As the anticipation builds for Armageddon, aka Saturday’s SEC Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs, the eyes of Dawgs head coach Kirby Smart are set on Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe.
Despite a rocky start to the season, Milroe has proved his value to Alabama down the stretch of the season.
He’s a flawed, yet extremely explosive player who is capable of fireworks each and every time he touches the ball … Look no further than last week’s game-winning desperation touchdown against Auburn.
4TH AND GOAL AND ALABAMA CONVERTS THE TOUCHDOWN!
HOLY COW JALEN MILROE TO ISAIAH BOND FOR 31YDS 🤯🤯#RollDamnTide #RollTide #WarEagle #Auburn #Alabama #IronBowl pic.twitter.com/h5m2tB4EVq
— PayoutProwess (@PayoutProwess) November 26, 2023
In the buildup to Saturday’s game, Smart made it clear that his defense will have their hands full with the unique Milroe.
Smart compared Milroe’s skillset to that of Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“(Milroe) is like when I used to ask my sons on ‘Madden’ – they wanted to play with the Ravens, and I’d ask ‘Why are you playing with the Ravens?’ … They’d say ‘I’ve got Lamar Jackson, and nobody can tackle him,'” Smart said.
“This guy (Milroe) is a bigger, more physical version of that … He is playing in a different speed than anybody else when you watch him.”
"No offense to Tim Tebow, but this guy is different…this guy is a bigger, physical version of (Lamar Jackson)." – Kirby Smart with some HIGH praise for Alabama QB Jalen Milroe. @TimTebow @Lj_era8 pic.twitter.com/ERj5YgKwQm
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) November 27, 2023
Smart’s comparison stems from Milroe’s remarkable performances, notably his recent six-touchdown display against Kentucky, where he passed for three scores and added another three rushing.Â
Milroe continued to showcase his abilities in the nail-biting 27-24 Iron Bowl victory over the rival Auburn Tigers.
During his clutch game-winning drive, he nearly ran for a first down on a third-and-20 before sealing the game with the dramatic touchdown pass to Isaiah Bond on fourth-and-goal from the Auburn 31-yard line.
“He is going to make plays,” Smart asserted. “That is a given. He has an uncanny ability to extend plays. Whether it is that he knows he is about to take off and he’s setting you up and then pump fakes, he does a lot of things with the ball that makes him hard to defend.”
This is right .. he’s a less decisive version of Lamar Jackson .. next year is going be a real Heisman threat .
He can be as great as he wants to be!
— The Truth (@thetruthonlys) November 27, 2023
Smart acknowledges the challenge of containing Milroe but emphasizes the importance of Georgia’s confidence in making more plays than their desperate rival on Saturday.
“He makes plays, and we’re going to make plays. So you have to have confidence that you are going to make more than what they are going to make,” he said.
Milroe’s improvement throughout the season has been a crucial factor in Alabama’s success.
From early struggles with turnovers that contributed to their lone loss against Texas in Week 2, Milroe has evolved into a dual-threat quarterback, amassing 2,526 passing yards and 21 touchdowns, along with 439 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.
Smart recognizes the progress in Alabama’s offense and acknowledges the danger of underestimating Saban’s team.
“They are playing as good of football as anybody in the country,” Smart declared. “They have evolved from the start of the year to now. They are not the same team they were at the beginning of the year.”
I think I speak for everyone when I say I can’t wait for Saturday!
Do the back-to-back national champs have reason for concern?
Who do you think will win – Georgia or Alabama???