Week 13 Football Press Conference Transcript
11/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Head Coach Nick Saban
Opening statement:
"Well just a brief comment about the last game, not much different than what I said after the game: I'm pretty pleased with the standard that our team played to in terms of the effort, the toughness we played with. There was a lot of good hustle in the game. There were a lot of good things to teach from in terms of having an opportunity to learn, grow and improve. I was pleased with the players' attitude relative to how they approached that game.
"I would really like to congratulate Greg (McElroy) on being one of the 12 finalists (in his district) for the Rhodes Scholar. I think it was a great experience for him. I think it's an honor to him and his family that he was in that position. In my opinion, as a person, a leader - I know the competition is tough - but this guy is one of the best guys in the country relative to anything that anybody would want to pick for anything. Sometimes you don't control all the factors when you get into this arena, but he's been great for us, our team, and he's a great leader. I don't see how you can be any better of a person. I know he's very intelligent. I know he's going to be extremely successful. I know this experience will be something that will be a positive for him in his future.
"We had some players of the week: William Vlachos, and Darius Hanks on offense; Chris Jordan and Dee Milliner on defense; Brandon Gibson, Chavis Williams and Jerrell Harris on special teams. All those guys did a really good job in the game. You have some guys who are players of the week here who have not been starters, for whatever reasons.
"From an injury standpoint, Barrett Jones is probably the only player who will not be 100 percent today and probably will not practice much today, but he is making progress. We're still hopeful that he will be able to do a significant amount of work as the week progresses and have an opportunity to play in this game.
"This is obviously one of the greatest rivalries in all of college football. The Iron Bowl has been going on in this state for a long, long time. It's kind of unique in that everyone in the state is on one side or the other. We have two great schools with great football histories, and obviously pretty good teams this year. A lot of players have played against each other in high school, knew each other, played in good programs and were developed well. I think it says a lot for football in this state to have two teams of this caliber playing in the Iron Bowl this particular year.
"The focus this week is on the Alabama-Auburn game. It's not about anything that's going on outside. It's not about what happened last year. None of that really matters. It's about this week, this time, this game, and our focus is going to be on the preparation for our team to play the best football and give our guys the best opportunity to be successful against a very good team. The culmination of your season sort of gets judged by how you do in a game like this, so we want to play our best football and do our best job of executing. If there are any distractions that don't affect how you perform in the game, you should get rid of them, because that's not going to help you play your best in the game. Your focus should be on your preparation and what's going to help you play - that's coaches, players, everybody involved in the program.
"Auburn's done an outstanding job this year. I know how hard it is to go and win 11 games in a row. They have been consistent and effective. Their offense is one of the best in the country in terms of their production. (Cam Newton) does a tremendous job for them. His versatility is excellent. Their team executes well. Their offensive line does a good job. They've got good skill-players on the outside. They've got other guys that compliment (Newton) as runners. They do a very good job of utilizing their personnel offensively. Defensively, they've got quite a few guys back from a year ago. They have played extremely well on defense, and have always been able to make plays when they need to make them. They have a lot of turnovers, a lot of negative plays. They're a very capable team. They're very good on special teams. So this is a good all-around football team that we're playing, and we're going to have to play our best game to have an opportunity to be successful."
On concerns with Alabama's young defense versus Auburn's complex offense:
"I don't think there's any question about it. They do a lot of things offensively and do them very well. It's not like they do a bunch of junk, it's well-conceived what they do. They do a good job of executing their offense. They present it to the defense in various ways that requires a lot of adjustments that need to be made. Obviously, it's a little easier to defend when you have an older, more experienced team. But at least I feel better about the practice time that we're going to have this year to get prepared for the game because we'll at least have a normal week. It's going to take some real maturity on our players' part to be able to handle and manage this because the multiples - you don't want to make mental errors on - because they'll take advantage of it if you do."
On coaching in a game against Auburn and the effect of the rivalry on his coaching:
"I don't think as a coach you really look at it that way; that's one of those external things that you don't want to affect you. You have to be disciplined in your approach to sort of stay focused on the moment - that play in the game, that situation in the game, that time in the game - so that you make good choices and decisions to help your team do the best they can. I think those kind of things can be a distraction, but I think those are the things that you work really hard on as a coach to make sure they are not affecting your team. We want to focus on playing our best football, which means how we execute on that play at that time, as if that play has a history in a life of its own, and all that other stuff doesn't really matter. It's out there and it's there. It's great to have an opportunity to play in games that are meaningful like this to so many people with so much interest, and it's a great opportunity to play against a great team, but at the same time you want to focus on the game, not on all the other stuff."
