Alabama football coach Nick Saban spent the first half of Monday’s news conference balancing his appreciation for the Crimson Tide’s effort in their 35-17 thumping of Wisconsin on Saturday night with a desire for his players to learn from their mistakes.
Then it came.
Saban was asked if he had a way of creating a quarterback competition this week since his team was such a heavy favorite against Middle Tennessee State inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama is favored for a 69th consecutive game – and by 34 points – but such questions almost always send the ninth-year Tide coach into a tirade.
Tide, take three
* 1. Alabama is 2-0 lifetime against Middle Tennessee, escaping 39-34 in 2002 and prevailing 26-7 in 2005.* 2. The Crimson Tide have won 13 consecutive home openers since falling to UCLA 20-17 in the 2001 opener.* 3. Linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton’s six tackles against Wisconsin on Saturday night doubled his output from last season, when he was a true freshman.
“I don’t look at it like that at all,” Saban said calmly. “We’re going to do what’s best for our team in terms of getting ready for our game.”
Then he paused, and his voice level steadily began to rise.
“Here is the one thing everybody needs to keep in mind,” Saban said. “Everybody has good football players, and everybody needs to respect the opponent. I don’t care if we’re favored in a game or not favored. The most important thing for our players is to focus on what they need to do to play their best.
“We took one step up on the climb, and we need to improve significantly. This is the next opportunity for us to get better, so we’re not trying to create anything based on who we’re playing, because we respect who we’re playing, and I suggest everybody else does, too.”
The Blue Raiders opened their season last weekend with a 70-14 humbling of Jackson State in Murfreesboro. MTSU racked up 605 yards, with redshirt freshman quarterback Brent Stockstill completing 23 of 29 passes for 336 yards and four touchdowns.
Stockstill is the son of 10th-year MTSU coach Rick Stockstill, who has taken the Blue Raiders to four bowl games and has had them eligible six times, including last season with a 6-6 record. MTSU went 10-3 in 2009 and pulled a 21-point surprise rout of Georgia Tech in Atlanta in 2012.
“Rick Stockstill has been there for a while, and they do a great job,” Saban said. “They go fast on offense and have good concepts and schemes in what they do. They have a good quarterback and lots of good players returning on both sides of the ball.
“This is a game that will be a challenge for us.”
Eight Alabama players were recognized Monday by the coaching staff for their efforts against the Badgers. Tailback Derrick Henry, center Ryan Kelly and tight end O.J. Howard were the honorees on offense, while linebacker Reggie Ragland and defensive ends Jonathan Allen and Jarran Reed represented the defense.
Tony Brown and Cyrus Jones were recognized on special teams.
One player who wasn’t going to get rewarded was sophomore punter JK Scott, who averaged just 36.8 yards on four attempts and had a 20-yard shank before halftime. Scott led the nation last season by averaging 48.0 yards per punt and was named a first-team All-American by The Sporting News, ESPN and USA Today.
“There have been some inconsistencies in his drop, which was the problem with the poor kick on Saturday,” Saban said. “He dropped the ball outside, but when he drops it correctly and hits it with a nice, smooth pace, he’s pretty consistent and kicks it really, really well. We have a lot of confidence in him.”
Tide tidbits
Senior safety Jabriel Washington sat out the opener with a sprained knee and will miss a couple more games, Saban said. The Crimson Tide worked out Monday for 90 minutes in shoulder pads and shorts.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.