He is making a believer out of everyone.
Mac Jones was hounded by reporters after a strong outing in his first start versus Arkansas and it happened again this weekend. The sophomore was very effective against Western Carolina on senior day, as he misfired on just two passes.
Jones completed 10 of 12 attempts – including a couple of deep shots on the Catamounts. He totaled 275 passing yards and tied his season-high for touchdown passes (three).
Six different receivers were targeted and Jaylen Waddle was the marquee beneficiary of Jones, collecting 101 yards receiving with one score on three catches.
RELATED: WATCH: Nick Saban post game presser following Western Carolina win
DeVonta Smith grabbed a touchdown from Jones and Najee Harris did as well.
In his second start, the native Floridian pushed the tempo and guided the Crimson Tide to 541 yards offensively on 57 plays. Alabama was near flawless in the red zone (six for seven) and converted five of eight third downs. Nick Saban said Jones did not throw the ball much, but he made a lot of explosive plays when Steve Sarkisian trusted the former four-star to let it rip.
“Mac was very efficient,” Saban said.
“I thought he threw the ball well. We knew that the way they play defense… we were going to have to take some shots. He did a good job of throwing the ball to grass on some of those posts when they were chasing guys, so I thought he did well. He was accurate on the deep ball. I know he missed one, but we just want to keep building on his confidence and our confidence in him.”
Jones will face a talented defensive front in Auburn, but he’ll enter the matchup with seven touchdowns.
Alabama’s offensive line did not give up a sack and it led to him propelling the team to a 66-3 victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Tide has two 60-point games on the year.
*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.
