As Alabama prepares for its yearly matchup with Mississippi State, the circumstances are nearly identical to last season. The Crimson Tide were upset by an unranked Texas A&M team on the road thanks to a game-winning field goal.
Alabama got back in the win-column downing the Bulldogs 49-9 and are hoping to repeat the same success in Tuscaloosa in 2022. Mississippi State is also looking for a much-needed win after falling to Kentucky on the road. The Bulldogs are looking to become the first team since Oklahoma defeated Alabama in the 2013 Sugar Bowl to hand the Crimson Tide two-consecutive losses.
Mike Leach was unavailable during Wednesday’s SEC teleconference so here is what he said during his Monday press conference.
On Bryce Young and Alabama’s offense…
“I think they’re good. They have quality players and quality players and they’re explosive, several guys are pretty explosive. I think (Young) is pretty good. He can help himself with his feet.”
On how much of the Tennessee-Alabama game he was able to watch…
“We watched the coach’s film. I thought Tennessee played really fast. I thought the quarterback and the receiver were really on the same page and had some pretty good timing when they get some of their explosive plays in there. It was a really tight back-and-forth game.”
On how he plans to narrow the gap in recruiting between Alabama and Mississippi State…
“The biggest thing you just kind of focus on what you’ve got and what resources you have and you try to elevate them as much as you can. I think we’re making progress you try to make it as fast as you can. You know, in the last two years, it’s become a more volatile kind of recruiting situation and the dust hasn’t settled on it. You try to guide through that.”
On if there were any similarities between Leach and Josh Hepeul’s offense…
“He’s definitely got some things that look familiar. There are some things that look familiar and I can think of a play, in particular, that we ran back in the day. He’s got his quarterback running that play better than he ran it.”
On Jahmyr Gibbs…
“I think he’s really good. That’s the thing they keep you kind of thinned out because you’re trying to attend to both of them. As they do that, you can’t just focus on one thing and then you’re vulnerable to both a little bit.”
On if he uses the team’s 14-game losing streak against Alabama as motivation…
“No, I mean, all that counts is what you do today and then what you do next. You don’t have any control over that, it doesn’t affect anything.”
On if having more experienced players will make the team unfazed to play Alabama…
“If they’re sitting there looking at that and then paying attention to that, they’re looking at the wrong thing they need to be looking at themselves and how well they’re playing competing with themselves (to be able to) play the best that they could play. They can only they can control the guy in their uniform. They can control the guy in the other uniform, they’ve got to focus on themselves.”