For Aggies To Win Against Alabama, It Starts With Jalen Milroe
COLLEGE STATION -- Everything starts with Jalen Milroe for Alabama, including game-planning for Texas A&M.
Milroe, a native of Houston who caught Nick Saban's attention while starring as Katy Tompkins' quarterback, does a bit of everything. He can sling it deep for gains of over 20 yards. If the pocket breaks down, there's a chance he'll find his way into the end zone via the ground game.
A&M coach Jimbo Fisher remembers Milore tearing it up as a prospect just south of College Station. Come Saturday, he'll be watching his every move when the Aggies play host to the No. 11 Crimson Tide.
"He can throw it,” Fisher said of the 6-2 sophomore Monday during his weekly press conference. “His arm is strong as heck. He had two runs last week. One was an RPO, he looked to throw it, didn’t hit, and just scrambled. I mean, 65, 70 yards later, it’s in the end zone. He’s as good of an athlete that’s on their team and there are some phenomenal guys on that team."
Milroe is Alabama's best option at quarterback heading into Saturday's 2:30 p.m. kick at Kyle Field. Throughout spring and fall camp, he battled to QB1 with freshman Ty Simpson and later Notre Dame transfer Ty Buchner.
Saban elected to make a switch at quarterback following a 34-24 Week 2 loss at home against No. 3 Texas. Buchner got the start at South Florida but was benched at halftime after completing 5 of his 14 pass attempts for 34 yards. Simpson, a former five-star commit, fared slightly better en route to a 17-3 win, but he only conected with receivers five times for 73 yards and found the end zone with his legs.
The Crimson Tide's offense isn't asked to do much under first-year coordinator Tommy Rees, a credit to the defensive rebound headlined by a potent secondary and an improving run defense. Since returning to the starting role, Milroe has completed 27-of-33 pass attempts for 389 yards and one touchdown pass, totaling two scores as a runner.
"He's as fast as anybody on their team," Fisher said. "A lot of those [mobile] quarterbacks you can run down or they'll get big chunks of yards. This guy puts balls in the end zone. He's like your tailback or your best receiver hitting grass and running away from you."
While Milroe's six touchdown passes rank 12th among SEC starters, his deep ball accuracy often sets up Alabama (4-1, 2-0 SEC) in opposing territory. The Crimson Tide rank second among SEC program in yards per catch (14.4) and 16th nationally. Four different receivers enter Saturday, averaging over 19 yards per reception, including sophomore tight end Amari Niblack (19.8) and senior receiver Jermaine Burton (23.6).
"It makes it hard because it pushes your defenders so deep, it creates that separation at the levels of play," Fisher said. "When you get a guy that athletic he can get in space, and then he can make you miss."
The Aggies (4-1, 2-0 SEC) have two different sets of game film to monitor in prepping for Milroe. He's played in four games in 2023 as the hopeful star that leads Alabama back to the College Football Playoff.
Credit: USA-Today Sports
USA Today Sports
Then, there are reps against A&M. Last season, in a 24-20 win over the Aggies at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Milroe started in place of the injured Bryce Young and kept the engine rolling, throwing for 111 yards and three touchdowns against one interception.
It's not a perfect blueprint, but it's a starting point for Fisher, defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, and the Aggies' front seven. Of course, Milroe has improved as a passer since last October, but he remains a threat to turn loose at any given moment.
"He hurt us last year with some huge runs," Fisher said. "He really hurt us with his legs. You always see them when they're young, they take off and they're looking at themselves like they're a running back. Where I see him doing things differently now, he's doing a good job of breaking the pocket, and that ball isn't being tucked.
"It tells you the game is slowing down a little bit. He's more relaxed. He knows he has to escape, but he knows there's still more in the play."
