As the Alabama football program prepares for their next opponent in the Chattanooga Mocs, fans are already probably overlooking the opponent based on the level of teams. However, for head coach Nick Saban, he acknowledges the accomplishments the Mocs have had.
He said to the media Monday that there's no doubt that Chattanooga plays hard from the first whistle to the last. Saban even mentions Mocs head coach Rusty Wright and praises what he's done for their program according to on3 Sports.
“Chattanooga, obviously, has had a really good season. Their players play hard, they compete well,” Saban said. “Rusty Wright has done a really good job there. I think they’re like second in their league. 7-3, only lost two games in their league.”
“Like always, this is a great opportunity for these guys to play in a game that they probably dream about,” Saban said about Chattanooga.
The FCS school in the Mocs are 7-3 like Saban said and are second in the Southern Conference to the Furman Paladins. They're 6-2 in conference play and are definitely hungry as they face the Crimson Tide.
Rhythm is important for Saban
For the Crimson Tide, while they're going to be the heavily favored, Saban still think it's key that their rhythm should be on point. If it isn't, it could set the stage for future bad performances when they matter the most like the college football playoffs.
“For our team? This is either a game that you focus on correctly, you go out and practice and prepare correctly. You build on the momentum that you’ve improved with over the last weeks. That helps you get better for what’s coming up in the future,” Saban said. “If you don’t do that, you don’t have a good showing? You sort of lose your rhythm.”
As Saban went on to explain how to him, rhythm is like momentum, he emphasizes how significant it is for a team like the Alabama football program to have that. Especially when it's against a team like Chattanooga, they don't want to ease their foot on the gas pedal.
“Rhythm is a little bit like momentum. Sometimes, when you lose momentum in a game, it’s hard to get it back,” Saban said. “You’ve always go to play the next play and keep answering the bell. That’s really kind of how we need to approach this game in terms of what our focus is and how we want to continue to improve as a team.”
Huge week of preparation incoming for the Crimson Tide
It's going to be a big week for the Crimson Tide, specifically in their preparation as they don't want to be a team that has a “peak” and then falls off. Saban made it a point to say that when it comes to the days leading up to this Saturday, that's going to be their main focus.
“If you’re going to peak at the right time? You can’t have peaks and valleys. You’ve got to keep going in the right direction,” Saban said. “That’s what we want to get our players to focus on this week in practice in preparation for this game.”
If there is something to applaud in terms of the Alabama football program, they're currently the No. 8 ranked team in the country with a 9-1 record and an impressive 7-0 in conference play. The Alabama football program faces the Chattanooga Mocs this Saturday, Nov. 18, at 12:00 p.m. (EST) at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
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