On Nick Fairley:
"Well he's got 7.5 sacks, 18 tackles for a loss or whatever. He's a very dominant player on the inside. He's very athletic and plays hard. He's very physical and plays with a lot of toughness. He's certainly a guy you have to handle on the inside - run and pass. He's probably as good an interior lineman, in terms of being a playmaker, as any guy we've played all year and probably in the country."
On defending a diverse running game:
"It takes a tremendous amount of discipline all around. You can't just play good gap control on the inside and fit the plays exactly like you're supposed to. The perimeter players need to do a good job as well. Probably as many good plays as they have are because of their perimeter plays. I think that's a real key. The way you play to stop the runs, you can't give up big-play passes, which we gave up a couple last year, and they've hit on numerous occasions this year against people. This takes a lot of discipline for everybody to exactly what they're supposed to do and be exactly where they're supposed to be because Auburn attacks the perimeter just as effectively as they do the interior, so every play you've got to be sound in both areas."
On how to defend Cam Newton:
"He's a great athlete, there's no doubt about that. You have to do a great job of tackling. He's a big guy. He's got long arms. He's got a good stiff arm. He's really good at changing direction and has deceptive speed. I think when they spread you out on the field and he scrambles or even when he's running one of his set running plays, you have to do a good job of tackling; you have to a good job of leveraging and tackling. That's what great players do; they make themselves hard to tackle and he's certainly one of those guys."
On Cam Newton compared to Tim Tebow:
"Both guys are great players and were great players for their team. They certainly impact the game. Even though there are some similarities in some of the plays that they run, their styles are completely different in how they do those things. It's not to say that one is better than the other, it's just that they're different. Cam's very athletic, deceptive, makes people miss, changes direction, and plays with toughness - he'll put his head down on you, too. But I don't like to compare players. They're both very, very good players, but a different style, even though they were both effective runners."
On the impact of the Bryant-Denny crowd:
"The crowd noise has been a factor, no doubt. It's harder to play offense when there's a lot of noise. It's harder to hear the snap count if you have to go on silent, sometimes guys get off the ball late. It certainly affected us when we played on the road a few times. I'm sure there will be a lot of enthusiasm and excitement for this game, and hopefully it will be a benefit to our players."
On using man-to-man or zone defense and how it's used to defend Auburn:
"It's very similar situation to the other running quarterbacks we've faced this year. They get in empty and you're trying to play man-to-man, or they free-release the back and the guy's got him. You run out of there and they run a quarterback draw or he scrambles with the ball and all of a sudden you've got four guys playing against five. You have to play a certain way so that you don't give opportunities to a great player. (Newton) recognizes it like that, and he knows exactly what he wants to do. It's difficult to defend so you've got to make sure that you've always got enough guys in there to stop them."
On the advantages/disadvantages of speeding up the offensive tempo:
"We just seem like we've played better, that's the only advantage that I can say. We've always sort of practiced a lot of no huddle. We've always thought it was a good thing to set the tempo, but it seems to help us with our tempo on offense. We seem to play fast and get going a little bit better when we set the tempo, so that has been the advantage. I don't know what the disadvantage is because we haven't really made a lot of errors, it hasn't affected our execution. We've actually played better when we've played sped up."
On Josh Chapman's play this year:
"He's played really well this year, especially in the last few games. He's always been a strong guy, a hard guy to block - good at holding the point - but I think his mobility has improved and he's making more plays. He's playing with a little more quickness, and I think that has been very beneficial to him. He's been probably as consistent of a performer up front for us as anyone has."
On the other playmakers outside of Cam Newton:
"It's pretty obvious. #5 is a really good runner. #23 is a really good player. #27 is a really good pass receiver. #89 is a really good player. #81 is really good at running reverses and catching balls. They all do a good job of blocking. Their offensive line is probably as good a bunch as we've played against all year. Their tight end is a really good receiver. I hope I didn't leave anyone out."
