Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban

Opening Statement:

“I think everybody was excited to get back to be able to play, after all the time off. I think we got off to a little slow start. The energy, the intensity, the attention to detail early on in the game was not what we wanted it to be, but I think we played better and better and better as the game went on.

“We made some mental errors on defense early in the game in shifts and motions and some things that we had worked on. It was just a recognition deal.

“Offensively, I think we played better and better as the game went on so really pleased with the way our players responded in the game. Obviously, congratulations to Smitty (DeVonta Smith) for setting the record for touchdown receptions.

“I think one of the good things about today’s game is we got to play a lot of players. They definitely need to get some experience. Those guys aren’t that far away from playing. We did have some guys out today, but I think especially on special teams where people had to step up they did a really good job. I know you are going to ask me about Miller Forristall. He has a sprained ankle, a little bit of a shoulder. He could have played today. I just decided and told him, ‘We will play you in an emergency, if we need you. We need to get you healthy.’ Those other guys have been taking most of the reps in practice this week, so it gave them an opportunity to play. Some of them made some pretty good plays.

“All in all it was a good team win. I really liked the way the defense played in the second half. We just have to keep on building on this momentum and rhythm that we have, get some guys healthy and see if we can get going. Slade (Bolden) twisted his ankle a little bit. Don’t know what his status will be, but I don’t think it will be that bad but we don’t know for sure.”

On seeing the younger guys getting playing time and succeeding:

“I think it is always great when those kids get an opportunity to play. I think the experience is very beneficial to them. It is also very positive for them to get the self-gratification that they get when they throw a touchdown pass or score a touchdown. I think that the players on the team really kind of demonstrate the emotion that everybody has when those young guys do something because everybody is rooting for them. Everybody wants to see them do well. It’s great for them that they get the opportunity, and it makes me really happy to see them go out there and have production. Everybody wants to score a touchdown, and I think that’s great.”

On the adjustments they made to Kentucky’s offense:

“A lot of the things that they hit runs on us, 10-12 yard runs, we miss picked the gaps. We made some mental errors on shifts or motions. We didn’t adjust properly, so they would hit a run and we would lose the edge, we wouldn’t be in our gap. I think as the game went on, the players got more used to the rhythm of the game, the shifts and the motions, making the adjustments. We were making corrections on the sideline and it really is a lot of the stuff we worked on. It was just a matter of being a little bit apprehensive to just do what they knew was right in the game. When we fixed those things, we started to play much better and did a better job on third down. We started to play better in the second quarter, but they converted a couple third downs and kept drives alive. We did a better job all the way around in the second half.”

Kentucky Head Coach Mark Stoops

On the injuries and COVID issues they had to work through this week and what that looks like for next week:

“I really don’t know. I have no idea what that looks like. You know, we do some more tests and see how they come back. It’s difficult to practice in game play and guys and find out on Friday morning before you get on the plane that you’re not going to have some. But it is what it is. I think everyone in the country is dealing with it, and this is not the team or the place that you want to come to down some guys.”

On Alabama:

“They are everything that you think they are when you see them in person. They can play physical, big strong backs with a physical line, and they are explosive getting the ball down the field. Their receivers catch everything that is even remotely close to them. You know, very good team.”

DeVonta Smith set the Southeastern Conference and Alabama record for career touchdown receptions at 33 with two scoring catches on the day

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 1/1 Alabama football team rolled to a 63-3 win over Kentucky Saturday in a record-breaking day at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide matched its highest point total of the season, after winning at Ole Miss, 63-48. It was also the Tide’s largest scoring differential of the season at 60. With the victory, the Alabama goes to 7-0 on the season, while the Wildcats drop to 3-5.

DeVonta Smith broke the Southeastern Conference and school record for career receiving touchdowns early in the second quarter when he caught a 10-yard dart in the back of the endzone from Mac Jones, giving him 32 scoring catches. He added to that tally late in the third quarter when he hauled in an 18-yard pass from Bryce Young to better the record to 33. Smith finished the night with 144 yards to go with his two scores, marking his fourth game with 100-plus receiving yards.

Jones finished the game with 230 passing yards on 16-of-24 passes, with two passing touchdowns and an interception. Jase McClellan led all rushers with 99 yards. He was one of four Crimson Tide backs to score a rushing touchdown on the day, including Najee Harris with two and Brian Robinson Jr. and Roydell Williams with one a piece. It marked the fifth time this season that Harris has come away with two or more rushing touchdowns in a game.

