Alabama coach Nick Saban got a chance to see his team in live action for the last time before the Crimson Tide’s season opener against Virginia Tech in two weeks, and didn’t sound happy with the results.
“I also think that we looked a little bit slow because we probably are right now,” Saban said. “I mean we’ve practiced, what, 19 times or this is the 19th practice that we’ve had now in just a little over two weeks. Now we’ve got to get our team back, we’ve got to get healthy, we’ve got to get guys ready to play.”
Saban called out multiple position groups after the scrimmage, which was closed to the public and media, the most notable of which was the offensive line.
“We’ve still got to improve in our ability to get movement in the running game on offense,” he said. “We have to keep a solid pocket for our quarterback so he has a chance to operate and do things.”
Wide receiver Amari Cooper did not play. He is being held out with a foot injury, but Saban said he should be back at practice in a limited role Tuesday.
Another area that Saban said needed improvement was the pass rush.
“I think we’ve got a long way to go in pass rush. It’s inconsistent,” he said. “I think we have more athletic guys. I think we have more guys that can be good edge rushers. I think there’s a discipline in pass rush that guys really have to learn to understand.”
Saban also touched on the backup quarterback race. Saban said that AJ McCarron has received 90 percent of the first-team reps, and Blake Sims has played the other 10. But the battle for third quarterback might be closer than most think.
Redshirt freshman Alec Morris, thought to be the favorite, took the third-team snaps last week, but this week it was Luke Del Rio, a preferred walk-on who turned down offers from Oklahoma State and others to play at Alabama. Saban said Sims’ biggest issue is inconsistency.
“Blake’s biggest problem is forcing the ball,” Saban said. “He actually played pretty well today, but he threw three interceptions. And they were all what I call ‘hope throws.’ The guy wasn’t really open, he was just hoping the guy was going to make a play, but the defensive player made the play. Because the guy was really covered. And if he can eliminate those, he can be an effective passer.”
Alabama will have two days off for the first time since the start of fall camp before returning to the practice field Tuesday.
