Bo Nix was not the only quarterback who grew up in last year’s Iron Bowl.
Text messages, phone calls and emails flooded the phone of Mac Jones for his performance, despite a 45-48 loss suffered by Alabama football versus Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Whether it was AJ McCarron, other former players or prestigious alumni members, Jones gained a bolt of confidence for his efforts.
In facing a hostile defense in his third career start, he had 335 passing yards and four touchdowns on 26 completions of 39 attempts.
He was responsible for two costly interceptions, both returned for scores, but the grit and leadership of Jones did position the Crimson Tide with a chance to force overtime.
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A missed field goal led to the loss, however, Gus Malzahn is well aware of Jones’ growth.
He has watched the redshirt junior all season and in his presser on Tuesday, Malzahn knows what Jones is bringing.
“He is more experienced,” he said of Jones. “I thought he was great last year, but he has more confidence and he is very efficient.”
The Tigers must get pressure on Jones, but it will not be easy. Alabama’s offensive line has guided one of the more balanced groups in college football. With the lineup of Alex Leatherwood, Deonte Brown, Landon Dickerson, Emil Ekiyor Jr. and Evan Neal, the Tide leads the Southeastern Conference for scoring offense (49.4 ppg) and is a strong run-blocking unit.
“They (Alabama) have one of the best offensive line’s I have seen,” Malzahn said.
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Malzahn, who has served as Auburn’s head coach since 2013, has been impressed by how Alabama has been able to successfully run the football and use play action. In the aftermath of the 2019 Iron Bowl, Jones has turned in a remarkable season as a first-year starter. He’s completed 77.1 percent of his throws (155 of 201) for 2,426 yards with 18 touchdowns to three interceptions in seven games. Not only is he a frontrunner in this year’s Heisman Trophy race, but now NFL Draft experts are projecting him to be selected in the first-round of the 2021 venue. Jones took last year’s game as a learning experience, but the only stat that matters to him is winning. Auburn comes to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, and Jones looks to provide a different outcome.
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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.