On how critical it is to score early:
"They score a lot of points. They've scored a lot of points on just about everybody they've played. I think getting off to a fast start is always important in a game. Getting off to a good start is important; it certainly won't be any different in this game. I think that people that have been in ballgames with them have been able to score enough points to stay in the game, and I think that's going to be important in this game. You need to play all phases of the game well. We're going to have to play well on special teams and control the field position, which may affect how far they have to go to drive it. Ball security is very important, getting some turnovers and not giving it up to them. Playing well on defense where you don't give up a lot of big plays and a lot of points. Hopefully, offensively, being able to move the ball, control the ball, keeping it away from them, and scoring points at the same time. It's really going to be every guy in his role on the team, whatever it is, doing a great job and that's going to contribute to stopping them from jumping ahead early."
Alabama Player Quotes
#12 Greg McElroy Quarterback
On the Rhodes Scholarship interview:
"I felt really confident about the way I went in there. I thought I gave a great interview. It was a great experience just meeting everybody and participating, and I think more than anything it was just a really special moment for me. Obviously I came up a little bit short, but there is no shame in that. I loss to a couple of winners that are very, very worthy of the scholarship and will definitely make the most of it. They had a Harvard graduate, a Yale graduate, two M.I.T. graduates, a Naval Academy graduate and an Alabama graduate, so I gave it my best shot and I was proud. I was just glad to go up there and represent the University the best way I know how."
On the Auburn pass rush:
"They have a great pass rush, a lot like last year. They have some good players on the front line and they make things difficult for you. They have a lot of strength and a lot of speed and that is a tough combination to try to go up against. We'll do our best this week to be ready for it, and we'll do the best we can to simulate it the best way we know how in order to be ready for Friday."
On what makes Auburn defensive lineman Nick Fairley so effective:
"Real similar to Marcell Dareus, just a good blend of speed and strength and quickness. He's got a great first step, he really penetrates well and it makes it tough for the offensive line, they're kind of sitting back on their hills a little bit and trying to sit a guy down that is that big. He's just a good player. We have a lot of respect for him. We're definitely going to have to keep an eye out for where he is on the field and how we're going to try taking care of him."
On the importance of scoring with Auburn's high-scoring offense:
"They have a great offense and we have a great defense, so we feel real confident in that match up. They have a great group of guys over there and they score a lot of points. We have a lot of respect for them. I'm looking forward to seeing our defense be challenged by the best offense in the country in a lot of peoples mind. I think they're looking forward to it. As far as our approach, we just need to be methodical, score points and make the most out of every opportunity. Every time we get in the red zone we have to try to get points out of it, whether it's a touchdown or a field goal, we have to walk away feeling positive about that drive. That's something that we have not done as well as we want, finishing in the red area."
On playing for the state championship this year and not a SEC or national title:
"We've done pretty well over the past few years, and we have obviously walked away with a lot of trophies and a lot of rings and things of that nature, but this year we are obviously playing for something a little different. We understand that, but what we're playing for is still something very impactful on the season. We can walk away feeling very good about ourselves with a 10-2 regular season. That is no easy task in the SEC. We're going to try to do our very best this weekend and try to get a victory. Hopefully that will put us in contention to go to a great bowl game."
On having extra motivation to ruin Auburn's perfect season:
"We're not really worried about them. Obviously they've had a great year, but we are not out for revenge or anything of that nature. We're just trying to make the most of our opportunity, regardless of what Auburn's record might be. If they are 11-0 or 0-11, we're still going try to play him to the best of our ability, because it is our rival and a team we have a lot of respect for. Hopefully we'll go out and execute to the best of our ability and make it a very competitive game."
On this being his last game in Bryant-Denny Stadium:
"It is strange. It goes by very fast. It feels like just yesterday I was on Fox Sports Southwest saying that I was going to the University of Alabama and here I am five years later. I've had a lot of great memories and a lot of special moments in Bryant-Denny. This being my last game I want to make the most of it and walk out of there with my head held high. I'm proud of what I've accomplished not only as an athlete here, but also as a student."
