Football Heads to Auburn for Annual Iron Bowl Matchup with the Tigers
11/20/2017 5:44:00 PM | Football
The Tide begins preparations for this weekend’s top-10 matchup with the Tigers
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama football team returned to full practice, putting in a 75-minute session in shorts and helmets on Monday afternoon outdoors on the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields.
The Crimson Tide will be faced with the task of stopping a Tiger rushing attack that ranks fourth in the SEC with an average of 244.0 yards per game. Not to be overlooked is Auburn's defensive front, which ranks third in the conference in rush defense. The annual Iron Bowl contest between the two in-state rivals is scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will air live on CBS with the trio of Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson and Allie LaForce calling the action.
Alabama and Auburn will square off for the 82nd Iron Bowl matchup on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Crimson Tide holds a 45-35-1 advantage in a series that dates back to 1893. Alabama has had the upper hand in recent meetings, claiming seven of the last nine matchups with four of those wins leading to a Crimson Tide national championship, including a 29-13 victory in the Tide's last trip to Auburn in 2015.
Nick Saban met with the media on Monday afternoon. Following is his opening statement:
"I don't think many people are interested in talking about the last game, but as I said afterwards, we played to a standard in the game, which is what we wanted our players to do. We wanted to play well for the seniors, which is what I think everybody responded to and did. We got an opportunity to play a lot of players and that will certainly help the development of those players and maybe add to their ability to play winning football on a consistent basis if needed in the future.
"You guys got the players of the week and obviously J.C. Hassenauer being the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week is great for him. From an injury standpoint, Minkah (Fitzpatrick) will practice. Andy (Pappanastos) will be day-to-day. Terrell Lewis and Christian Miller are in the functional phase of rehab and are not cleared medically to play. Mack Wilson has not practiced yet and has not been medically cleared to play, so whatever is out there, I'm giving you the facts from here. I'm not saying that those guys are out for the game and I'm not able to say whether they'll be able to play in the game.
"The most important thing in games like this is that players can stay focused on the things they need to do to prepare. Stay focused on what's happening now so you can utilize each day in preparation and practice so that you can have the poise to execute in what's going to be a big game. It's going to be an emotional game and there are going to be a lot of people talking about it, but we need to focus on what we need to do to prepare in the game.
"The Iron Bowl is a tremendous rivalry game and there's a lot of passion on both sides. Lots of people are interested in it and it's got lots of ramifications this year. As a competitor, this is always a game you look forward to having the opportunity to play in. Our team has put themselves in a position where they have an opportunity to accomplish something in terms of taking the next step that we need to take to be able to have a chance to win the West or have an opportunity to play in the SEC Championship Game.
"Gus (Malzahn) has done a phenomenal job, in my opinion. His team has improved throughout the course of the year and is playing as well as anybody in the country right now; all you've got to do is look at statistical information. They're ranked very highly in offense; they're ranked very highly in defense; and they've got some real special people on special teams, including the kicker Daniel Carson, who is weapon himself. They're very disciplined and they don't get a lot of penalties. Jarrett Stidham, their quarterback, has made a lot of explosive plays. Not only do you have to stop their running game with Kerryon Johnson, but also vertically down the field, the way they've been able to attack people and make explosive plays with their receivers is very complimentary to the balance that they create on offense. This is all around an outstanding team and obviously one of the top-ranked teams in the country for good reason because that's how they play."
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaFTBL on Twitter and Facebook and AlabamaFBL on Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
