Saban not just a football man, also a football fan

September 10, 2007

By Ken Rogers

Nick Saban is a football coach, and a football fan.
Alabama’s head coach sent notes to several Dolphins players who played for him in Miami before that team opened its NFL season this weekend.
The coach said he didn’t watch Miami’s 16-13 loss to the Washington Redskins. But Saban remains loyal to players who gave great effort while he was in Miami.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to watch the game. I was here all day preparing for our game. But I have a tremendous amount of respect, gratitude — whatever you want to call it — for the hard work that the guys that are still on the team there and on other teams did while I was there,” Saban said. “I just wanted to wish them the best of luck in this season out of respect for them and also wish their families well. That’s the reason I did it. It didn’t come about for any other reason than that, other than I would like to see them do well.”
The Miami Herald reported on the notes sent to players. Former Auburn star Ronnie Brown jokingly put an X through the Alabama logo and scratched out the “University of Alabama” on the stationery.
Saban also shared his thoughts about another football situation — the horrendous start that Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr will try to overcome.
“Lloyd Carr is a good coach, a good friend and a good man,” said Saban, a former Michigan State head coach and Ohio State assistant. “We’re hopeful that — and I have a lot of faith, trust and confidence that their team is going to get turned around and do well. I have a lot of respect for Michigan and you’re talking to a guy that coached at Michigan State — and that’s a tough rivalry — and at Ohio State for two years, where we weren’t even allowed to buy gas in Michigan. So I don’t know
if I’m the right guy to ask that, but it’s a great school, an outstanding program with great tradition.
“Bo Schembechler was always a big part of that tradition, just like Bear Bryant is a big part of the tradition that we have here. Bo was always a good friend to me. I remember his wife, Millie, died I think of cancer and he used to have a fund-raiser for years when I was at Michigan State and he invited me to play, when I was the head coach at Michigan State. There were a
lot of people there, but I was the only one from Michigan State. I always thought that was a class thing that he did and I always enjoyed doing it.
“It’s one of those things where you don’t have to be at odds with the other guy that you have to compete against, that you can’t do things to help people in this profession. I’ll always have a lot of respect for Bo, as a coach and also as a person.”

Tide rolls to halftime with lead

September 08, 2007

By Ken Rogers

Two high-powered, experienced offenses have run into SEC defenses in Nashville. Alabama has harassed Chris Nickson throughout the first half. Nickson is just 5-of-17 for 67 yards. He was intercepted by Rashad Johnson late in the first quarter. His longest completion was 17 yards, once to star receiver Earl Bennett, once to former Charles Henderson receiver Justin Green, who is playing tight end for Vandy.
Tide QB John Parker Wilson is 10-for-21 with an interception. He floated a couple passes near the sideline and threw into double coverage a few times. Still, Alabama is controlling the line of scrimmage. It has 13 first downs to Vandy’s 4, and 200 yards in the first half to Vandy’s 111.
After Terry Grant’s 1-yard TD run, Leigh Tiffin has kicked field goals of 20, 40 and 29 yards.

First quarter goes to Bama

By Ken Rogers

Alabama didn’t need any help, but Vanderbilt gave the Tide some aid in the first quarter.
Two big Vanderbilt penalties wiped out potential big plays as Alabama jumped to a 10-3 advantage.
Just as it did in last week’s win over Western Carolina, Alabama scored on its first play from scrimmage. Javier Arenas returned a punt 69 yards to the 1 yard line. Terry Grant scored on the next play. Last week, he scored on a 47-yard run after Arenas returned the opening kickoff into WCU territory.
Bama appears to be controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Chris Nickson has been under pressure for most of his attempts, and that doesn’t bode well for the second half.
Still, Vandy has stayed close, and they’ve got enough athletes to make big plays.

Countdown to Tide kickoff

By Ken Rogers

We’re 25 minutes away from kickoff and there is more red in the stands at Vanderbilt Stadium than gold or black.
Maybe Tide fans just wanted to take their seats early, or watch the early groups warm up. Either way, Tide Nation is here in force.
It’s kind of appropriate, actually, but rare: Vanderbilt is wearing road white jerseys and Bama will play in its home crimson today. Haven’t heard an explanation, other than Vandy made a special request. Usually, the Commodores wear gold or black jerseys at home. Don’t recall them wearing white at home.

Tide secondary must stay on the same page

September 05, 2007

By Ken Rogers

Want to know what really sets Nick Saban off? What inspires a real — as he calls it — “eruption?”
It’s communication — or lack of it on the football field. Alabama free safety Rashad Johnson earned praise for keeping the Crimson Tide secondary in sync throughout most of last week’s season-opening victory over Western Carolina.
But the stakes — and the opponent — increase dramatically when the Tide opens SEC play against Vanderbilt in Nashville.
Keeping the Tide secondary on the same page against the pass-run option style of quarterback Chris Nickson will be a huge challenge. Whether it’s a series of hand signals or just screaming at each other, Johnson’s job won’t be any easier.
Saban says there are no excuses, either.
“If you talk to the defensive players and ask them what really makes coach Saban mad, the answer to that was to ever say that you didn’t get the call,” said Saban, who personally coaches secondary personnel. “That’s like ... an eruption. ‘I didn’t’ get the call.’ How could line up if you didn’t get the call? Somebody’s making the call, so that means you’re not listening for it, didn’t hear it. You can always say, ‘Excuse me? What’d you say? Give me the call.’ But don’t tell me you didn’t get it. You’re responsible to get it. So I’m really adamant about communication, because when you don’t have it you have busts.”
Vanderbilt is good enough, particularly with Nickson throwing to Earl Bennett, to break big plays on its own. Saban just doesn’t want the Tide secondary helping out.
Alabama players have gotten that message. Johnson visibly winces when asked if he ever says he didn’t get the call.
“If a guy doesn’t get the call, it might be better if he says, ‘I messed up,’ instead of ‘I didn’t get the call,’” Johnson said, a smile replacing the grimace. “Right then, he’s throwing another guy under the bus. If they didn’t get the call, guys pretty much know now to say, ‘I just messed up’ instead of ‘I didn’t get the call.’”
Simeon Castille didn’t have to learn that lesson first-hand.
“I don’t try that excuse. That doesn’t fly with him at all,” Castille said, referring to the head coach. “That’s why I try to learn the calls and try to get them myself, so I don’t have to ask anybody else.”
Vanderbilt could borrow a page from Western Carolina’s no-huddle attack, which had what little success it enjoyed when it quick-snapped the ball.
“It was kind of hard for us last Saturday because they were taking a long time before showing us what personnel were going to be in,” Castille said. “That slowed us before we went into nickel or dime. Then sometimes they were quick-snapping it.”
Johnson said it was more difficult early in the game.
“It was tough. You had to get the signals and the crowd was very loud,” Johnson said of the opener. “We’re kind of defense that makes checks off the offense. Lot of verbal communication. It was tough at the beginning, but we all relaxed and got better at it. At first it was a lot of yelling. Hand signals went out the window with all the nerves. But as the game went on it got easier.”
Castille said using hand signals may be easier on the road.
“I would prefer it,” the senior cornerback said. “When that crowd starts yelling you can’t hear nothing. So hand signals would be easier. It’ll get easier. We’ll practice it more and everybody will be more familiar with the calls, instead of having to ask, ‘What’s the play, what’s the play?’”