On the new up-tempo style on offense being an advantage against Auburn:
"We have an explosive offense I think to a certain extent. We do a really good job of mixing up tempos and just keeping defenses guessing. Last week we really tried to make them make their checks and calls at the line of scrimmage, which is difficult for defenses. We'll probably do all kinds of things this weekend, I'm not sure exactly because we haven't installed the game plan yet, but I think that is definitely something that we use to our advantage and hopefully it is something that we'll continue to use to our advantage."
#57 Marcell Dareus Defensive Lineman
On trying to defend Auburn quarterback Cam Newton:
"Cam is very athletic running the ball. Every little crease you give him, he will take it. He has deceptive speed where he can just get out and then get away from people. He has some moves that he can get away. We are just going to have to try our best to contain him. It's hard to just stop Cam, so we'll just have to do the best we can and contain him."
On the importance of staying focused on individual assignments against Auburn:
"That is what we have to try to work on. Maturity is something we've been working on all year. We have to focus in on the play and the play you have right now. We've really been trying to work with our younger guys on that. We really have to buckle down and play assignment football. If everybody does their assignment, there is nothing they can do. We have to do everything we can to play our assignments, play your man and contain them."
On this week being different knowing many of the opposing players:
"No, I don't think it is that different. Auburn is a big rivalry of course in this state and a lot of players that haven't played against Auburn; they're going to feel the wrath of how intense the game is and how emotional the game is, especially with how good Auburn is. We really have to buckle down and get our emotions together to be focused in on the game."
On what this game does for the Crimson Tide legacy:
"You just want to keep it going. The legacy of the Crimson Tide runs deep in the state of Alabama and we have to keep it going. I don't think we want to be the ones to stop it, just do the best we can to keep the spirit going."
#8 Julio Jones Wide Receiver
On whether or not he followed the Iron Bowl growing up:
"I never followed it. I didn't even follow Alabama coming up. I didn't really start watching college football until like my 10th or 11th grade year in high school."
On what it's like now being a part of it:
"It's bragging rights, you know. It's just competition."
On what he remembers about the game-winning drive from last year's game:
"I can't really remember. They called my number and I had to step up and make plays. (Greg) McElroy did a great job of dishing the ball out to me."
On how this game impacts an Alabama player's legacy:
"Alabama wins games and Auburn wins games. We can't focus on what the legacy will hold for us, we just have to go out there and play for 60 minutes and give it our all. You can't be disappointed if you go out there and give it your all."
On whether or not things change with not having the SEC Championship game to look forward to:
"Not at all. Every game we supposed to go out there and let it hang out. It's just the Alabama way. We have to go out there and play for 60 minutes."
On playing the role of spoiler:
"We're just trying to go out there and win. It's going to be great game. I don't know what to tell you about trying to spoil their season or whatever, but it's a competitive sport and everybody wants to win."
On how much he's watched Auburn in his spare time:
"Not at all. I've caught glimpses of them before we get ready to play a game when they have an early game or something, but other than that I haven't really watched them at all."
On why the offense seems to click more when using a no-huddle attack:
"We practice like that all year. Our practices are up-tempo. We try to get in and out of the huddle and play fast at practice, and we weren't utilizing that in the game the way we practiced. We usually get to the game and tried to slow it up some. Coach McElwain and everybody noticed everybody was clicking well when we go hurry up and we've been doing a good job the last couple of weeks."
On how much pressure to score an offense like Auburn's puts on Alabama's offense:
"Like I said, I haven't been watching Auburn. I don't know what they're offense does. We just have to go out there and put up points. When the opportunity is given for us to make big plays and put points on the board, we're going to have to capitalize."
On how much pride the receivers take in blocking:
"I love blocking more than I like catching footballs. Those other guys too, they're coming along with it and blocking well. We're not trying to be selfish. Receivers are usually selfish guys and we're not trying to be that way. We are trying to make an identity for ourselves as a receiving corps, to go out there and block on every play even if we're not getting the ball."
#30 Dont'a Hightower Linebacker
On how important it is to finish off tackles against Cam Newton when given the chance:
"Oh yeah, that goes without saying. First off let me say that Cam is a great player. That's why he's here. That's why he's in the SEC is because he's able to make plays. He's a big playmaker. He's probably their best player on offense. As far as making plays, we've actually got a highlight reel of the way to tackle Cam. You don't really want to come in low on him. He's a big guy. He likes to stiff arm, he likes to cut back so you've got to be aware of that."
