Nick Saban Clarifies Sign-Stealing Comments After Alabama's Win vs. Ole Miss

Alabama survived an upset bid from Ole Miss Saturday, but the defense was certainly an issue in the 63-48 victory. Head coach Nick Saban explained the coaching staff simply couldn't keep up with the opposing sideline

"They were going fast. We were struggling to get lined up and we didn't do a very good job of disguising things. So they were able to take advantage of a lot of situations," Saban said Monday, per Alex Scarborough of ESPN. "They know us well, so all those things contributed to me feeling a little bit like we were one play behind."

The coach had initially questioned after the game whether Ole Miss knew his team's defensive signals.

"It seemed like everything we did though they had an answer for," Saban said Saturday. "I don't know if they had our signals or what."

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, who spent three seasons as Alabama's offensive coordinator under Saban, said Monday he didn't need the opposing signals because he was moving so quickly.

"We call a play basically before the last play is even over. Before they mark the ball, we call our play," he said. "Then they scramble to get their play called."

It resulted in 48 points and 647 yards from scrimmage for the Rebels.

Alabama also excelled offensively, scoring 63 points with nine touchdowns on 11 drives. It led to one of the best offensive games in SEC history:

Though the Crimson Tide are 3-0 to start the season, they clearly have work to do defensively in order to compete for a championship.