He looked good in practice leading up to Alabama’s meeting with the Citadel, and with head coach Nick Saban not caring about the opinions of others, sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned to having the type of game that endeared him to Crimson Tide fans.
After telling reporters in a post-game interview that the offense was “too casual” in the first half, Tagovailoa and company came out firing in the third quarter. He stepped up his leadership and navigated the Tide on three drives that resulted in touchdowns. Behind the performance of someone that will be in New York City for the Heisman Trophy presentation, Alabama recorded its first 50-point game since its matchup against Tennessee at Neyland Stadium on Oct. 20.
Tagovailoa tossed for 340 passing yards with four total touchdowns (one rushing) on completing 18 of 22 attempts, which is good for 81.8 percent. Fans continue holding their breath when the powerful Polynesian pulls the ball down to run, but his competitiveness pushes him to bounce back after taking hits.
He tallied 37 yards rushing with one score on four carries – including a long run of 16 yards that picked up a first down. He carried 28 scoring tosses prior to Saturday’s game; however, his three touchdowns versus the Bulldogs allowed him to break the school’s record for most scoring passes in a single-season.
AJ McCarron, Alabama’s former signal-caller, previously held the mark at 30 in 2012 and now, Tagovailoa stands alone in the books with 31.
Alabama QB @Tuaamann Breaks School Record With 31st TD pass #BamavsCitadel #SecNetwork pic.twitter.com/zDDy5NgbR4
— InsideBamaRecruiting (@RTRnews) November 17, 2018
“I thought he played pretty well,” Saban said of Tagovailoa.
“I think he was 18 for 22 and for a guy that most people thought should not play in the game, I thought he responded really well by taking a challenge and going out there to do what is best for his team. All of our fans, they come to the game to see him play. I think it’s fair that he goes out there and competes like every other player on our team. I thought he did a good job today.”
Upon being asked about the accomplishment, it did not dawn on Saban until the post-game presser that his young quarterback had broken the record. Along with showing praise on McCarron for what he did in his time at Tuscaloosa, Saban touched on how Tagovailoa is more so proud of his teammates for helping achieve one of few career milestones that happened.
“AJ McCarron was a fantastic player here, a three-year starter and won a couple of national championships here,” Saban said. “His accomplishments will always be appreciated, but it is nice to see our players who are performing well get recognized for what they do. Tua’s had a really good year and we are excited for him that he set a record, broke a record or whatever, but I am sure that he would tell you if it wasn’t for his teammates… he would not have an opportunity to do that.”
In adding his four rushing scores, Tagovailoa has 35 touchdowns – tying him for second all-time with ex-Tide quarterback Blake Sims from 2014. He is two scores shy of setting a new season record for total touchdowns by a trigger puller, as Jalen Hurts currently has the mark at 36.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
