Third Down Proves Key For Alabama

Here's a look at what Alabama coach Nick Saban had to say following the 42-28 home win over LSU.

Opening statement:

"That was a great team win. And we knew that it would be a tough game. They've got a great offensive team, obviously a great quarterback who's really hard to contain. But I think our offense did a fantastic job in this game. I'm so proud of our team. Our offense controlled the tempo of the game, especially in the second half, and I think that was the difference in the game. The key to it was being 11-of-14 on third down, and being able to keep the ball away from [LSU].

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"This was probably our most complete game. Our guys fought, they competed, I'm really proud of them, and we needed to play a game like that. Even when we got ahead by 14 points, we controlled, took seven minutes off the clock, got back out on defense and got a stop. So, really, a great win for us.

"This team has created an opportunity where they've got to make a choice. We've had two big games in a row here, and we've got two SEC games left and another game, so, they've got to make a choice about taking care of business in the future. Because we can create an opportunity for ourselves and maybe win the west and get into the SEC championship game, and who knows what happens from there."

On Bama's 288-yard rushing performance:

"Well, the offensive line did a fantastic job, they got really good movement. The backs really pressed the holes and did a really good job. I think we had a really good plan to run the ball, and get the ball on the perimeter some. Some with Jalen [Milroe], some with other guys. The combination of those things, I think, helps your inside running game as well. So, that all came down to execution and I thought this was the best execution we had from an efficiency standpoint all year."

On the coaching job to get Alabama to this point:

"I think the credit goes to the coaching staff and the players. This group of guys has shown tremendous resiliency to keep working to improve. I think they trust the coaches and respect what we're trying to do to make them better players. Its resulted in a team that's consistently improved throughout the year, and we've just got to keep doing that. We got a lot of guys nicked up today, but hopefully it'll be an opportunity for somebody else to step up."

On injuries to Jaylen Key and Deontae Lawson:

"One guy [Key] has an ankle and one guy [Lawson] has a quad. I don't know how bad the injuries are until they do MRIs and stuff like that, so I can't tell you more than that."

On Jalen Milroe's scrambling ability:

"Some of the pass plays are just getting [Milroe] to step up into the pocket and if it opens up, he has the option to run or throw. And we do have some quarterback runs on the perimeter that he did a good job of executing and we did a good job of blocking on the perimeter, so it's a combination of both. It can create some issues for you on defense, so hopefully we can keep doing that."

On the halftime message to his team:

"Well, I think that when you're playing in a game like this, you've got to encourage the defense to keep playing. The best success we had was rushing five, it kept [Daniels] in the pocket and pressed him up a bit. The message we told them at halftime was, 'We've got to be more aggressive, we're gonna have to play man-to-man and push the pocket on [Daniels].' We did a pretty good job of that."

On Milroe's growth throughout the season:

"Well, it's obvious that [Milroe] is much more comfortable as a passer. He's reading things more quickly and getting the ball to the right guy. He's making really good decisions when he has to improvise. And those things we want to continue to help him grow and develop, but I think he's learned to play the next play. I think that early in the year, he'd get frustrated if he made a bad throw, but now he's playing the next play. He's bought into that, and I think it's helped him be more consistent."

On the mental toughness of the defense:

"I think that the defensive players did a great job of responding. I think that our team has shown tremendous resiliency all year long, and they've always been able to make plays in the critical time of the game when they need to. So, this is because of leadership, but it's because of the competitive spirit of the team as well."

On the improvement of the offensive line:

"We've done some things, protection-wise, to try to protect the tackles a bit. I think [Milroe] stepping up in the pocket helps the tackles a bit, but I think we did a really good job in pass protection. That's the key to the drill -- giving the quarterback time to make the kind of decisions he can make."

Note: It was revealed postgame that when Terrion Arnold picked off the Daniels pass batted in the air by Dallas Turner, the crowd at Bryant-Denny broke the stadium decibel record by hitting 113. Saban thanked the fans for that, and how their support and noise caused many of LSU's eight penalties for 60 yards.