faces the Bulldogs this weekend.
Saban pointed out the strengths of Georgia’s offense, which could potentially become a problem on Saturday should he and Golding not iron out the wrinkles in time.
“I think that they do everything pretty well,” Saban said. “I mean, they have great balance which I think is always the key to whether you've got a really good offensive team. They can run the ball effectively. They've got really good backs. The quarterback's very efficient and effective at what he does. They've got really good skill players outside. And the offensive line does an outstanding job. They're very physical. I'm trying to sit here and think if you asked the question differently, what don't they do well? I'd have a hard time answering that. They're very efficient and effective at what they do and they do a good job of executing it. That's why they keep the ball 34-and-a-half minutes a game, which is the best in the country.”
Saban now possesses a 21-0 all-time record against his former assistants, 22-0 if you count his 2008 matchup against Lane Kiffin when Kiffin was the head coach at Tennessee. This weekend makes the third-consecutive game day that pits Saban against a former assistant in Georgia head coach Kirby Smart.
Acknowledging that this weekend is going to be a tough fight for both teams, Saban took a moment to say that not only does he not worry about facing off against his former assistants but that he is also happy to see their successes.
“Well, I don't really worry about that,” Saban said. “I mean, I've said it before: Kirby's been there five years and he's done a great job of building one of the best programs in the country in my opinion, in terms of the team that they have and how they perform and how they play and the discipline they play with. I mean, a lot of those wins came when guys got new jobs. But that doesn't matter. We have an established program. We have an established program, they have an established program. There's two pretty good teams gonna go at it. I'm sure it will be a real battle.
“I have a lot of respect for the job that all these guys did while they were here with us and the job that they're doing now in building their own programs. That's why they worked hard so that they would get opportunities, and I'm proud to see that they're taking advantage of it.”
