TUSCALOOSA – Alabama coach Nick Saban was shaking his head in the aftermath of Saturday night’s 24-7 victory over Mississippi State.
“I saw some stuff out there tonight that I had never seen before – and I’ve been coaching for 40 years,” Saban said, referring to several formations the Bulldogs presented the Tide’s touted defense.
He backed off that comment at his Monday press conference.
“Well, that was a little bit of an overstatement,” Saban said, smiling sheepishly. “I have seen some of those, but we weren’t ready for it this game. Basically, it was formations when they took the linemen and moved them out to be receivers. I have seen that before.
“We do have a whole set of adjustments you go through. We just hadn’t gone through them in a while and hadn’t gone through them for this team. It has been a long time since I’ve seen that stuff.”
Georgia Southern will also be a throwback opponent Saturday afternoon in Alabama’s final game of this season at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Eagles (9-1, 7-1 SoCon) run a triple-option offense that is very similar to Georgia Tech’s attack. They have clinched the Southern Conference championship and are ranked third in the country in this week’s FCS poll.
Asked when he last faced the triple option, Saban thought a moment and concluded, “A long time.”
“We played Army (and) they used to run the wishbone, when I was at Michigan State as defensive coordinator in the ’80s,” Saban said. “We played Navy when I was the head coach at Toledo. That might be the last time.”
As spread offenses continue to grow at the high school level, even players haven’t seen much of the triple option.
“Watching film, it looks different to play against, but it’s all about guys going out and doing their keys and doing their job,” senior nose tackle Josh Chapman said. “You’re going to get a lot of cut blocks, and lot of different blocking schemes. … It’s about everybody going out and doing their job.”
Saban said this is a big week of preparation for his defense.
“How you play the blocks, who takes what on the option up front, how the linebackers and front fit together,” he said, listing several keys. “But then how the secondary rotates and where the run force comes from and the discipline you’ve got to have on the edges when they get the ball outside and pitch the ball.”
Cornerback DeQuan Menzie said he faced an option team in high school, “and it was very difficult.”
“You’ve got to look at the right stuff and if you don’t, it’s going to be real bad,” the senior said.
He had a couple of those feelings Saturday night, when Mississippi State linemen shifted to the wide side of the field, almost a reverse swinging gate as teams line up to kick extra points.
“I was really confused, looking at the sideline and (defensive coordinator) Kirby (Smart) couldn’t give you the call,” Menzie said. “We were just looking crazy on the field, but we executed well, though.”
Saban said a quick huddle on the sideline and a more extensive session at halftime calmed them down.
“When players see things they’re not sure about, sometimes it can affect them,” the coach said. “… We played through it, adjusted to it. Then they did it a different way in the second half.”
Saban noted a wrinkle like that last season would have been an adventure for his defense.
“Our guys respond well to that stuff a lot better this year than they did a year ago because they’ve got a lot more knowledge and experience. They don’t panic too much.”
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