10/2/2010 Alabama vs Florida Post Game Quotes
10/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 2, 2010
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Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban
Opening statement:
I'm really pleased and happy with the way our team came out and played in the first half. I thought we had great energy, enthusiasm, passion and intensity. We played against a very good team. It was a very physical game. We made a lot of plays, defensively especially, down in the red zone whether it was getting turnovers or a fourth-down stop. I'm sure there are a lot of things we can work on, get better at and improve. The second half we probably didn't play offense like we wanted to. We ended up on the field quite a bit defensively. Maybe we shut it down a little too early in the game?
You have got to give Florida a lot of credit for continuing to battle in the game and continuing to fight in the game. They played hard. We have a program here, and we have a high expectation and high standard for how we want to play and what we want to do. I don't think we did that last week until about the last 17 minutes of the game, so I was proud of the way we came out today. I'm not pleased with the way we finished the game, but this is a great win. It was a great atmosphere to play in.
We had a tremendous crowd, and they really had an effect on the game and I really thank them. I know our players certainly appreciate the support and the enthusiasm from them. We have to continue to work to set a standard and get everybody to understand what it takes for 60 minutes in a game to play against good football teams, and we'll continue to do that. It's not about how fast your opponent runs, it's about how fast you can run. We're here to help our players be successful in every way, and I think that's something we came closer to today. We need to continue to work on that, mature and then grow. We probably didn't have the success throwing the ball today that we would have liked to have had. We ran the ball very effectively in the first half. We had a lot of bad field position in the second half and couldn't get it going in the third quarter, but those are all things that we need to work on.
On Florida's opening drive and the play in the first half
I think to get out of there with no points after they put together a really good drive was a big momentum changer in the game, especially so early in the game. Then for us to control the ball so well for the first half was very good. I was very pleased with our first-half play.
On going back to basics for this game
I was very pleased with the passion and intensity we played with in the first half. I was very encouraged by all of that, and I just think you have to do that for 60 minutes in a game. We just have to focus on doing that all of the time. Not just some of the time, but all of the time.
On Courtney Upshaw's play tonight
We put him out on the edge and played a little more 3-4 and nickel than we usually do. We had some nice pressures, and he's finally healthy, probably for the first time this year. He had a productive night.
On the play of the defense
I was pleased with the way we played up front. We had some errors in the secondary and had some untimely penalties in the second half, but we made plays when we needed to and played great in the red zone with a couple turnovers down there.
On the series with Florida
In each game we've had with these guys it's always come down to red zone defense. When they beat us two years ago, they scored every time they got down there. We got them to third down and they would score. We couldn't get off the field. This time we did a little better job of that. They still got some big plays in the second half, which we need to continue to work on.
#30 Dont'a Hightower Linebacker
On the play of the defense
I thought that was the No. 1 thing, to come out and show everybody that not only are we a second-half team, but we are a first-half team also.
On if he feels the defense is starting to click
I do. We put in a lot of work this week. We emphasized on a lot of things that Florida did, and they came out and did them. I feel like we executed to perfection.
On how getting pressure on the quarterback helps the defense
I feel like we just put ourselves in a position for everybody to make big plays when we pressure the quarterback. I did what I had to do, and my teammates got to the quarterback and pressured him.
#4 Mark Barron Defensive Back
On the defense setting the tone early
We just came out ready to play tonight. A lot of guys had their minds right as far as what they had to do mentally, and that showed when we stepped onto the field.
On how pressuring the quarterback helps the secondary
That always helps because we depend on each other. We depend on the pressure to get interceptions, and they depend on our coverage to get sacks. We really complement each other. Tonight they did a great job, and it showed in what we did in the secondary.
On how the interceptions seemed to define the game
Once again, the turnovers played a key role for us because most of the time they came in critical situations tonight. They played a big role and really changed the momentum for us a few times tonight.
#73 William Vlachos Offensive Line
On what was encouraging in the game tonight
The encouraging thing tonight is the way our defense played. They were huge. The defense really stepped up their performance from last week and put together 60 minutes and the offense didn't. Whenever you can beat a team like the Florida Gators, who are ranked in the top 10, 31-6, when you can beat them that bad, you're always going to be happy about it. But at the same time, we came out hot in the first half, but we didn't do anything in the second half at all, so there's certainly room for a lot of improvement next week against South Carolina. They have a great football team. We're happy with the win but not satisfied with how we played in the game.
On having to play a game in which every yard is tough to gain
That's the game you want to play in. They're a great team. They came out firing but in the first half we played excellent. We did everything we needed to do to move the ball and score in the beginning. At the same time you're not going to be able to win every game you play when you don't string together 60 minutes. When you play against good teams, you have to play 60 minutes of football and what we did today was not that.
#15 Darius Hanks Wide Receiver
On playing a top-10 team tonight
First half I felt like things went our way, but in the second half we didn't dominate as we wanted to. We came out with the win and that's all that matters.
On Marquis Maze throwing a touchdown
I was happier than he was when he threw that. I was just so excited to see one of my fellow wide-outs
throw a touchdown pass. It was just great to see.
On how the defense played
They really stepped it up tonight. They came out and got picks, fumble recoveries and everything. They really did their job.
On his statistics not being off the charts like they had been previously
I'm here to make plays and block. If I don't have all those yards, it doesn't matter, really, as long as we get that win. Getting the win is all that counts.
Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer
Opening Statement:
We got beat by a good team, and we didn't play very well. We're anxious to get back to work tomorrow with Sunday practice.
On his decision to go for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal on their first drive:
It was an aggressive call, something that we would probably do again. As a matter of fact, I know we would do it again. Sometimes you kick yourself right in the rear end when you do that, but that is kind of the way we play. We're aggressive. You go on the road and get a chance to take the lead on a team. We're going to try to go do that.
On the Gators' red zone efficiency:
It was awful. We just have to get better. It was real disappointing. That game is a different game I think. I don't know if we would've beat them because they were pretty good today, but we just self destructed. Turnovers and red zone inefficiency, that wasn't good. In the past few weeks we haven't given up any punt returns, so punt return yardage too. We have some things to work on.
On whether his team should begin thinking about a possible rematch in the SEC Championship:
No. We think about getting on a plane safely and getting home. They'd like to see their families and get back to work tomorrow. That's what we think about.
#35 Ahmad Black Safety
On tackling Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson
We have got to do a better job of tackling. We'll have to come back tomorrow, and do a better job.
On whether they spent the offseason looking forward to this game
We worked in the offseason to get to Atlanta. We take one game at a time, and we took a week out and didn't play our best. We have got to play our best next time.
#12 John Brantley Quarterback
On the pressure generated by Alabama's defense
That's what happens when you play such a good team. It happens. The way we bounced back from that and stayed together was one of the big positives from tonight. We just kept fighting.
On whether the offense took a step back
No. There are some positive things we'll see on film. It's never a step back because when we watch the film we'll learn from the mistakes we made and get better from there.
#55 Mike Pouncey Center
On whether the offense struggled
I don't think we really struggled. We moved the ball up and down the field. The problem was that when we were trying to make plays we turned the ball over. When you turn the ball over you don't win ballgames like that.
On the effort in the red zone
It was frustrating because we were down on the one a couple of times, and we didn't end up getting any points. We turned the ball over both times, and that is something we'll look at on film and try to fix.
