Here’s what SEC head coaches had to say after Saturday’s wild set of opening games:

NICK SABAN on Lane Kiffin’s debut as Alabama’s offensive coordinator: “Great. He did a great job. You know, the guy is a really good coach now, all right. Y’all need to fess up to that. And most places that don’t like him is because he left and they were mad because he left. They weren’t mad about anything he did while he was there. Just do a little research on that.

GUS MALZAHN on Auburn’s victory over Arkansas: “We talked to our guys and told them it would be a dogfight. I’m proud of the way our guys responded the second half. Our defense made the adjustments. We started playing physical football. That really made a big difference in the game. We talked all pre-season about balance, we really thought that was a big key tonight.”

LES MILES on his LSU’s 17-point comeback to beat Wisconsin: “We’re a blue collar team that will fight like hell and get in competitive games and scrap you.”

BRET BIELEMA on what happened to his Razorbacks in the second half at Auburn: “They made adjustments, and our guys did as well. I think we began to press a little bit when we were down by two scores. Our coaches and players, we had a plan that was working. We were able to run the football effectively, we just didn’t go to it much in the third quarter, and that’s something we definitely need to take a look at.”

MARK RICHT on Todd Gurley’s 293-yard, all-purpose explosion: “I think he’s the best player in America, or at least one of them.”

DAN MULLEN on Mississippi State’s shutout of Southern Miss: “A lot of guys made plays, both sides of the ball. I’m really proud of the way our defense played all night long. Really played great defense and that’s important. On offense, we had some silly turnovers.”

MARK STOOPS on quarterback Patrick Towles’ performance during Kentucky’s 59-14 win over UT Martin: “The big thing was, to me, he was very poised and he made very good decisions. You know, we know he has the talent to get the ball down the field. I think it was important for him to be efficient in the intermediate area and I thought he did that. He missed a couple, but overall, just very pleased with his poise.”

GARY PINKEL on Mizzou’s tougher-than-expected 38-18 win over South Dakota State: “First of all, you’re exactly right. It’s hard to win, and you always enjoy winning. I don’t care. You go back and you say how you can make yourself better. You don’t sit around and mope about winning, you don’t do that. I think (South Dakota State) played really well.”

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2014/08/30/5773012/mississippi-state-routs-southern.html#storylink=cpyDEREK MASON on Vanderbilt’s seven-turnover disappointment in his debut: “A loss is a loss. I don’t care how you see it — whether it’s 7-6 or 37-7. You never like the way you lose, but the bottom line is that it never feels any different. I’ve been here before, and what you have to do is, you take it and you learn from it. You try to coach your guys, try to get your mistakes corrected and (just know) you’ve got nine days to get yourself ready to go play another football game.”