Blake Sims was told he would never play quarterback, let alone play the position at Alabama.
Sims played quarterback in high school but switched to running back when he came to Alabama. He switched back to quarterback before his sophomore year, where he played sparingly late in blowout games.
Saturday, he got his first sustained playing time at quarterback and couldn’t have been happier.
“I’m just glad to be here at Alabama and be around the great guys and the great coaching staff,” Sims said. “There’s never negative things. A great offensive line that keeps me cool and keeps everything good.”
Sims completed 14 of 18 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 10 yards on two carries on the day. It was the first time the junior has seen consistent playing time, rather than just one or two drives at the end of a game.
Coach Nick Saban said Sims, a more athletic quarterback than McCarron, ran the full UA offense, rather than just specialized read-option and similar plays.
“Blake has made a significant improvement as a quarterback,” Saban said. “This was probably the first time that he’s really played where we really allowed him to run the offense. We put him in there today and I said, ‘Look, I don’t want any quarterback runs. He needs to run the offense just like he has to play.’”
With McCarron playing in his last season, the backup quarterback battle has drawn heavy interest from fans worried about the Crimson Tide’s future at the game’s most important position. Redshirt freshman Alec Morris, more of a pro-style quarterback that fits Alabama’s offense better than Sims, did not play.
Sims, however, wasn’t thinking ahead to next season.
“We’ll just have to see when that time comes,” he said.
Alabama empties the bench
Overall, Alabama played 70 total players in Saturday’s 45-3 win over Georgia State. Forty-eight backups saw the field in addition to the 22 starters.
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Chris Black made the most of his playing time with six catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. True freshman running back Derrick Henry, a five-star prospect, showed the power and speed that made him so highly-touted with 50 yards on five carries.
On defense, redshirt freshman Bradley Sylve and true freshman Maurice Smith saw playing time at cornerback. Sylve recorded three tackles and a pass breakup and Smith recorded a tackle.
“We need those guys to get some experience, make some mistakes, so that they can learn from those things,” Saban said. “I think it creates an awareness, especially with young players, of how important it is to prepare and pay attention to detail when you’re getting ready to play, because a lot of those guys are one injury from having to play.”
Cooper sits out first quarter
Wide receiver Amari Cooper, who earned freshman All-American honors last season, did not enter Saturday’s game until the second quarter. Saban said Cooper is still dealing with a sore toe.
“It would be real beneficial to us if we could get Coop back in the swing of things,” he said. “I think he’s very close to being able to get there.”
Cooper did not record a catch in the game.
Injury updates
Defensive lineman Jeoffrey Pagan sat out the game with a sprained shoulder he sustained in practice this week. Denzel Devall sprained his knee during the game and did not return. Saban said both players could have played, but were held out for precautionary reasons.
