How to watch: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Alabama Crimson Tide

Team to prove that you have the energy focus and enthusiasm, not just to win *** game but to beat the other team. And there is *** difference in that. And I think that difference, you know, primarily is the way you compete, the way you, the way you play, the relentless competitive attitude that you have for 60 minutes in *** game to play to *** standard, your standard, not let the scoreboard or anything else determine what your performance level is. And, you know, that's something that I think this team has to prove, you know, that it can do, you know, Middle Tennessee is, um, you know, they won eight games last year, they beat *** top 25 team in Miami. Um They won *** bowl game against San Diego State. You know, Rick Stocks has been there for *** long time. He's done *** really good job. They got *** great offensive scheme in terms of how they do things and problems that they create. So it's going to be challenging from our players from that standpoint. They are *** very aggressive defensive team, *** lot of stunts, *** lot of blitzes, *** lot of negative plays. So it's *** very challenging preparation for our offensive team and they're sound and solid and do *** great job on special teams. So this is *** challenging team for us to play. But again, you know, we're concerned about how do we establish an identity for our team in terms of how we compete and how we play regardless of, you know, who we might play. I know that um you know, your number one focus is not on the game. Uh It's on the depth chart and look, there's *** lot of competition on the team. Uh And when we put *** depth chart out, you all think that's like final, like this is like etched in stone that it's going to be this way forever more. Uh Just because we come out of fall camp and that's where it is, but it creates *** lot of distractions on our team. It creates *** lot of, um, you know, guys thinking that, well, this guy won the job now and I'm not going to play or whatever. And quite frankly, you know, we don't need that. Uh And I want all of our players to continue to compete, to continue to compete for playing time, uh to try to play at the highest level. And I don't want anybody on our team to think they're *** backup player or whatever. Um And, you know, the depth chart kind of does that I think most of the players on our team know who should start in the game and who shouldn't start. Um, but that's something that they do day to day in terms of the way they compete in the way they play and nobody is entitled to play and just because you put it on *** piece of paper and say this is the way it is today. So I apologize for that. Um, but it is what it is. What kind of progress did you see from the guys that are competing at the safety position in the preseason? Yeah. Well, you know, Caleb's done *** really good job. I know he's *** young player but he's done *** really good job. He's smart, he's bright, he understands football very well. Um, you know, Jalen Key has done *** really good job. He's got *** lot of experience even though he hadn't played here, he's played other places in *** very similar system. So, you know, those two guys have done *** good job, Malachi can play, you know, safety who star. So, um, you know, Smitty's been out with, uh, with his foot for, for *** while and we certainly think that he would be in the mix if, if he were healthy. Uh Christian story is, you know, *** dependable guy at the position. So that's kind of where it's at right now. Uh mtsu has one of the better secondaries in their league. What are the challenges of going against that? Group. Well, I, I think they, they play really well. They get *** lot of turnovers, um, but they create *** lot of pressure, um, they're *** pressure defense and they put *** lot of pressure on their secondary and their corners have played very well, whether they play off or man to man and their safeties are very aggressive and make *** lot of plays. Uh, so, uh, I think there's *** little bit of big little that goes with this team. If you look at the statistics of the way they played, um they make *** lot of plays on defense and when it comes to negative plays that they create turnovers that they get, but they've also given up plays and I think you got to have lots of patience. You got to have *** good plan in terms of trying to minimize how much they can create negative plays, but also maximize taking advantage of making some explosive plays. Several offensive linemen have discussed wanting to play *** more dominant physical brand of football this season. Uh How, how have you seen that transpire? How would you evaluate how that's been through fall camp and preseason? Well, I would say that's up to them. They want to be *** dominant physical, that's part of the identity that we're trying to create and want to create at every position, not just in the offensive line. So, um and to be able to be able to have balance on offense, you got to be able to control the line of scrimmage to get movement up front and play physical. But it's the same thing in the passing game. You got to be able to protect the quarterback. And, um, so you can make plays in the passing game. So we always want to be physical, we always want to be dominant. We want to be that on the defensive line. We want to be that on the offensive line and style of play can determine that to some degree and, but having balance and being able to do both of those things, I think is the most critical factor. You referenced the middle Tennessee State game against Miami last year. That was *** game where they showed an ability to hit on explosive plays um in the past game. What type of challenge does that present to your secondary? And how do you go about counteracting that? Yeah. Well, I think the multiples of formations that they give you, whether it's empty for open wide out, all all kinds of things, you know, are gonna put guys, you know, at some point in time, you gotta play guys, man to man. So, um and you guys gotta win, you can't give up explosive plays. Um So I also think you got to mix it up and, you know, sometimes when people spread you out, you gotta play maximum coverage, sometimes you got to play maximum pressure but whatever you have to be able to execute so that you're not giving up explosive plays. I mean, that's turnovers, explosive play ratio. Those