Nick Saban addresses “the good news” and “the bad news” following Alabama’s 26-20 win over Texas A&M
With 14 penalties and two turnovers, it wasn’t the cleanest day for the No. 11 Crimson Tide. But with career performances from Jalen Milroe and Jermaine Burton, Alabama improved to 5-1 and 3-0 in the SEC.
UA coach Nick Saban is set to address the media shortly. Follow along for live updates.
— “Want do you want to talk about first, the good news or the bad news?” a smiling Saban said to start his opening statement.
“Because we’ve got a little bit of both. But I could never be more proud of a group of guys for the way they competed in a game, the way we competed in the second half. But the message going into the game was, don’t give the other team anything.”
–”Jalen played extremely well,” Saban said while crediting the Tide for a “fantastic” second half. Saban said the issues Alabama had were self-inflicted, like two penalties and missed tackle that led to A&M’s late scoring drive.
— “I’m really excited about our team effort. … This was a great win for our team. It was a great win for the program.”
–Saban called the penalties and mental lapses “fixable.”
–Burton has “been bothered” by a foot injury, Saban said. The Tide felt if they could protect well enough they would have time for big plays down the field.
–Saban said Saturday might be his “record day” in terms of taking penalties and errors but still coming out with a win.
— “Just keep playing the next play,” Saban said of Milroe’s response after his interception.
–Saban said Caleb Downs’ interception “changed the momentum of the game” following Milroe’s turnover.
–Saban said defensive back Malachi Moore has a “twisted ankle” and James Burnip has a muscle strain.
–Saban said Darrian Dalcourt had a shoulder injury and struggled a bit, leading to Jaeden Roberts making his first start at right guard.
“Well, obviously we had a tough time running the ball, but they had lots of pressure, which we were able to take advantage of making explosive plays down the field. … I thought 77 went in and did a pretty good job.”
–Saban credited Jaylen Key and Terrion Arnold for adjusting after Moore’s injury altered the positioning in the Tide’s secondary.
–Saban said with mounting injuries, new players should have opportunities moving forward.
–If Alabama can clean up the mistakes, Saban said the 2023 Tide has a chance to be a “really good team.”
RELATED: 3 takeaways: Alabama rallies against Texas A&M with big plays, wins 26-20
Jermaine Burton’s career day against Texas A&M highlights Alabama’s potential
Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NAlvarez@al.com.
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