Bama wins, however Tide far from ‘controling teams’

Alex Scarborough, ESPN Staff WriterOct 14, 2023, 05:02 PM ET

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• Covers the SEC.Joined ESPN
• in 2012.
• Graduate of Auburn University.TUSCALOOSA, Ala.– Alabama coach Nick Saban stated after defeating Arkansas, 24-21, on Saturday that it’s excellent to get a win in the SEC”relative to how we progressed” from a rocky start to the season, consisting of a Week 2 loss at home to Texas.But to state that Saban was pleased with the outcome of the game would miss the mark.

  Alabama began sluggish, identifying Arkansas a 6-0 lead in the first quarter. Then, after scoring 24 unanswered points and taking control of the game, the Crimson Tide let their foot off the gas, giving up back-to-back goals to make it a one rating game late. “Hopefully we can find out how to beat the other group,” Saban stated.”Not just win the game

  , beat the other team.”Saban pointed out poor execution on both sides of the ball. Charges, especially on offense, he stated”put us behind the eight-ball.”An annoyed Saban singled out a face mask penalty that added to an Arkansas touchdown. The charge, Saban stated, was an instance of a player”putting himself ahead of what’s finest for the group and putting yourself in damage’s way of having a possibility to win.”Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Offending lineman Tyler Booker stated it wasn’t a dominant performance. Quarterback Jalen Milroe,

  who completed less than 50%of his passes, was sacked 5 times.”The amount of skill that we have, we need to be dominating games rather than just winning games, “Booker stated.

  “And there’s a distinction.” Consistency, Booker said, is the secret.”I feel like as soon as we start clicking and executing for 60 minutes, that’s

  when we’ll start controling groups,”he said.Alabama, which has actually won 5 straight games since the loss to Texas, will host Tennessee and LSU next– the two groups it lost to on

  the roadway last season.When asked whether the team could gain from a close win, Saban was noncommittal.”I hope so,” he said.Saban’s personality did brighten toward the end of his postgame

  news conference when he was inquired about kicker Will Reichard setting the SEC all-time scoring mark with 481 points, passing Auburn’s Daniel Carlson, who had 480 points from 2014 to 2017. Regardless of producing a tremendous 106 NFL draft picks during Saban’s tenure, including 44 first-round picks, the coach stated of Reichard, “He has probably been as good a player at his position– despite the fact that he’s a professional– as anyone that we have actually ever had here. “”Will has conserved us a great deal of times, “Booker said. “He’s won us a lot of games just like today. We don’t win without that basket that he had. So we’re really pleased with Will. He’s constantly consistent, always on time. He’s really a crucial leader on his team. We’re very fortunate to have him.”