Will clarity at the quarterback position lead to Alabama football settling into the 2023 season with consistent play? We’ll find out this Saturday as the Crimson Tide starts its SEC schedule with an intriguing top-15 matchup.

No. 13 Alabama’s offensive and defensive leadership have been called into question this week. Just in time for former coaches of each unit to come to Tuscaloosa. It’ll be Lane Kiffin leading No. 15 Ole Miss and defensive coordinator Pete Golding into Bryant-Denny Stadium against UA and their former employer Nick Saban.

The Tide (2-1) escaped South Florida with a 17-3 victory. And while Jalen Milroe didn’t play against the Bulls, his leadership and the struggles of Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner led to Saban naming Milroe the team’s starting quarterback. The defense, meanwhile, had its best showing of the year with five sacks and four stops on fourth down.

The Rebels (3-0) are coming off a 48-23 win over Georgia Tech. Quarterback Jaxson Dart leads Ole Miss in rushing (236 yards for 2 touchdowns) and passing (852 yards and seven scores). Defensive end Isaac Ukwu has a pair of sacks. Through three games, Ole Miss is averaging the fourth-most points per game in the nation (52.7).

Here is what Alabama said before Kiffin and Golding make their return and what Kiffin said about facing Nick Saban once again. CBS is set to air the 2:30 p.m. kickoff.

Nick Saban, Alabama head coach

“We’re looking forward to SEC opener. We’ve had three games to kind of evaluate our team in a lot of different areas. Ole Miss is a really, really good team. Lane has done a great job with the program. This is one of the best offensive teams in the country in terms of things that they do, multiples that they have, the way their players are coached and how they execute.”

On dealing with public expectations and listening to “outside noise:” “Look, I like the team. I’ve got confidence in our team. I really do. We’ve had some tough stretches before and players have bounced back, but I think everybody has got to make a commitment to doing that. It’s not easy. … I just think our execution has got to get a little more consistent.”

On Huntsville native and former Tide analyst Wes Neighbors, now with Ole Miss as safeties coach: “He was on staff here and I always knew that he’d be a really good coach. He’s developed into a nice coach. Those guys play really well. His guys play really well. They play hard. You know, Pete does a good job with the defense. They’ve got a good scheme. I think they’re playing a lot better on defense because of it. They play with a lot of inspiration and they do a good job of executing the scheme and I’m sure Wes has a lot to do with that.”

On Jaxson Dart: “We thought he was a really good player last year. I think he’s playing extremely well this year. I can’t really say as a great comparison, but he’s throwing the ball well. He’s always a threat as a runner. They have quarterback runs in their offense, which he does a great job of reading them. And this guy is tough and a great competitor, and it’ll be really challenging for us to play him run and pass.”

Deontae Lawson, Alabama linebacker

On relaying play calls against tempo offense: “We’ve had to deal with it the past couple weeks. Something we practice every day, so I feel like it’s a same ole week.”

JC Latham, Alabama offensive lineman

On facing a Pete Golding defense: “He has an aggressive mindset. He sprinkles in some complexities so it’s not always the same look. Just understanding that when we see him, he’ll probably play us a little more squared-up, but occasionally, he’ll throw in something to try and throw us off.”

On communication pre-snap: “First you have to identify how they’re being aggressive. Are they slanting? Are they blitzing everybody? Are they just playing base and hitting us in the mouth? Once you understand how they’re attacking, you have to formulate a plan how you’re going to attack it … just understanding what it is and where it’s coming from is the first part, then coming up with a plan of attack is the second.”

Malachi Moore, Alabama defensive back

“When Pete was here, he was a great guy. I loved him, and it’s definitely going to be good seeing his face on the sideline. … His defense? You know, he wants the defense to have a nasty mentality, get the ball and play fast and aggressive.”

On stopping a fast offense: “I just think everybody has to be urgent and get lined up. We really don’t have too much time to celebrate when we make a tackle or big play or anything like tha. That’s one thing we’ve been focusing on in practice, just — even if the scout team’s not running back to ball are running fast tempo, we do that as a defense.

RELATED: Nick Saban names Ty Simpson as Alabama football’s backup quarterback

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What the Rebels said about the Tide

Head coach Lane Kiffin on his claim that Travaris Robinson took over Alabama’s play-calling duties: “I was asked the question what was it like going against [Kevin] Steele’s defense. I wasn’t really trying to start this big thing. We saw things on the TV copy just where it was different. First off what the play looked like and the calls and stuff. We looked into that further. It’s not a secret that people in these buildings know each other, so we obviously got some information that way too. It is what it is.”

Kiffin on the challenges of going through coordinators: “It’s really challenging. We’ve had a lot of turnover here with guys getting different jobs and having to reset structure-wise offense and defense positions. Saban has done it better than anybody over time and really speaks to why he’s the best coach in the history of college football and maybe in all of sports. To be in the time of scholarship limitations, which the old coaches didn’t deal with. I just told you he’s got 85 players we couldn’t get, what if he had 150 like they used to? The staff now move so much. He’s been able to work through that like no one ever has, that’s why he’s the best.”

Kiffin on Jalen Milroe: “(Milroe is) a very challenging player, one we’re very familiar with, their (old) defensive coordinator being there and knowing him and watching him play not just this year, but last where he had played in the A&M game. (Alabama was) the road team coming there and took them down to the last play, so this is a very challenging quarterback to play against.”

Senior defensive back Isaac Ukwu: “I’ve been a fan of college football for a while, and I’ve seen seasons like at the beginning of every season, there’s always this, ‘Oh, is Bama the same Bama?’ But then they still find a way to be who they are and who they have been over the past couple of decades. That’s really because of culture.”

Senior defensive tackle JJ Pegues on playing at Bryant-Denny Stadium: “It’s a great atmosphere an d I know all the fans will be there. We’ll have a little section that they’ll probably put at the top. We’ll be alright. We just gotta beat it.”

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].