QB Milroe: Bama still ‘operate in progress’ after win

Alex Scarborough, ESPN Personnel WriterSep 23, 2023, 08:36 PM ET

Close

• Covers the SEC.Joined ESPN
• in 2012.
• Graduate of Auburn University.TUSCALOOSA, Ala.– No. 13 Alabama’s

second-half rally to beat No. 15 Ole Miss on Saturday signaled to Crimson Tide starting quarterback Jalen Milroe that his group might have turned a page.”We do have our swagger back,”he said,” but we have to acknowledge that we got a great deal of work to do. We got a great deal of work to do to reach all of our short-term goals and long-lasting objectives. So we’re a work in development.”But I will say this: that we are starving to improve and we’re delighted for what the future holds. “Milroe began the SEC home opener a week after being benched against USF. The redshirt sophomore finished 17 of 21 passes for 225 lawns, 1 goal and 1 interception. He likewise ran for 28 yards.Asked whether Alabama showed it was still a championship-caliber group, Milroe rather called the Tide a”operate in progress. “”We’re going to continue to grow and acknowledge that we require more space to improve,”he included. “And I trust in the men in the locker space. There’s no one I do not trust. I trust the coaches to put a fantastic game plan together– offense and defense, special groups. And we have a fantastic team and I like every one of those guys. “Alabama coach Nick Saban said Milroe made a bad continue reading that first-half interception however “aside from that, he played truly well”

and”showed a lot of management out there. “Milroe was hit hard and had the wind knocked out of him as he threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Hale that extended the Alabama cause 10 points in the

third quarter.” You’re a point player,”Saban stated of Milroe and playing the quarterback position.” So you can’t turn the ball over and you have to get helps.

If you have one turnover, don’t let it lead to 2 and simply keep carrying out and believing and relying on what you’re doing so that you can continue to disperse the ball where you require to– which I think he’s growing and done a truly good task of that.”Saban said he told the players after the game that he believes in them and that’s it is essential they continue to think in one another. But, Saban said,”there’s an obligation that goes” with that, including playing with toughness and discipline.Saban said they need to get rid of “my-bad plays”– mental errors. Penalties have been an issue through four games this season. “It takes a lot of perseverance on my part when you score 5 goals and have ’em called back [by charges],” Saban said. “So that takes patience, too. It takes patience when you’re first-and

-[ goal] at the [1-yard line] and you do not score a goal. That takes perseverance. So I got a lot of things checking my persistence. “Sloppy play contributed to Alabama routing Ole Miss 7-6 getting in halftime.But the Tide defense puts the clamps on the Rebs, limiting them to a basket and the fewest points coach Lane Kiffin’s team has actually scored in an SEC game given that he took control of the program in 2020. Kiffin, who worked as Alabama’s offensive coordinator

from 2014 to’16, is now 0-5 versus Saban all-time (consisting of Kiffin’s one season as head coach at Tennessee in 2009).”That was our best shot to get these people, and we didn’t get it done,”Kiffin said.

“It’s preventing for all of us.”Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart finished 20 of 35 pass efforts for 244 yards, no touchdowns and one interception He ran for 6 backyards and a score.

“I seemed like and our entire group felt like this was the year to get them,” Dart stated. “I just seemed like we missed out on so many chances, didn’t convert some 3rd downs and got stuck in some third-and-longs. You do not wish to be in third-and-long against that defense.

It’s really difficult. “But, yeah, this is really disappointing because as a team we felt like we were going to get them.”Ole Miss will return house and host No. 12 LSU next Saturday at 6 p.m. ET while Alabama will play at Mississippi State later that night.ESPN’s Chris Low added to this report.