NEW ORLEANS — This time, Alabama coach Nick Saban told the truth.
He talked all week about how seriously he took the Utah Utes when few people gave the Mountain West Conference champions any kind of shot of hanging with the SEC runner-ups in Friday night's Sugar Bowl. He said the Utes had his respect and that his team held Utah in high regard.
Saban, who late in his stint as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins said he would not be Alabama's next coach and ended up there just weeks later, was right about the Utes being a legitimate opponent, although it didn't seem that his players got the message in the Crimson Tide's 31-17 loss to Utah.
"I said they were a very good football team 100 times and I believed it," Saban said. "We didn't get it done and I'm responsible for that. It's my responsibility to have the team ready to play, and I don't think we came ready to play. I don't know why."
That much was obvious right from the opening kickoff. On defense, the Crimson Tide struggled with tackling and covering receivers while falling behind 21-0 in the first quarter. Alabama gained a total of 1 yard during its first two possessions.
"We got off to a horrible start and we didn't overcome it very well," Saban said.
Alabama undoubtedly missed its starting left tackle, Outland Trophy winner Andre Smith. He was suspended for the Sugar Bowl by the school for reportedly dealing with an agent. His replacement, Mike Johnson, the usual starting left guard, left the game with an injury in the first half.
Without two of their top three offensive linemen, the Crimson Tide could generate very little offense. They rushed for a paltry, season-low 31 yards.
Alabama didn't want to use the losses of Smith and Johnson as excuses, but their absences were factors in the team's meager output on offense.
"We lost a few guys on the line early, but we can't place the blame on that," said lineman Drew Davis. "We had a lot of faith in our offensive line and we're very disappointed we didn't finish strong."
The Crimson Tide featured one of the best rushing attacks in the nation during the regular season. With it kept in check on Friday, Alabama had to make plays in its passing game to overtake the Utes. But Utah's defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage and put relentless pressure on Crimson Tide quarterback John Parker Wilson.
"It starts up front," Saban said. "We didn't give our quarterback a chance too many times in the pocket to be able to throw the ball effectively.'
College football fans wondered how the Utes could possibly stand up to Alabama's imposing offensive line and physicality. But the biggest mismatch in the game actually worked in Utah's favor, as the Crimson Tide's secondary could not cover the Utes' receivers. Utah spread the Tide out on defense and quarterback Brian Johnson picked them apart.
"This (Utah) is a really good offensive team," Saban said. "They've scored a lot of points for the most part. And it was a good matchup for them and maybe not as good of a matchup for us. We didn't execute like we needed to."
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