On how Cam Newton compares to Tim Tebow:
"He always reminds a lot of people of Tim Tebow the way he was able to carry the ball and the way he had so much effect on the fan base as well as the team both offensively and defensively. Cam is a little bit different. Tim Tebow was able to throw the ball pretty well and was always a downhill runner. You see Cam making plays that you wouldn't necessarily expect. He's got two guys on his back and he's stiff arming one guy and the next thing you know he breaks out with a 42-yard run. That's when you just have to get in the film room and see the things he likes to do, like set you up for cutbacks, when he likes to use the stiff arm, what gaps he likes to run through on certain powers and counters and what he likes to do. It's all about us getting in the film room and being able to slow him down. He's a really good player."
On Cam Newton's supporting cast and Auburn not being a one-man team:
"Oh no, they've got a lot of guys. Michael Dyer, the freshman, he's pretty good. Ontario McCalebb comes in a lot. Mario Fanin is there too. They've got all kinds of weapons so you can't just say, "let's put 11 guys in the box," because they have some really good receivers too so you have to be aware of that. We feel like he sets up pretty much their whole offense so you can't just key on one player."
On what a win in this game does an Alabama player's legacy:
"A lot. That being said, it's the Iron Bowl. There aren't too many games that are bigger than the Iron Bowl other than maybe the national championship. Even people in this state would beg to differ that they would rather win the Iron Bowl than the national championship, so this game means a lot to us."
On whether or not playing as the underdog makes the team looser:
"I don't think so. Like I just said, you're playing against Auburn. It's always going to be a tough, hard game. Even if we were 2-9 and Auburn was like they are, 11-0, it doesn't matter. It's the SEC. It's the Iron Bowl game. Everything is going to come out and it's going to be tough, physical game."
On Auburn being in the same position as Alabama was at this point last year and if he can offer any insight as to how they might be thinking:
"I don't know. They're set on playing in the SEC Championship, but like I said, it's the Iron Bowl. Regardless of what goes on after this game, you want to be able to say that we won this year. This is basically the state championship. Who can say they won? Who can say who is the better team in the state this year? That's what we're thinking and I'm pretty sure they're thinking the same thing."
On how comfortable he feels alongside the younger defensive players:
"I feel very comfortable. At the beginning of the season we hit a couple of rough sides and bumps in the road going against Arkansas, having to come back in the fourth quarter and having some games that we came out and struggled a little bit in the first half. I feel like now, in the last couple of games, those freshmen and guys that didn't get to play that much last year have stepped up and mature a lot."
On how hungry he is to get back on the field for an Iron Bowl after having to sit last year's out:
"I'm very hungry. Last year the Auburn game was one of the ones that I was most interested in. Not being a part of that victory last year, I'm hoping to get out there and get one this year."
#37 Robert Lester Defensive Back
On how important it is to tackle Cameron Netwon the Auburn receivers on the edges:
"It's real important. We need to make sure we're buckling down and using the right technique to tackle him because he's a big guy. He'll be hard to bring down so we have to make sure that we're using the right technique to bring him down."
On how much the Iron Bowl means to him:
"I was born in California and wasn't really aware of the big rivalry between Alabama and Auburn. I spent six years in Alabama and as I grew up I learned a lot about it. Being from Foley, it's kind of like a Foley and Daphne type of rivalry so I'm ready to play in it."
On whether or not Cameron Newton is the best player he will have faced:
"He's a great player. I can't say that he's the best. We've faced a lot great opponents and he's going to be a player that we're looking forward to playing against. He's one of the best players and we're ready to play against the best."
On Auburn having a lot of playmakers on offense and not being a one-man team:
"Of course. I'm pretty sure other teams look at us and say we can't just focus in on stopping Mark Ingram because we have other weapons like Julio. We can't focus in on just stopping Cam Newton when they have other play makers as well."
On Auburn's passing game not getting as much attention because of Newton's ability to run:
"He's a quarterback. As a secondary we have to make sure that we look at the same keys that we would any other quarterback and see who his favorite receiver is and pick up on little things like that."
On how deceptive their offense is from what he's seen on tape:
"Technically we haven't really started on them. We start on them today. Those are some things that I will have to sit down and look at."
