In his first career start at Alabama, Jalen Milroe’s performance at quarterback was a bit of a mixed bag.
Although he threw for three touchdowns he matched that production with the number of turnovers (two fumbles and an interception) while throwing for just 111 yards on the night.
The Crimson Tide was able to gut out the 24-20 victory over the Aggies but it was clear that Milroe did not always look comfortable operating in the pocket and Nick Saban picked up on it.
“I just think Jalen played with a lot of anxiety and I don’t think he allowed himself to let his training guide him and trust and believe in it so he could have success executing plays,” Saban said to the media on Monday. “You can’t turn the ball over and not execute plays the way they’re designed and relative to the read of what you should and shouldn’t do.”
Both of Milroe’s fumbles during the game directly led to Texas A&M touchdowns and never settled into the passing game.
“Those things are all things we need to definitely improve on so that we can utilize all 11 players on our offensive team,” Saban said. “We’ve got skill guys that can make plays. We’ve gotta distribute the ball at the quarterback position so they can. Whether it’s a run or a pass or an RPO or an advantage throw, you have to make the right choices and decisions on those things. I think we definitely need to improve in all those areas.”
What was going right for Milroe and the offense was the ground game. Milroe rushed the ball 17 times for 83 yards while running back Jahmyr Gibbs turned in another big game with 21 carries for 154 yards making it two consecutive games rushing of more than 150 yards on the ground for the Georgia Tech transfer.
It wasn’t the perfect game offensively and it’s understandable that filling in for the Heisman Trophy winner in a big game could be daunting, but Milroe kept a positive outlook after the game as the team was able to remain undefeated.
“I’m happy, I’m happy,” Milroe said following the game. “We got the win against a tough A&M opponent. They played very well and I’m happy. We’re going to turn on the tape and fix whatever we need to fix but right now, I’m excited. I’m happy.”
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
