WATCH: Nick Saban speaks Monday of Iron Bowl week

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — On Monday morning, Alabama coach Nick Saban addressed the media ahead of this weekend’s game against the Auburn Tigers. This is the first time he had spoken to reporters since his postgame press conference after the 34-0 victory over Austin Peay on Saturday.

Below, you can find the entire video and an entire transcript of Saban’s media availability.

Not a member of BamaInsider? Join today and get one year of premium access for just $10!

Click here to join the thousands of Alabama fans on the Talk of Champions message board

Opening statement…

“I think we did a lot of good things in the last game. I think one of the things that probably we need to get corrected is, we did get three turnovers defensively but we also had three turnovers. Ball security is a very important part of being successful. It gives the other team three extra possessions, possessions where you could have scored. I think the emphasis has to continue to be on, whenever you’re less than perfect in terms of your execution, whether it’s fundamental execution or whatever it is, that’s when you get exposed.

“So that’s why we’ve got to keep coaching our team to get it right on a consistent basis.

“This is one of the greatest rivalry games in college football. Most every team in rivalry games, it’s part of their legacy in terms of how did they do in the rivalry game. And this is one of the biggest ones, and it means a lot to a lot of people in our state. It means a lot to us, our players and our fans, and we’re going to do the best job we can to get ready for this game.

“I think Cadillac Williams has done a really, really good job. They’ve played really well these last three games. They run the ball effectively. They’ve got a lot of diversity on offense. Their quarterback’s a very athletic player who can run and throw. Tank is one of the better backs in the SEC. Their defense is very, very aggressive. (Owen) Pappoe is a really good inside backer. (Derick) Hall is a really good rusher, creates a lot of negative plays. They’re very good on special teams.

“This is a very challenging game for us, and our players are going to have to do a great job of getting prepared to play as well as we’ve played all season.”

On the difference in Auburn’s recent energy…

“I just think they’re playing really well now. I’m not making an evaluation. I thought they played hard all year long. I think their players really compete well and they’ve done that all year long. They’ve just played really well in the last three games.”

On how the challenges for Alabama LB Will Anderson have evolved…

“Will’s done great for us. Will helps other players play better. It’s not just all about what you do. He does his job extremely well. If they’re focusing on him a little bit more, I think it gives other players opportunities to make plays. But I think he competes, he plays hard, he gives great effort, he sets a good example, he prepares well. We can’t ask any more of Will Anderson than what he does, and I think he helps our team as much as any player on our team.”

On when Alabama OL Elijah Pritchett returned to practice and how has he looked…

“I think he started back (practicing) like the bye week, right around LSU time. So he’s been out there practicing for several weeks now, mostly on the scout team. But as he’s kind of gotten back in shape and gotten back in football form, he’s a guy that certainly has done extremely well and we think can be a really, really good player. He’s got power. He can bend. He’s got good balance and body control. So somebody that we want to continue to work and develop.”

On how Alabama’s Senior Day can highlight some of the accomplishments of that class…

“I think it’s an opportunity for us _ myself, all the coaches, people at the university, our fans _ to actually show the appreciation that we all have for the sacrifices and the investments that these guys have made in the program for the last four years, sometimes five. And some of them get a lot of positive accolades because they play, and they get a lot of positive self-gratification for the positive  performance, but there’s a lot of them who are kind of unsung heroes in terms of, they work hard every week and they play their games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to help the other guys get prepared for the game.

“And don’t get a whole lot of recognition. So it is a great opportunity for those guys to get some positive self-gratification for all their efforts.”

On what young guys can learn by watching Ja’Corey Brooks step up in last year’s Iron Bowl…

“We need to get all of our players to play to the best of their ability and understand when they have the opportunity to make plays that that’s what competition is all about, that’s what competing in games like this is all about. And that should be their mindset. Anytime you’ve got a young player who makes outstanding plays, I think it sets a good example for everyone else on the team that they have the opportunity, capability and possibility to do the same thing, but they’ve got to do things right in order for that to happen. We’ve got some young receivers, so hopefully they’ll step up.”

On how Alabama’s OL responded after being challenged to be more physical…

“I thought this last week was one of the better games we played up front. We sort of dominated the line of scrimmage, you know, fairly well, finished a lot of blocks. I think we blocked on the perimeter better than we have all year. I’m talking about the receivers and so forth. So I saw a step in the right direction, and I saw it in the Ole Miss game as well, especially in the second half. We started dominating the line of scrimmage a little bit, which I think is a really important thing and will be a great challenge for us this week.”

On if having success running the football in one direction influences play-calling…

“I think sometimes you do things based on what the other team’s doing. Some of the runs get sort of packaged relative to where’s the strength of their defense, or what are they doing? So in certain situations, if you think you have significant, good matchups on one side of the line versus the other— they may change from week to week— but that’s probably where you’d choose to run the ball.”

On if Alabama allows players to lean into the emotion that comes with playing in the Iron Bowl…

“They’re all big games. This is obviously a rivalry game which makes it a special game and a special challenge. We’ve tried all year to get our players to focus on being motivated internally in terms of what they want to accomplish and what they want to do, how good they want to be. Rather than counting on external factors to create that motivation for them. But I think in games like this, there’s gonna be some external factors that may be a positive for some of the guys. I can’t discount that.”

On how Cadillac Williams is infusing energy into the Auburn program right now…

“He’s done a great job— the energy, the enthusiasm, the way the guys are competing and playing, the way they play to win. And that was his personality as a player. I remember when I was the coach at the Miami Dolphins, Ronnie Brown and Cadillac were both coming out the same time in the same draft, and we thought they were both great competitors. He certainly was a great competitor. And I think his personality shows in the way his team competes.

On the reasoning behind Alabama CB Khyree Jackson‘s absence the last two games…

“He’s suspended right now.”