are the two most critical factors in winning and losing games. So I think you got to be patient. These guys are going to go no huddle, they'll go fast at times. Players got to be able to get lined up and execute and not let that affect their rhythm and how they play. And they did make *** lot of explosive plays against Miami last year. And that's something that, you know, we're always trying to take away and that's going to be *** challenge for our guys in the back end. But it's also when you give up explosive plays, it's usually all loving guys, you know, sometimes you lose pass, rush lane's quarterback scrambles, throws *** big one, whatever. So everybody's got to do their job to eliminate the other team's ability to make explosive plays. How much of being *** good Blitzer is instincts, anticipation just having *** good feel for it. And, and what did you think about the way the defense executed blitz calls and practice this month? Uh You know, we've done *** pretty good job with the pressures, you know, so far, but you know, containing *** quarterback, not, not necessarily thinking just because you pressure, you want to sack the quarterback because the worst thing that can happen when you pressure is somebody gets pushed by if you get pushed by the quarterback, you're playing with 10 guys. So you ask me how much of it is instinctive and how much of it is. I don't care what position you play at some point in time. Instincts take over just like defensive back. Ok, the ball's coming, I can intercept it. I can swat and hook it. I can break down and tackle the guy. It all depends on how fast the ball is getting there and what your position is. So how much is that coaching and how much is that instinct? So if I'm past rushing and I try to speed, brush *** guy and he soft sets me and pushes me by how much of that is ability and how much of that is lack of instincts, the guy offset and you should bullsh him, you should power rush him. Don't get pushed by the quarterback, not the time to try to make *** sack. When do you use your hands? When do you use what pass rush move? It's like *** wrestler. When do you use what move? It's the same thing when you're playing defensive line or offensive line, you're using your hands, you got body position, you get *** guy off balance one way, how you're gonna push him back the other way. So we try to teach guys all those things. But when it comes to fastball application, it's no different than the baseball analogy that I use. I use it with the players all the time. I say you just swung *** pitch over your head. Everybody understands. It's like, what are you doing? You watch baseball, don't you? I see these guys in major leagues do it and balls 4 ft outside. Slider, swinging at it. Look bad doing it. Yeah, looks worse. Coaches. Is it your first opening day with Alabama? But every year seems to be exciting for the fans. There have been *** few years we've been in Atlanta to start or Orlando, what does it mean to be here in Tuscaloosa? And what's your message to the fans about coming out to this game against Middle Tennessee? Well, we, you know, we've always had great fan support regardless of where we played. There's always been great enthusiasm. I think our fans are *** big part of the team, the atmosphere that they create, you know, during games is, you know, something that's part of the tradition around here that makes guys want to play here, whether they're recruits coming to see the games or whether they're players on the field. So it's always important and this game is important to us. It's important for this team to create an identity and the fans can have *** significant impact on that with their energy and enthusiasm. What does JC Latham mean? Not only to the offensive line but just to stability, bring his leadership and his expertise to the team? Yeah, JC has played really well. He's shown *** lot of maturity. He's become *** leader of sorts of the offensive line. Uh, he's *** physical guy plays *** lot of toughness. Um, you know, we've tried to eliminate, you know, penalties and being able to stay focused on doing the right things with the offensive line and with JC, and he's done *** pretty good job of taking those challenges and trying to implement them in *** way that's going to be *** positive thing for our team. What sort of progress have you seen from Jalen Millrose since he played last year? I think Jalen has made *** significant amount of improvement. I think he's more comfortable in the pocket. I think that um he has more confidence in the way he executes and the way he plays, he's been more consistent in the way he's played. And I think that's, you know, going to be the key, the drill for him to be able to maintain that consistency in every practice so that he is developing the kind of habits that are going to carry over in the game and help him be successful. And what type of growth that you see from Jaar and Latham upfront. Um, he's done *** really good job, you know, he's been hurt *** little bit on and off since he's been here. He's gotten *** little bigger, he's gotten *** little stronger and, um, you know, he's *** very good athlete. I think he's more confident in terms of learning the defense making less mental errors. I think it's important to him. I think he's shown *** lot of maturity in the way he's developed and progressed. So I think he's *** guy that can make *** significant contribution for us up front. Given the situation at quarterback. Do you enter this game expecting to use multiple quarterbacks or is there *** game plan just drawn up for whoever is the starter? Uh, I don't have any expectations for that right now. I mean, you know, we're going one day at *** time and, um, you know, we're repping the players and even regardless of what happens in this game, it's the same thing that I told you guys before just because whoever starts in the first game, that doesn't mean that you don't have to continue to compete and play throughout the season because the competition doesn't end with the first game at any position, including quarterback. So, um, you know, my expectation is, is what can we do to get them better today so that we can play better the next day and the next day. And then when the game comes, we'll be playing as well as we can. We need to be planned to create value for themselves as players as well as our team to be able to have success. All right. Thank you.