'I wish I could've done more': Alabama head coach Nick Saban on the Crimson Tides' Rose Bowl loss
Updated: 9:32 PM CST Jan 1, 2024
And I really, really proud of this group. And, um, you know, I just wish that I could have done more as *** coach to, you know, help them be successful and help them finish and all we can do now is learn from the lessons that, uh, sometimes failings bring to us. Thanks coach, we'll start with *** question here in the front coach, Saban. Um LTO the TD four TV. One. My first question to you is what does this mean to have the opportunity first of all, to play in the Rose Bowl game? The granddaddy of them all to you as *** coach first. Yeah, I was right. You know, I grew up in the big 10 coach in the big 10 for 12 years and it was when the big 10 championship and go to the Rose Bowl that was always special and, uh, we've had several opportunities to do it. Um, but this is *** great atmosphere here today. It was *** great football game. Um, congratulations to Michigan. They played *** really good game and, um, I just wish that we could have finished, you know, *** little better, but it was *** great experience here for our players and we really appreciate all the Rose Bowl folks, you know, as *** coach, you're always trying to get your team to improve and be the best that they can be. And I think this team probably improved from, uh, the South Florida game and the Texas game early in the season as much as any team I've ever coached. And that takes *** lot of hard work. *** lot of people being very committed to doing things that they need to do to self assess and improve their game. And uh all these players bought in on this team and did it um in first-class fashion. So, uh that's why I think for me as *** coach, maybe not for everybody else. If it's one of the teams that I always remember most and be the most proud of. My next question will be from the blue jacket in the middle there. This was for Jen Miller Ryan and the CW BT M in Birmingham. Coach said, you know, he wished he could have done more, but many people are saying this is one of his best year coaching. What does coach Saban mean to you and this team mean to you in general this year, 100% you know, coach coach means *** lot to us. We play even harder, um knowing that the coach has the belief system in us, um you know, just listening to him talk and he talks about, you know, how proud he is of this team. You know, we have *** lot of things we can be proud of from this season. You know, um we could have easily lingered and past mistakes, we could have easily uh went in the tank when things weren't good. But the biggest thing we did was continue to improve, continue to have singular focus in our approach when it came to preparation and when it came to uh attacking the task at hand. Um So, you know, there's *** lot of things to be proud of, but one thing I am proud of is how uh how much coach Saban, you know, harped on his belief system among us. Our next question comes from the gentleman on the jacket there. This is Johnny Conn at ABC 3340 in Birmingham. Uh coach say, and this is for you uh in the first half. Um they were sending blitzes and pressures and I think they got you four or five times in the first half uh from *** communications standpoint, what was breaking down in the first half? Well, not one particular thing. Um There was *** couple of times when we could have redirected the protection, uh which we kind of put on the old line uh to *** large degree and we didn't do it *** couple of times, the shot clock was running down and we didn't get *** chance to do it. And *** couple of times we didn't fan and mis execute it upfront in terms of getting the right guys blocked when we were in the right protection. So it was *** combination of several things. I thought we did *** better job in the second half. Um, but, you know, we didn't give Jaden an opportunity to make some plays nor our receivers part of this game. Our next question will come from the front here. Coach Saban, could you talk about the last play? And what made that one the best one that, that you wanted to go with? Uh, we call three plays. Um, one, they called time out one. We called time out and the last one that didn't work. So the fact that it didn't work made it *** really bad call, you know what I mean? So, um but we called time out because we had *** bad look. We had *** good look on the first one. They must have known it. Um But Tommy just felt like the best thing that we could do, um, was have *** quarterback run, uh, which was kind of our two point play, one of our two point plays for this game and the ball was on the three yard line, which is just like *** two point play. So, but we didn't get it blocked, so it didn't work, we didn't execute it very well and it didn't work and they pressured and we thought they would pressure. Um, but we thought we could cap them and block, block them and make it work and it didn't. Next question comes from the right here. Hi, Jay Mark Myers *** P radio. How did you see that last play unfold? And, and why didn't it work from your perspective? Now, first thing I'm appreciative of my coaching staff, uh, for believing in me to have the ball in my hands in that last play. Um, you win some, you lose some. It's all part of the game, you know, uh with anything, you know, all, all it came down was fall back to your level of training and we just failed on that play. That's all it was, you know, because at the end of the day, I just trusted the guys up front for believing me on the last play to have the ball. And unfortunately, we just, we just missed and we just didn't get in the end