Christian Harris led an Alabama defense that limited Kentucky to a single field goal with 11 tackles, including eight solo stops and a sack. Jordan Battle snagged his first interception of the season and second of his career, returning it 45 yards for a pick six. The Tide defense has now held opposing teams without a touchdown for the last nine quarters of play going back to the third quarter of the Tennessee game, and scoreless overall for eight of the last nine quarters.

How It Happened

FIRST QUARTER

• 10:07 – UA | Harris carried it across the goal line for the Crimson Tide’s first score of the day, a one-yard rush. The scoring play capped a six-play sequence that covered 55 yards.
• 05:19 – UK | Kentucky got on the board with a 33-yard field goal from Matt Ruffolo.

SECOND QUARTER

• 10:12 – UA | Jones DeVonta Smith in the back of the end zone on a dart from 10 yards out. The touchdown reception was the 32^nd of Smith’s career to make him the Alabama and SEC career receiving touchdowns leader.
• 04:02 – UA | Harris broke free for a 42-yarder, his second rushing touchdown of the day.
• 00:46 – UA | John Metchie III found himself open for an 18-yard catch-and-run to add to the Crimson Tide lead heading to the halftime break.

THIRD QUARTER

• 10:14 – UA | Battle stepped up and picked off a Kentucky pass, returning the miscue 45 yards for an Alabama score.
• 06:43 – UA | Robinson Jr. found the end zone from one yard out for the Tide’s third rushing touchdown of the day.
• 01:42 – UA | Young notched his first career passing touchdown, finding Smith for an 18-yard touchdown reception.

FOURTH QUARTER

• 09:15 – UA | Roydell Williams recorded his first career score, carrying across the goal line from two-yards out.
• 01:35– UA | McClellan races into the endzone for a 19-yard touchdown, the first of his career to result in the final score.

Up Next

Alabama welcomes Auburn to Tuscaloosa on Saturday, Nov. 28 for the 85^th installment of the Iron Bowl matchup. The Crimson Tide and Tigers are set for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff with the game airing on CBS. The Tide holds a 46-37-1 all-time advantage in the series and is currently riding a four-game winning streak over the Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

ATLANTA (Nov. 19, 2020) – Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl released the midseason watch list for the 2020 Dodd Trophy. The list includes 19 of the nation’s top college football coaches representing six conferences.

The Dodd Trophy, college football’s most coveted coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s philosophy.

The midseason watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, taking into consideration each program’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), current performance during the 2020 season and each coach’s commitment to service and charity in the community.

Considering The Dodd Trophy represents more than just a coach’s performance on the field, a coach in his first year, who has not had a full season to establish his own impact on APR and the local community, is not eligible to win.

“It’s been an unprecedented season so far this year and we had to consider a variety of factors when compiling this list,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “At the end of the day, we selected the coaches who we felt truly embody Bobby Dodd’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity, both on and off the football field.”

The 2020 Dodd Trophy Midseason Watch List:

Of the 19 coaches on the midseason watch list, the SEC leads the way with five coaches selected, immediately followed by the Big Ten and Big 12 with four each, the ACC with three, the Pac-12 with two and the American with one. A total of nine coaches on the list remain undefeated going into the 12th week of the season.

This year’s midseason watch list includes three former winners of The Dodd Trophy with Brian Kelly (2018), Nick Saban (2014) and Dabo Swinney (2011) all making the list.

The coaches on the list have collectively appeared in the College Football Playoff 17 times, and have won a total of nine national championships and 27 FBS conference championships. Off the football field and in the classroom, their teams earned an average Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 977 last year.

“The Dodd Trophy is unique from other coach of the year awards considering it looks beyond just wins and losses on the football field,” said Gary Stokan, Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO & president. “Each of these coaches have had successful seasons to date, but what sets them apart is how they’ve empowered their players in the classroom and impacted their communities in a positive way. All of these coaches on the watch list are strong contenders for this year’s Dodd Trophy and we look forward to seeing who emerges as finalists this last month of the season.”

