Alabama crushed LSU, 42-28, on Saturday night in a statement victory that all but cements the Crimson Tide's resurgence this season.
Nick Saban's offense took down No. 14 LSU and improved to 8-1, currently undefeated against SEC opponents. By now, everyone probably knows what Saban told former Alabama wide receiver Aaron Anderson, who transferred to LSU ahead of the season. “You’d be playing more here than you are there." What a snarky comment.
But Saban also had plenty to say about his team's dominant performance as a whole against a SEC West archrival.
Following a productive performance from quarterback Jalen Milroe and an incredibly effective rushing attack, Nick Saban said he was "proud" of Alabama for coming away with a "great team win."
Saban said of the offense, "Our offense controlled the tempo of the game, especially in the second half. I think that was the difference in the game. We had 500 yards of offense, but the key to it was being 11-for-14 on third down and being able to keep the ball."
More than half of their scrimmage yards and six touchdowns came on the ground, and Saban gave credit to Bama's backs who did good job at "pressing the holes."
Nick Saban applauds Alabama offense after key win over LSU
On Jalen Milroe, who finished with 219 passing yards, 167 rushing yards, and four total touchdowns, Saban commented that he liked what he saw regarding Milroe's mentality and attitude on the field.
Saban said, "[Milroe's] reading things more quickly, getting the ball to the right guy, he’s making really good decisions when he has to improvise. Early in the year, he’d get frustrated if he made a bad throw or whatever. Now he’s learning to play the next play."
Saban didn't forget about the defense, who has been making key stops all year long, and the Crimson Tide fans, who created a rowdy 12th-man atmosphere on Saturday night. He ended on a humble note: Despite getting two big consecutive wins, Alabama still has to "take care of business in the future."
"We can win the West, and maybe be at the SEC Championship game, and who knows what happens from there."
Alabama is back, baby.