zone. We have time for two more questions. We have one right here in the blue jacket for Jalen Mi *** 247. How much of you and Seth worked on that quarterback center exchange this year and, and why your mind wasn't still an issue at this point in the year with anything it takes preparation, whether it's pass protection, whether it's one running game, the passing game, um, you know, the quarterback in the center have to have *** great relationship and that's something that we try to build, um, throughout the whole season. Um So, you know, there's *** multitude of things that me and Seth talk about and, uh, in that regard, you know, that's something we do talk about. Our last question will come here from the front. Uh, Chase Goodrow with the Tuscaloosa news for coach Saban special teams was an area where you all seem to have *** pretty big advantage tonight. It was *** big reason. I think you were only down three at the half time. Can you just speak to special teams tonight? I think special teams did *** good job the night we did *** good job of controlling field position. Uh I think both specialists, uh, did *** really, really good job. James did *** great job of punting. Uh, they had time to maybe go two minutes at the end of the game and the fact that he kicked the ball with the two yard line or one yard line or whatever, uh, was really, really good will made some huge kicks. Uh, what, 250 around 50 yard field goals. Um, so they missed *** field goal which put us in great position to have *** chance to be successful at the end of the game, but, uh, us not finishing *** couple of drives. And if you really analyze the game, one of the biggest things is, is we didn't play well enough on defense when we needed to. And the second thing is, is we had too many drives stopping plays on offense. I mean, we shot ourselves in the foot sacked as *** drives stopping play, getting *** penalty usually is *** drives stopping play. So, um, some of those things we self-inflicted and, you know, I told the players after the game, I told them before the game, it's gonna be about what we do and when you look back at it, it's, it's kind of about what we did and what we didn't do. Um, not taking anything away from Michigan. They played *** great game. They got *** good team, the rare world coached and, uh, I wish them the best of luck in the future, but, you know, we could have done things *** little better as well and that's on me, on the coaches. It's not anybody else. Thank you, coach. We appreciate it. All right. Thank you. I appreciate what the media has done all year long. Uh, it's great that you give *** lot of positive, uh, self-gratification to *** lot of players who work really, really hard and, uh, create *** lot of interest in our sport. Thank you for that.
'I wish I could've done more': Alabama head coach Nick Saban on the Crimson Tides' Rose Bowl loss
Updated: 9:32 PM CST Jan 1, 2024
Alabama head coach Nick Saban spoke to the media Monday night following the Crimson Tide's 27-20 loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the 2024 Rose Bowl."I'm really, really proud of this group," said Saban. "And, um, you know, I just wish that I could have done more as a coach to, you know, help them be successful and help them finish. And all we can do now is learn from the lessons that sometimes failing bring to us."The long-time Alabama head coach was joined by quarterback Jalen Milroe, who was greatly appreciative of Saban's support throughout the season."You know, coach means a lot to us," said Milroe. "We play even harder knowing that the coach has the belief system in us, you know, just listening to him talk and he talks about, you know, how proud he was of this team."Coach Saban was quick to praise Michigan's performance and accepted full responsibility for the game's outcome, as he often does in the face of a loss."They played a great game," said Saban. "They've got a good team. They're really well-coached and I wish them the best of luck in the future. But, you know, we could have done things a little better as well. And that's on me, on the coaches. It's not on anybody else."Watch the full conference in the video player above. Stay updated on the latest sports updates with the 米兰体育 13 app. You can download it here.
PASADENA, Calif. — Alabama head coach Nick Saban spoke to the media Monday night following the Crimson Tide's 27-20 loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the 2024 Rose Bowl.
"I'm really, really proud of this group," said Saban. "And, um, you know, I just wish that I could have done more as a coach to, you know, help them be successful and help them finish. And all we can do now is learn from the lessons that sometimes failing bring to us."
The long-time Alabama head coach was joined by quarterback Jalen Milroe, who was greatly appreciative of Saban's support throughout the season.
"You know, coach means a lot to us," said Milroe. "We play even harder knowing that the coach has the belief system in us, you know, just listening to him talk and he talks about, you know, how proud he was of this team."
Coach Saban was quick to praise Michigan's performance and accepted full responsibility for the game's outcome, as he often does in the face of a loss.
"They played a great game," said Saban. "They've got a good team. They're really well-coached and I wish them the best of luck in the future. But, you know, we could have done things a little better as well. And that's on me, on the coaches. It's not on anybody else."
Watch the full conference in the video player above.
Stay updated on the latest sports updates with the 米兰体育 13 app. You can download it here.