📡 Nick Saban talks QB decision, admits regret over ESPN interview

[BAMANEWSBOT]

Nick Saban addressed the media as Alabama begins preparations for its first home game of the season against Arkansas State. Here is a summary of what he said:

-- Saban bemoaned some of the mental errors Alabama made in the 37-point victory over Louisville on Saturday, noting the penalties and pass-protection issues. Saban then added Alabama made a lot of explosive plays.
-- Saban said Tua Tagovailoa is the starter for this game and that Jalen Hurts can be used in spot duty going forward.
-- Saban said he doesn't want any player to be vilified and likened the players on the team to his children, saying that while some may do things better than others it doesn't mean any one of them needs to be demeaned.
-- Saban said he won't evaluate the coaches publicly after he was asked about defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi's debut.
-- Saban said he could have handled the interview with ESPN's Maria Taylor better. Saban said he prays every Sunday he never gets angry. But he also acknowledged he was triggered by what happened at the end of the game, when Alabama conceded a late touchdown.
-- Saban said Tua Tagovailoa is instinctive and got the ball to the right place most of the time against Louisville.
-- Saban complimented the performance of safety Deionte Thompson.
-- Saban said he thought defensive lineman Quinnen Williams was the most active player up front.
-- Saban said the redshirt rule hasn't factored into his decision on how to use Jalen Hurts going forward. He said a player has to commit to the team and can't really choose when he wants to play or not.
-- Saban said he chose the quarterback that gave Alabama the best chance to win.

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

Josh McMillion and Christian Miller should be recovery from that azz chewing by game time on Saturday.....I will assume

 

[TUSKtimes]

Josh McMillion and Christian Miller should be recovery from that azz chewing by game time on Saturday.....I will assume

I doubt it, both cost Bama 14 points and the most electrifying play of the game. Over/under on how many time they hear about it this week in practice?

 

[Tidestalker]

Holy crap, the 2:55 mark. Saban gets about as uncomfortable as I've ever seen him lol.

 

[planomateo]

That's definitely an interesting look for him.

I'm really not a fan of the video background, they need to figured out some colors that standout a bit more from whatever CNS is wearing.

 

[TerryP]

I'm really not a fan of the video background,

It's another part of the "arms race." UGA is using a banner that you or I could buy at the local UPS store--complete with eyelets to hang it up.

Hey, at least the Coke display is full, right?

 

[TerryP]

@planomateo, UArk has added a fan viewing area...

 

[18Champs]

TUSCALOOSA – Following his top-ranked Tide’s dominating win over Louisville, Alabama Coach Nick Saban spoke to the state’s media Monday. Here are snippets of that talk.
Opening statement:
“The quarterbacks did a good job but we had way too many penalties as a team.
“We have a couple of guys that probably won’t practice today with some minor things. We should probably have everybody back tomorrow.
“We look forward to playing at home this week. Our players love playing at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The most important thing we’re focused on is showing improvement.
“I think everybody knows Tua is going to start, and we will use Jalen’s skill set in the future however we feel that he can benefit the team. I want to be clear with everyone that I have done this in the past where we don’t say who is going to be the starter in the first game but we give both quarterbacks the opportunity to play in the game. Now you know. You want to support and help both to be successful. That’s exactly how I feel about our players.
“Arkansas State has a really good program and they have a very good quarterback and a lot of firepower on offense. They’re going to probably go as fast as they can and a lot of people get the ball for them. (Red Wolves quarterback Justice Hansen was Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for a school record six TD’s in a win over Southeast Missouri State. He finished with 454 yards of total offense.)
“They have a spread scheme and this will be a very challenging preparation for our defensive players.
“I don’t think this is a time for complacency.”
On Tosh Lupoi’s play calling and adjustments:
“I’m not going to evaluate our coaches publicly. We do everything together around here. When we did things correctly on defense relative to what we called, we did very well. They were a difficult preparation because of their adjustments. I was encouraged by the effort, toughness and resiliency the players showed in competing. The mistakes, we can fix.”
Any regrets about postgame interview with Maria Taylor: “I talked to (Maria). I could have handled it a little better. I need to learn a better way to respond and I will in the future. I pray every Sunday that I never get angry. It was totally my responsibility and we apologized for it.”
On the SEC’s opening weekend:
“I think the league’s very strong this year. I thought that going in before watching any games. Some people have more depth than others. It’s a long season and there’s some good teams in our league. Everyone in our division has a chance to have a good team.
“There’s some good teams in our league and some good quarterbacks.”
On involving different playmakers on offense and if that’s Tua's strength:
“The offense is geared not to a specific player getting the ball but on what the defense does. Tua is instinctive and made good decisions in the game and got the ball in the right place most of the time. When you have a lot of guys who can make plays, you want to get them involved.”
On Deionte Thompson:
“Deionte did a good job breaking on the ball on several occasions. He did a great job on an interception when they were making a drive. That was a huge play in the game.
“We need to improve our tackling and that’s going to be a big focus for us this week.”
On Quinnen Williams:
“He was a player of the week, so I’d say we thought he played pretty well. He was the most active player up front and did a good job pass rushing and playing his gaps. That was no surprise to anyone. He played well in the spring and during fall camp.”
On Jalen Hurts' maybe redshirting under new rule:
“Not from my standpoint. You’ve got to get somebody ready to play for a game, not pick and choose. I don’t know how a player can pick and choose when he wants to play and have any respect from his teammates. I haven’t really thought about it.”
On Mack Wilson's calling the defense:
“Mack did a good job. He played well and had a good game. He adjusted to a lot of multiples, for the first time being in that position.”
On factors that led to Tua's starting and what Saban said to Jalen Hurts:
“We make all our decisions here based on winning. I’m not going to... it’s how you practice, how you prepare and who wins the team. In our opinion, one player did a little better job in that, so he got the opportunity to start. We are going to continue to look at both guys.”