Jalen Milroe had the stage to show he’s an improved passer, and the sophomore excelled.
He completed 11 of 23 passes for 149 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown to Christian Leary.
RELATED: Jalen Milroe takes center stage in first half of 2022 A-Day Game
Milroe and Leary connected on several plays at Bryant-Denny Stadium, pacing White to a 25-7 victory over Crimson. Leary, a sophomore, led all wide receivers with five catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. He was targeted nine times and averaged 21.2 yards per reception. Milroe totaled 32 yards rushing on eight carries and demonstrated control as he operated the offense.
Ty Simpson, a freshman, completed five of 12 passes for 43 yards. He showed his dual-threat abilities with 18 yards rushing on eight carries. Jamarion Miller, a freshman, totaled 44 rushing yards on 15 carries for the White team.
Both defenses put on a show for fans. White and Crimson combined for 15 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, two interceptions, eight breakups, four quarterback hurries, and a fumble recovery. Will Anderson disrupted the first-team offense. He sacked Bryce Young twice and had two tackles for loss. Jamil Burroughs looked impressive as an interior rusher, totaling two sacks.
RELATED: Alabama alum Quinnen Williams treats Birmingham police to heart-warming lunch
Dallas Turner collected three sacks and Chris Braswell had two sacks.
Jaheim Oatis, Jah-Marien Latham, Tim Kennan III, and Jeremiah Alexander each had a sack for Crimson.
Malachi Moore led the Crimson team in tackles (seven) while Kendrick Blackshire and Devonta Smith posted six stops.
Khyree Jackson, Henry To’oto’o, Jaylen Moody, and Brian Branch had four tackles each for the White team. Jahmyr Gibbs, a transfer from Georgia Tech, had the lone explosive play for Crimson. He recorded a 75-yard rushing touchdown.
Gibbs turned in 100 yards rushing on nine carries in the matchup.
Bryce Young completed 14 of 27 passes for 153 yards with one interception for Crimson. Special teams excelled as Jack Martin and Will Reichard combined for six made field goals. Martin’s longest attempt was 40 yards and Reichard’s longest was 44 yards.
Some good moments happened on both sides, but the connection between Milroe and Leary took the show. Alabama still needs improvement on its offensive line, but adding Tyler Steen in the summer will help. Crimson Tide fans have a bonafide No. 2 quarterback after Young, and Milroe showed it. We now enter the summer with some things to be excited about for the fall.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
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.
