Jalen Milroe has suffered a toll on his game after a strong start to the season. As the he struggled, the Alabama Crimson Tide has felt the impact. During the 34-0 win over Missouri, Alabama showcased some of their best football all year, although Milroe was not as much of a factor. Head coach Kalen DeBoer revealed how the team could help bring out the best play from their QB.
Milroe posted a relatively quiet performance against Mizzou. He finished the day with 215 passing yards and no passing scores, nor turnovers. Bama relied heavily on the ground game, and it paid dividends. All four of the Tide’s TDs came on the running game. Milroe rushed for a score and 50 yards.
The defense excelled as Mizzou QB Drew Pyne was picked off three times, and left the Tigers no choice but to sub-out their quarterback. Missouri couldn’t get anything going as DeBoer’s defense set a no-fly zone at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and they allowed only 72 yards through the air.
After the much needed NCAA triumph for Alabama, coach DeBoer made a key revelation on how the team can help Jalen Milroe, instead of asking him to play hero ball every weekend.
Jalen Milroe #4 of the Alabama Crimson Tide warms up prior to facing the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
“I think that’s how, I mean, every quarterback needs a good run game, right, so the whole weight of everything isn’t on one guy’s shoulders,” DeBoer admitted, via On3. “There’s still even more things that we can do better, and we’ve gotta stay out of situations where our backs are to the wall.”
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“We’ve gotta be clean across the board, help Jalen out. That’s an easy, nice throw, gets him into a rhythm to start a drive. Those are the types of things we’ve gotta help him.“
Milroe had his first game of the season without a passing TD. However, it was also his first game without an INT since September 14th. The balanced run game was critical for Alabama, they could set the pace of the game and allow Milroe to play surgically, in contrast to his recent outings.
DeBoer on the defensive clinic
The Tide’s defense posted their second shutout of the season. The first was on the opening game of the year against Western Kentucky. So this time around it feels much better to blank out the opposing offense. Against a Top-25 SEC rival, the defense showed out.
“I wanted them to really get that shutout there,“ DeBoer stated. “There’s some good vibes when it comes to taking the football away defensively. They’re hunting it. They’re anticipating a little bit. So a little bit more of an attacking mindset and not so much on their heels and just making every yard count.”
Bye week before season-defining matchup
The Crimson Tide will enjoy a week off after the pivotal and dominant win over Missouri. Upon return they will face their biggest game of the season. An SEC matchup that could pretty much translate into a College Football Playoffs elimination contest.
On November 9th, DeBoer, Milroe, and Alabama will travel to Baton Rouge to take on the LSU Tigers at the infamous Death Valley. LSU will have a different mindset during their bye-week as they have been scholed by Texas A&M on their last outing and cannot afford to lose any more ground in the SEC.
This game will be defining for both sides as they enter with identical overall records (6-2), although LSU has a 3-1 record in league play, while Alabama is 3-2 in their SEC schedule. When they square off in two weeks, both sides will come out with a sense of urgency as a loss would most definitely knock them off the Playoffs.
