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After facing two top 25 opponents in the first three weeks of the 2016 college football season, Alabama will face a team that has averaged 3.71 wins a year since the 1970 season in Kent State.
Why stop at 1970? That’s when Nick Saban began his college playing career as a defensive back. And yes, it was with the Golden Flashes. He would then go on to graduate from the university and serve as an assistant with the program from 1973-76 before eventually becoming the legend he is today.
Here’s what coach Saban had to say during Wednesday’s SEC teleconference just days away before taking on his alma mater:
Opening statement:
“The focus is on to respect our opponent and we have a lot of work to do in consistency and execution and last week’s game proved that.”
On Jerry Glanville and learning from him:
“There’s many things I learned from him. Man to man, jamming wide receivers, upbeat energy and attitude I learned from him. I learned the 4-3 from him, which we still run to this day.”
On whether Saban played a part in setting Alabama-Kent State series:
“I’m happy to play any MAC school given the tradition there and the upsets they have had over the years. It’s a quality league. They were looking for a game and so were we.”
On the last time he and Terry (Saban’s wife) went back to Kent State:
“It’s been so long I can’t remember. When you are coaching, you don’t have time to go back to previous places. We have many positive relationships there but we have not gone back.”
On DE Jonathan Allen’s decision to return to school:
“It’s always a tough decision for guys to make [that call]. You make a business decision based on the info you have. The fact he was injured would have made it tough for him to work out [for draft scouts]. The defensive line was an overloaded position in last year’s draft and I think he could be a top lineman in this draft.”
On Kent State being a special place:
“No question about it. I got my degree there, and have a lot of mentors there from professional and personal standpoint. Don James actually talked me into being a coach, offered me a graduate assistant position when I didn’t want to be a coach or go to grad school.”
On DL Dalvin Thomas:
“He’s been a tremendous contributor for many years now. He plays good technique, can play the run, can rush the passer, and has gotten bigger and stronger. There’s been consistent improvement from him.”
On LB Ryan Anderson’s progression:
“Ryan has been a productive player, he’s a leader for us. When he came in, he had development to do. He got frustrated but had worked hard and it paid off for him.”
On Kent State playing days:
“We won the conference my senior year and I think you always remember that — the accomplishments. We beat Miami at Miami, Jack Lambert made three or four goal-line stops in a row to win a game down there. We played in the bowl now known as the Citrus Bowl. A lot of good memories there. From a playing standout, I remember those things very well.”
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
