For the second time this season, fans will head to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night to watch the Alabama football game with a non-Power 5 opponent.
But two days before a game against the Southern Miss that lacks the oomph of Tide’s next four SEC games this season in Tuscaloosa, coach Nick Saban made a stronger-than-usual plea to the fans.
“I don’t want to be negative – I’m not trying to be negative with anyone, but we can’t take it for granted, that we’ll always have a good squad,” he said during his final minutes. Weekly radio show Thursday night.
Ohio State coach [Ryan Day] He said it this week about this team. Just because you’re wearing the Ohio State uniform doesn’t mean you’ll beat the other team. There are certain things that you have to do, as a competitor and as a player, to be a good player and be able to dominate the competition, and we have massive competition in our league.
“But there is also the spirit and passion that the people who support the program and the people who come to the games provide the spirit and passion that impacts the players.”
Saban then pointed to the over 90,000 crowd, the fifth largest in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium history, which greeted Alabama with a 31-29 victory last Saturday.
“We’ve lived that in Florida,” Saban said, his tone rising. “I don’t want anyone to say, for a moment, that it’s hard to play somewhere other than playing here.
“Let’s just practice what we have to do to fill the field, we have some spirit and passion for our team – we don’t have a perfect team at the moment, we are a growing and developing team – so we can get to where we want to go.
“I would appreciate it from everyone if we could do it. I will do everything in my power to get these guys to grow and develop and do their part. But let’s all be part of the team. We have always been that way.”
This was the second time this week that Saban has asked for a fan following. He said while working Wednesday press conference That it would be “useful” for the players to bring energy and enthusiasm to the fans.
Mike Rudak is an Alabama winning reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter Tweet embed.