Nick Saban defends, praises Alabama quarterback Bryce Young following Iron Bowl comeback win

While the box score may not show it, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young may have had his Heisman Trophy moment in a 24-22 win over Auburn in four overtime periods on Saturday night. 

It was an emotional win for everyone in the Crimson Tide program, including head coach Nick Saban. Saban gushed about his sophomore quarterback to the media following the game. 

“It wasn’t Bryce’s fault that he was struggling in the first half,” Saban said. “We weren’t giving him much of a chance. But I think he’s got a lot of mental toughness. He’s got a lot of grit about him. He’s kind of quiet in his demeanor, in the way he goes about things. But he’s always kept telling the offense ‘We’re going to get this right. We’re going to be alright.’”

The quarterback was sacked a season-high seven times by Auburn. In total, Young was 25-for-51 with 317 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Again, not a particularly eye-popping stat line.

But while Alabama did not score at all until there was just 8:44 remaining in the game, Young led a Herculean final drive during regulation, and the Crimson Tide tied the game 10-10 with just 24 seconds left. The 28-yard touchdown pass from Young to receiver Ja’Corey Brooks was the first time Alabama found the end zone on Saturday.

“I think the players really believe in him,” Saban added. “When we started making a couple plays and moving the ball we got a little confidence. And I think that helped not only him but the players around him play better, which enabled him to make a lot of plays that we needed him to make. He was pretty outstanding in the second half.”

Young opened the first overtime with a touchdown drive, and the Tide kicked a field goal on their second possession of extra time. In overtime No. 3, Alabama converted their two-point conversion, as did Auburn. The Tigers’ fate was not so lucky in the fourth period, as the Tide won the game on a two-point play to wideout John Metchie.

Alabama heads to Atlanta on Saturday with an SEC championship on the line. They will play the nation’s top team, Georgia, with a College Football Playoff berth possible. 

The game kicks off at 4:00 p.m. ET on CBS. Alabama is a 6.5-point underdog.