It had been a rough past few weeks for quarterback Jalen Milroe. After his impressive performance in the game against Georgia, which placed him near the top of the Heisman watch list, it quickly came crashing down for the team captain.
Milroe had six turnovers in the three games before Missouri, a stretch in which the Crimson Tide went 1-2 with losses against Vanderbilt and Tennessee and escaped with a win at home against South Carolina.
The worst of his performances came against the Volunteers. He completed a season-low 55% of his 45 passes and amassed only one touchdown with two interceptions. Inaccuracy was also a theme, as he notably missed an open Ryan Williams more than once during the game.
The performance by Milroe was so uncharacteristically shaky that it left people wondering if he could be dealing with some kind of injury, which head coach Kalen DeBoer denied.
“There’s nothing that’s going to be holding him back from going out there and helping us get a win,” DeBoer said. “I’m confident of that.”
Milroe needed a good performance against No. 21 Missouri to break out of his slump and get back to the success he saw early in the season, and he did just that. Milroe completed 16 of 26 passes for 215 yards and no turnovers, his first game without a turnover since Week 3 against Wisconsin. The performance helped guide the Crimson Tide to a 34-0 win.
The big plays were back in full force for the Alabama offense, as Milroe completed seven passes of at least 15 yards or more. Last week, he completed only six, even with 19 more passing attempts.
Milroe also used his legs effectively again. The quarterback scrambled for 50 yards, his highest total since the Georgia game, and added a rushing touchdown on the ground. He showed burst on his 32-yard scramble in the third quarter, and he later finished the drive off with a touchdown run that was a welcome sight for Alabama fans.
Another reason Milroe was able to bounce back was simply that he didn’t have to shoulder the load of the rushing game in addition to his passing. The Alabama rushing attack had amassed over 100 rushing yards only once in the past three games after getting at least 170 rushing yards in each of the first four games.
Running backs Jam Miller and Justice Haynes finally got going in the Missouri game, combining for 19 carries and 127 yards with three touchdowns. The team had 271 rushing yards in total, the highest since Week 1 against Western Kentucky.
“Every quarterback needs a good run game, right?” DeBoer said about the value of a good team rushing attack. “So the whole weight of everything isn’t on one guy’s shoulders.”
Milroe credited the communication with the offense and the coaching staff throughout the weekend and the game with helping him get back on track.
“It starts with communication,” Milroe said. “I think that’s really important for us as an offense.”
The team will hope Milroe’s struggles are over as it goes into a bye week before traveling to Death Valley for a crucial SEC matchup against the LSU Tigers on Nov. 9.
