'Just Cut it Loose': Ty Simpson's Decision-Making Tested vs. Florida State

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — After sitting on the bench for three years, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson earned the starting job for Week 1 against Florida State on the road this past Saturday.

However, the Crimson Tide fell to the Seminoles 31-17, as neither side of the ball fully developed. Simpson finished the game completing 23 of 43 (53.5 percent) pass attempts for 254 yards and two touchdowns.

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer took a look at Simpson's performance, specifically his decision-making.

"I think there were a couple of times where he probably could have avoided having to get to that point by just ripping it," DeBoer said during Monday's press conference. "Just trusting himself. The guys were where they needed to be and the reads happened. That comes along, right? Just getting into the flow. I know they want verification on, 'this is what we practiced,' first game of the year.

"But just cut it loose. When you see the read, it isn't like they're putting 12 guys on the field. There's only 11 out there. When this structure goes a certain way and it is what you practiced, trust and believe in it. So then what it does is it forces him into that progression or that read being missed, and now the next step, which I think you're referring to in taking off and scrambling."

Simpson could not have gotten off to a much better start to the game, as he led a 16-play, 75-yard opening drive that nearly lasted nine minutes and it resulted in a two-yard touchdown connection between him and tight end Josh Cuevas. Everything seemed on point, but Simpson believed "We got a little complacent" after the first drive.

"There was a time or two where he could have made some decisions that were better, but he also had kept some drives alive," DeBoer said. "Especially the first one, I thought he did a nice job. He came up short right there at the end of the game. That was a tough one, where he came up a few inches short, but the effort was there and you could see that from trying to fight for every inch he could to keep that drive alive.

Alabama's center Parker Brailsford and left tackle Kadyn Proctor both said this offseason that they believe that the Crimson Tide's front five can win the Joe Moore Award, which is given annually to the nation's best offensive line.

But it wasn't the best showing as Simpson was sacked three times for a total loss of 28 yards. He often faced pressure, which led to a massive difference in his completion percentage. For reference, per Pro Football Focus, Simpson was 20 of 29 in a clean pocket and 3-for-14 under pressure.

“The toughest part, I think, for quarterbacks in general, is not letting one pressure or a bad protection bleed into the next play," Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said on Monday. "And certainly that can be the case. I think there were times where the protection was adequate, where Ty got a little bit antsy. He had a couple of drives later where I thought he did a good job of not dropping his eyes.

"So I think the biggest part for him is trying to simulate some of those pressures in practice and create those hostile environments for him in the backfield that he's got to be able to keep his eyes down the field: poise. I know that's something that he's excited to try to work on.”

Nevertheless, Alabama is confident that Simpson will grow from the loss. Coaches and teammates have been adamant about the co-captain's leadership and work ethic throughout the offseason and it will show as the season continues.

"He's going to learn from it, Ty wants it, no doubt," DeBoer said. "He's a guy that takes ownership himself, and that's what we do from the coaching staff on down to our players. Going into this week, it's just always reassessing win or loss, what we need to get better at, what our strengths are, and then how we've got to progress and what the plan should be moving forward."

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