Following a solid performance against Texas A&M last Saturday, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is starting to earn the trust of his coaching staff.
Nick Saban praised Milroe’s growth and resilience throughout the season and seems confident with where he’s heading.
“The big thing we’ve tried to get him to understand is you have to keep playing the next play,” Saban emphasized during a press conference on Monday. “There’s not always going to be perfect plays, but whatever happened on the last play is a learning experience.”
Milroe has been a bit of a lightning-rod so far thus season – but he seems to be getting a better handle on things each week.
Nick Saban knows how lethal of QB Jalen Milroe can be when he’s at his best ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/ztS57PdphK
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) October 6, 2023
The Crimson Tide are riding high on a three-game winning streak and currently lead the SEC West with a 5-1 overall record and a perfect 3-0 in conference play.
Milroe’s performance on the road against Texas A&M was impressive, as he threw for a career-high 321 yards and three touchdowns in the 26-20 victory.
Great throw by Jalen Milroe 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jecdz1WAuh
— Nick Saban is Kirby Smart’s Daddy (@BuiltBySaban) October 7, 2023
“You cannot allow one play to affect the next play,” Saban reiterated. “And that’s something he’s learned and is doing a lot better, staying much more positive on the sidelines, communicating well with his teammates and coaches in terms of what he saw, what he didn’t see, what he needs to do to get it corrected.”
“So that’s something that comes a little bit with experience … But I also think it comes with awareness, and I think we’re making good progress in both areas.”
Looking ahead, Alabama is gearing up to host the Arkansas Razorbacks (2-4, 0-3 SEC) this Saturday in Tuscaloosa.
Saban and the team are determined to build on the positives as they move forward with conference play.
“The biggest thing we want to focus on is to build on the positives of the good things our team did in the last game – competitive spirit, did a lot of good things in terms of being able to pass the ball effectively, make some explosive plays,” Saban stated.
“Arkansas is really a good team. They’ve had some really tough games, some really close losses. But they’ve scored a lot of points. KJ Jefferson is a really good, big-time quarterback – big guy, hard to sack, can run, very talented arm.”
“[Coach Sam Pittman] does a great job with these guys with their ability to run the ball, whether it’s quarterback runs or whatever.”
The million-dollar question is can Milroe play at a level high enough and consistent enough for the Tide to win the national championship?
Saban’s team has little margin for error … One more bad game by Milroe and their Playoff hopes could be over.
Are you a believer in Milroe? … Or does he have too far to go for Bama to be considered legitimate national title contenders this season?