A panel consisting of previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2020 season. The winner of the 2020 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

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About the Dodd Trophy
The Dodd Trophy was established in 1976 to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. The award honors the coach of a team which enjoys a successful football season, while also stressing the importance of academic excellence and character, as did Coach Dodd’s teams during his 22 years as head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Coach Dodd remains one of college football’s legendary figures, both as a coach and a player. Coach Dodd was a native of Galax, Virginia, and played his college ball at the University of Tennessee where his team had 27 wins, one loss and two ties during the three years he played. Coach Dodd was selected to the National College Football Hall of Fame both as a coach and as a player. Additional information about the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation can be found at www.TheDoddTrophy.com. For news, updates and insider information, follow us on Twitter at @DoddTrophy or find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DoddTrophy.

About Peach Bowl, Inc.

Peach Bowl, Inc. operates the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, one of the New Year’s Six Bowls selected to host the College Football Playoff. The Bowl has earned a reputation as one of the most competitive bowls in the country, with 52 percent of its games being decided by a touchdown or less. Peach Bowl, Inc. has disbursed $280.7 million in team payouts over its 52-year history. Peach Bowl, Inc. also leads all other bowl game organizations in charitable and scholarship contributions, having donated or committed $57.2 million to organizations in need since 2002. Peach Bowl, Inc. also created and manages the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, the Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament, manages The Dodd Trophy national coach of the year award and led the relocation and financial foundation of the College Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta. For more information, visit Chick-fil-APeachBowl.com or follow us on Twitter at @CFAPeachBowl and find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/CFAPeachBowl.

Najee Harris was selected as a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama practiced for two hours outside at the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields on Tuesday, continuing preparations for this weekend’s game with Kentucky.

Also on Tuesday, Najee Harris was selected as one of 20 semifinalists for the fourth annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award. The award focuses primarily on a player’s leadership, both on and off the field. The semifinalists have all demonstrated leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship. The finalists will be named on Dec. 16 with the winner being announced at the award ceremony on Feb. 16, 2021. The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school’s athletic scholarship fund.

The Crimson Tide’s tally includes 2020 graduates from 12 different teams

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A total of 30 Alabama Athletics graduates from 12 different sports earned the 2020 1A FAR Academic Excellence Award it was announced recently.

This year’s honorees include Crimson Tide starting quarterback Mac Jones, All-Americans and CoSIDA Academic All-Americans Bailey Hemphill (softball), Allie Surrency (women’s swimming and diving), Kaylee Tow (softball) and Samantha Zelden (women’s track and field) as well as CoSIDA Academic All-Americans Raien Emery (rowing), Daniel Kober (men’s swimming and diving), Nealy Martin (soccer), Alex Plavin (soccer) and Alba Cortina Pou (women’s tennis). Two members of the CoSIDA Academic All-District IV team, Kolby Robinson (baseball) and Alexey Nesterov (men’s tennis), also made the list.

The award, presented by the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives (FAR) Board, goes to student-athletes who graduate with a cumulative grade point average of 3.80 or above and have participated in at least two years of NCAA intercollegiate athletics at a Football Bowl Subdivision institution.

All the latest information on Alabama Athletics can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.

Alabama Athletics’ 2020 1A FAR Academic Excellence Award Recipients

• Cameron Brown, women’s swimming & diving
• Kayla Cecil, women’s track & field
• Alba Cortina Pou, women’s tennis
• Olivia DeGroot, rowing
• Maddie Desch, gymnastics
• Abigail Dickinson, women’s track & field
• Raien Emery, rowing
• Luca Fabian, women’s Tennis
• Alina Faunce, women’s swimming & diving
• Cori Guay, rowing
• Ariana Guerra, gymnastics
• Sarah Helm, women’s swimming & diving
• Bailey Hemphill, softball
• Mac Jones, football
• Justin King, baseball
• Daniel Kober, men’s swimming & diving
• Kyle Maas, men’s swimming & diving
• Chloe Maize, soccer
• Shannon Marsh, women’s track & field/cross country
• Nealy Martin, soccer
• Alexey Nesterov, men’s tennis
• Jacqueline Pelletier, women’s tennis
• Alex Plavin, soccer
• Kolby Robinson, baseball
• Merris Schroder, softball
• Lexi Souther, women’s swimming & diving
• Avery Stuchell, women’s track & field
• Allie Surrency, women’s swimming & diving
• Kaylee Tow, softball
• Samantha Zelden, women’s track & field

Wednesday practice moves indoors to the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility

 TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama put in its third full practice of the week on Wednesday afternoon, putting in two hours of work inside the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility.