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What Nick Saban said on College Gameday appearance ahead of the Iron Bowl
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As fans wake up and prepare for the final week of the 2019 college football regular season, most eyes in the SEC are on the matchup happening in Auburn, Alabama.
For Auburn fans, it is an opportunity to unleash an elite defense on a sophomore backup quarterback. For Alabama fans, there may be some apprehension about whether or not Mac Jones will handle his own against his toughest test of the season so far.
Nick Saban discussed it further on his appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay Saturday morning.
“I think Mac’s had a nice week of practice and I think he’s starting to assume the role of leadership and be a commander,” Saban said. “I think he has to play within himself. It’s very important, because their defense is very good, that the people around him play well too.”
Jones threw six touchdowns and no interceptions in his only two starts this season, but he has yet to face an environment or a defense like what he will see in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
For Auburn, an offense that has struggled to put up points in recent weeks will go head-to-head against a talented Alabama defense that has not quite lived up to typical Nick Saban expectations this season.
“Discipline is the most important thing when you play against an offense we’re going to face against Auburn,” Saban said. “They do a lot of different things. Lots of motions, lots of shifts and formations that can create some confusion. Basically, we need to look at the right things, key the right thing. We need to stay focused on what we need to do to do our jobs well.
“I think if we play well as a unit, that’s going to be the key.”
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Lucas is a digital reporter for 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, and a high school play-by-play broadcaster. Lucas has been covering SEC football for Saturday Down South since 2018.
