Alabama Football vs. Wisconsin Postgame Quotes
9/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
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COACH SABAN: First of all, this is an outstanding event here, great venue to play in. Our players were really excited about coming here. You know, this stadium here, AT&T Stadium, Cowboys Stadium, is a magnificent place. Everything's done first class. And as an organization, the University of Alabama really appreciates all that you do and how you do it.
You know, a lot of good things in the game today. Thought we played well in the line of scrimmage. We kind of dominated the line of scrimmage, were able to stop their run. I thought we played really well defensively. Didn't get the turnovers like we wanted. Never got off the field always on third down like we wanted. But I thought our guys really competed and played hard, and I was really proud of the way we came out, especially in the second half on both sides of the ball and kind of dominated the game. I thought that was a big difference in the game.
Offensively, even though we started a little bit slow, that was kind of the plan, not to put a lot on the quarterback. Ran the ball four or five times. Then when we opened it up and created some balance. I thought Jake played really well. And, obviously, Derrick Henry had a nice game. I thought the offensive line did a pretty decent job. Wisconsin has got a very good defensive front. We had some shots at some explosive plays that we missed that were sort of 50/50 balls that you think you would get some of them or half of them or whatever, and we didn't always come down with it.
But I think the big thing about a first game is, okay, here's where we are. Here's the things we did well. Here's the things we need to improve on to get up to a standard. And that's certainly what we're going to focus on and try to get our team to continue to improve.
I was not particularly pleased with the way the second guys went in the game and played at the end of the game. We wanted to play a lot of players. They left their good players in, and I didn't think our guys played with the kind of poise and competitive character that is our standard and our expectation. But they'll certainly learn from that, and we'll get better and improve.
Q. How do you think Jake performed tonight, particularly as he went into the game? What did you think of the decision making as the game went on?
COACH SABAN: Did a really good job. I think he was 14 for 21 and about four of the balls were long balls that we had a chance on. Didn't turn it over. We need to protect a little bit better. Couple times we got sacked early in the game. Not really his fault. But I thought he did a nice job. I thought he was accurate with the ball. He didn't make any poor decisions. He didn't put the ball into coverage anywhere. Did a nice job of executing what we wanted him to do. It created balance for us on our offense, and that was really good.
Q. Coach, talk about the adjustments you and the staff made at halftime defensively. You seemed to do a much better job of covering them in the flats and against the pass in the second half.
COACH SABAN: You know, they had a really, really good plan. You never know what a team is going to do. They have a really good back who is a really good receiver. And they isolated him on the linebacker on about three third downs in the first half.
So we just have ways that we can put somebody else on the guy, and that's what we did. We peeled them from on the line of scrimmage and took them out of the game and made the quarterback throw the ball down the field. We got some batted balls. We got some pressure on the quarterback, got a couple sacks and played a lot better in the second half than we did the first when it came to third down.
Q. When did you make this decision? What was the liberation process like during the course of the week? And what did Jake do during the course of last week to earn this opportunity?
COACH SABAN: I made the decision on Thursday, not that it matters, to play both guys in the game. And I told both guys, We're not naming a starter; we're naming who is going to start in the game. Both of you guys have done extremely well throughout the course of fall camp. You both deserve an opportunity to play in the game. And that's the way we're going in it.
We don't have a plan for three series for one guy, three series for another. We're just going to go on field. And Jake was playing pretty well, so we stayed with it. Cooper got an opportunity. And I thought he did fine as well.
Q. When you are looking at Coker as far as what was the best thing you felt like he did tonight?
COACH SABAN: Moved the team, execute the offense, throw the ball where he was supposed to throw it, threw accurately, didn't make a lot of mental errors, didn't have a lot of communication problems.
Is that enough or do you need more?
Q. Is the plan going forward similar to what it was last week?
COACH SABAN: We don't have a plan yet. We have a 24 hour rule. We just won a big game against a good team, all right? And I'm really proud of the way our guys came here and competed in the game. You know, we'll look at the film and evaluate the things that we need to do to improve on. And we'll make a decision about who plays quarterback based on what's best for our team.
Q. How important was Derrick Henry tonight, especially, you know, you said you wanted to start a little slower in terms of not being too much pressure on the QB? How important was he to knowing that you could do that?
COACH SABAN: Well, Derrick Henry has had an outstanding camp. I think he's a fabulous player. He usually plays better as the game goes on in terms of workhorse type guy. And it was good to see him make some good runs out there. We think the guy can be a fantastic player for us, and we want to Kenyan Drake got some opportunities. We want to see Kenyan Drake do a little bit more too. And Damien Harris got to play mostly with the second offensive line, which didn't do a very good job in the game.
But they had their first group in there. So it was a good experience for those guys, and they will learn, and it will help our depth down the road.
Q. What did you see from Robert Foster tonight? I know you have mentioned looking for more consistency from him during the course of the past several months. Just how much has he come along in that area recently?
COACH SABAN: I think he and ArDarius Stewart both did a really good job in the game. We have a lot of confidence in those guys. They're very good players. I know they don't have a lot of experience, but they are both very talented guys. And I think for those guys to catch some balls tonight and make some plays is going to help their confidence tremendously.
The system that we're using, playing the receivers right and left, has really helped Robert because we can specifically let him know what he does, what he needs to do. So it makes it a little easier for him. He doesn't have to think quite as much and can play a lot faster. And I think that has helped him a lot. Our coaches have done a really good job of helping him be able to play well. And he certainly played well tonight.
Q. On the fourth and 1 with Henry, how were you with that? And, two, how did you feel like your secondary played? I know you saw a couple calls, like the 50 balls that maybe you didn't think were pass interference.
COACH SABAN: I don't really have much to say about the officials ever. They do the best job that they can.
We did some good things in the secondary. We made some mental errors. They had a very good plan against what we do. They are a very well coached team. And Paul is an NFL guy, so he has seen all the coverages that we play, and he had some real good beaters for things that we like to do. And we had to make some adjustments. And I thought the players adapted really well, and I think that's why we played a little better in the second half.
Q. O.J. got involved tonight. Can he given his skill set, his size, and athletic ability, can he kind of be a security blanket for whoever the quarterback is?
COACH SABAN: Well, I don't know about security blanket. I don't know that the quarterback needs a security blanket. But we think O.J. Howard is a really good player who can make plays down the field. He is a mismatch guy. Probably need to do a little better job of getting him the ball more, and I think we will. He's had a great camp, by far has been the most productive of any time since we've been here, the most confident. And he will make, I think, a lot of plays for us.
Q. Can you talk about Jake's distribution to different receivers and making them defend the entire field?
COACH SABAN: Well, he threw the ball to the guys that he was supposed to throw it to. He made the right reads based on the call that was made and based on the way Wisconsin was playing.
If you are playing split safeties, you are supposed to throw it to one side. If you are playing the middle of the field closed, you throw it to the other side. So it is not like
Jake went out there and said, I am going to throw the ball to a lot of different guys. He threw it to the guy that he was supposed to throw it to all the time in the game, which was a very good thing. He was accurate for the most part, and we were pleased with the way he played.
Q. What did you see from Adam Griffith in the kicking game? And, also, was his back bothering him at all?
COACH SABAN: I didn't talk to him about his back. I thought he hit the ball really well, kicked off really well. Except for the one, the kickoff coverage was really good and his ball placement and distance was very good. I thought both field goals that he missed he hit well; he just missed them. We have a lot of confidence in him. And, you know, the guy makes a lot of kicks, and I think he will make a lot of kicks for us this year.
