TUSCALOOSA—For Alabama quarterbacks under Nick Saban, it’s the LSU game that makes a man out of them. Whether it’s the untamed fan base, freakish athletic on defense or being inside Tiger Stadium at night, something forces a Crimson Tide’s signal caller to build up a coping mechanism.
True freshman Jalen Hurts becomes the third quarterback to send Tiger fans home with heartbreak, joining ex-Alabama standouts John Parker Wilson, AJ McCarron and Blake Sims. He made a quite a few freshman mistakes, including two turnovers—yet he found a way to win in the fourth quarter. Hurts gave Alabama its first lead of the ball game, breaking a scoreless tie with a 21-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
It was his 10th rushing score of the season, and one of four third downs he would convert with his legs. Hurts’ proceeded to burn LSU’s defense on the Tide’s next and final scoring drive, moving the chains on two third and long situations.
TD! @JalenHurts #BamavsLsu pic.twitter.com/Ya7DjzQIPe
— BamaVideo (@BamaVideo_) November 6, 2016
A combination of Lane Kiffin’s play calling and Dave Aranda’s defense made Hurts a non-factor in the passing game, but he did account for his third 100-yard rushing outing of the year.
He totaled 114 yards rushing on 20 carries, posting 5.7 yards per carry average.
It was not pretty, however, the freshman got it done. Alabama escapes Death Valley with a 10-0 victory, improving to 9-0. Hurts and the Tide are still in control of its destiny in the Southeastern Conference.
Stephen M. Smith is a senior analyst and columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
