While the White defeated the Crimson 17-14 in Alabama’s annual spring game Saturday, head coach Nick Saban had a difficult time identifying any winners. The Crimson Tide head coach was fuming after his team’s lackluster performance in Saturday’s scrimmage, played before 78,315 fans:
2013 Alabama spring game recap: Saban fumes after White defeats Crimson 17-14
“I think too many people [are] too comfortable with their position,” says the Crimson Tide boss.
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“I really do feel like we have a lot of the components to develop as a team,” Saban said. “I don’t think we are where we need to be. I think too many people (are) too comfortable with their position. That, to me, does not lend itself to great competition or being a great competitor.”
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“I’m interested in what is the vision of the team, what’s the purpose of the team, what do we want to accomplish? We need to determine what we’re going to do in the future, what is this team going to be all about, and forget about all that other stuff because it’s history.”
The main reason for Saban's ire: A sluggish performance by his first team offense, which jumped to an early 10-0 lead and then went scoreless for eight straight series, four of them ending in a turnover. With 2:01 left to play, the Crimson recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown, briefly taking a 14-10 lead. The game was won on a late seven-yard White touchdown by T.J. Yeldon.
Yeldon was the leading rusher Saturday, going for 69 yards on 15 carries. Yeldon also led all players in receiving, catching seven passes for 60 yards, and won the game's most valuable player award. White also featured returning quarterback A.J. McCarron, who completed 19/30 passing attempts for 223 yards and a score. McCarron also threw a pair of interceptions.
For the Crimson, redshirt freshman Alec Morris went 10/18 for 141 yards through the air. Junior Blake Sims struggled, completing just 5/10 passes for 52 yards and throwing two picks. Sophomore Kenyan Drake led Crimson in rushing with 33 yards on eight carries.
It was not all defense and teeth-gnashing Saturday, however. One couple tied the knot before the game, with the groom in his finest Kenny Stabler jersey and jean shorts.
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