Nick Saban 'coached up' by Mrs. Terry after Mississippi State game

Nick Saban left a smile on Alabama fans’ faces after the team handily took down Mississippi State 40-21 on Saturday. Nonetheless, Saban’s toughest critic waited at home: his wife, Terry. On Monday, the Alabama head coach recalled his wife’s post-game critiques.

“She waited up for me to get home so that was a good thing,” Saban said. “It was one of the first games she’s missed and didn’t go to since we’ve been here. I think it is the first game, actually. She says you can see what’s happening a lot better on TV, so I got coached up quite a bit when I got home.”

This isn’t the first time Terry has influenced Saban’s coaching. After the Crimson Tide defeated the Bulldogs on Saturday, a reporter asked Saban about a few heated moments on the sideline. Saban claims the anger came from a surprising source.

“Well, Miss Terry told me if we’re not playing good to get on their butt, so I just did what I was told,” Saban said, referencing his wife.

Evidently, Miss Terry’s advice worked. In Alabama’s win, the team tallied 357 total yards while committing zero turnovers. The Crimson Tide’s defense was even more impressive, holding MSU to just 261 yards and 15 first downs.

Nick Saban is happy with the results

The win is Alabama’s third-straight after falling to Texas in Week 2. Saban is happy with his team’s progression.

“I believe in this team. I like this team,” Saban said during the postgame press conference on Saturday. “This is a tough game for us. It always is. We’ve been coming over here for lots of years. We’ve had a lot of tough games. It was a physical, tough game tonight, and I’m proud of our players for the way we finished and the way we competed in the game.

“I know there’s a lot of things we can improve on. But I also think there’s a lot of good things that we need to build on. And I think there’s signs of the way we played in the second half against Ole Miss. At times the way we played in this game tonight where we’ve just got to build on that.”

Alabama will need Miss Terry to deliver a little extra motivation again this week. On Saturday, Saban and Co. will go toe-to-toe with Texas A&M, who is coming off an impressive win against Arkansas. The game will take place at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.