What we learned: Alabama overcomes distractions to down Georgia
The past few days have been a doozy. After testing positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, Nick Saban recorded negative tests in three consecutive days before finally being cleared Saturday morning to coach against Georgia.
Following the No. 2 Crimson Tide’s 41-24 victory over the No. 3 Bulldogs, the head coach described the saga as “very emotional.” Although, he wasn’t the only one swept up in the drama. Alabama players weren’t completely sure Saban would be joining them on the sideline Saturday until hours before the matchup.
“It was pretty crazy,” quarterback Mac Jones said. “We were in our little quarterback meeting and he just showed up. I looked over and Coach Saban was walking in. From that perspective, we were fired up.”
Added linebacker Dylan Moses: “We were confident when we saw him walk into our meeting before our walk-through. The energy definitely went up and our confidence level went through the roof.”
Alabama rode that confidence against Georgia as its offense continued to roll while its defense rebounded to shut out the Bulldogs in the second half. That spirited display wasn’t lost on the head coach, who said he had “a lot of gratitude,” for the way his team overcame distractions.
“They really stayed focused,” Saban said. “I was able to keep good communication with them. I think they responded with a lot of maturity, not to let this bother them. The norm now is disruption, it’s the norm. We knew that coming into the season and I am really pleased with the way the players managed the disruption of this week.”
Saban provides injury update
Saban was so swept up in getting cleared for the game, he admits he forgot to provide an injury update. Earlier this week, starting defensive lineman LaBryan Ray sprained his elbow during practice, an injury that kept him out of Saturday’s game. Ray was seen in sweatpants with a sizeable wrap on his left elbow.
Premium subscribers continue reading here
Not yet a premium subscriber of BamaInsider.com?
