Nick Saban weighs in on Florida’s QB situation, future SEC scheduling
By Keith Farner
Published:
Nick Saban is well aware of what Florida’s quarterbacks can do, and how they’ve done so far this season. He is quick to praise both Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson, and slow to make comparisons to, say, Tim Tebow.
The Crimson Tide will get their chance to defend those QBs on Saturday in a 3:30 p.m. ET game against Florida in the Swamp.
“I think both quarterbacks have played extremely well for them,” Saban said on the SEC coaches media teleconference. “Emory Jones is a very capable guy — good passer, good runner. … Anthony Richardson has made some phenomenal plays running and passing when he’s played. … I think both guys are unique in their ability to play the position and both have been very productive when they’ve had the opportunity to play.”
The common comparison Richardson gets is to former Florida great Tim Tebow, but Saban didn’t go there.
“I don’t think it’s fair to make comparisons to players, but we certainly have respect for both quarterbacks,” Saban said. “… The few plays (Richardson) played, he made some outstanding plays. He’s an outstanding weapon, and so is Emory Jones.”
Since this is a rare regular season meeting between Florida and Alabama, Saban was asked about changing future SEC scheduling to make matchups like this happen more often.
“I don’t have any control over how we schedule games in the SEC, but ever since we went to more teams in the SEC, the only way you’re going to play more teams is to play more SEC games,” Saban said. “I have been an advocate of that for a long time with very little support. … I think they do the best job they can with the situation we’re in, but I’ve always said it would be great if every player on your team got to play every team during their career, but that’s not possible in the current format.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
