Jalen Milroe's 'emotional' Arkansas game, revisited: 2022 stats, highlights from Alabama QB

Little over a year ago, Alabama and the college football world at large got their first proper introduction to future Crimson Tide starting quarterback Jalen Milroe.

The former backup to Bryce Young took center stage against Arkansas in their Oct. 1, 2022 battle, but only because the defending Heisman Trophy winner was forced to exit the game in the second quarter with a sprained AC joint. It was, as Milroe described on Monday, an emotional experience for him:

"I was full of emotion," Milroe said of last year's game. "But the first thing was to make sure Bryce was OK. That was No. 1 thing on my mind is, 'How was he doing?' I made sure, I wanted to go see how he was doing. But with that ... I was full of emotion. Just to have another opportunity to just play the game I love was also in my mind.

"And it was a learning experience for me," Milroe added. "My first SEC game that I was able to go to, and it was on the road, it was a tough environment that we were in. So I was just full of emotion for that game."

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That may have been the case in Fayetteville, Arkansas, but Milroe ultimately was able to lead the Crimson Tide to a 49-26 victory on the road, spurred by an athletic run that helped Alabama hold off a furious Razorbacks comeback attempt.

Arkansas (2-4, 0-3 SEC) coach Sam Pittman remembers it clearly:

“(He’s) big time, we found that out last year,” Pittman told reporters Monday. “I think it was 28-23, I think third-and-13. Crowd behind us. And (Milroe) takes off for 80 yards and we didn’t have anybody to catch him. Really wasn’t anybody really close to him.”

Pittman was slightly off: The play was a 77-yard run as Alabama faced third-and-15 from its own 20. Regardless, the impression Milroe made on Pittman was certainly remembered heading into the No. 10 Crimson Tide’s (5-1, 3-0) game against the Razorbacks at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

He’s the guy that makes them go,” Pittman added. “So, obviously, that’ll be our No. 1 concern. We’re going to do everything we can to make him uncomfortable.”

Here’s a look back at Milroe’s first real college action against Arkansas last season:

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Jalen Milroe 2022 stats vs. Arkansas

• Passing stats: 4 of 9 passing for 65 yards and a touchdown

• Rushing stats: Six carries for 91 yards (15.2 yards per carry) and a touchdown

Milroe entered the game against Arkansas early in the second quarter after Young went down with an AC joint sprain. Milroe played the remainder of the game, passing for 65 yards and a touchdown on 4 of 9 completions. He also ran for 91 yards and a touchdown on six carries.

Jalen Milroe 2022 highlights vs. Arkansas

Milroe led back-to-back touchdown drives in his first two drives of the first half, including a 3-yard touchdown run on just his third play from scrimmage. On the next drive, he threw a short pass to JoJo Earle that turned into a 22-yard touchdown with 2:51 remaining in the quarter. It gave Alabama what seemed to be an insurmountable 28-0 lead.

Milroe’s first two drives of the second half didn’t go as planned, however: The Crimson Tide attempted to punt on both, though a bad snap on the latter forced punter James Burnip to jump on the ball at the 3-yard line, leading to an easy Arkansas score. The Razorbacks scored 23 unanswered points before Milroe's 77-yard scramble helped the Crimson Tide regain momentum.

Alabama held a close 28-23 lead early in the fourth quarter against Arkansas, but faced a pivotal moment in a third-and-15 try. With the Razorbacks holding all the momentum, Alabama needed something to quiet the hostile home crowd. The Crimson Tide got it from Milroe's legs.

He dropped back and surveyed the field before stepping up in the pocket and dashing up the left seam. He then was met by the Razorbacks’ secondary, but cut through the middle of the field and made a defender miss before running down the right sideline. He ultimately was pushed out at the 3-yard line.

Running back Jase McClellan scored an easy 3-yard rushing touchdown following Milroe's scramble. Touchdown runs of 72 and 76 yards by Jahmyr Gibbs in the fourth quarter gave Alabama its final 49-26 score over the Razorbacks.

What did Sam Pittman say about Jalen Milroe?

Milroe’s speed gives opposing defenses enough to worry about, but for Pittman, Milroe has a different trait as of late that makes him difficult to stop:

“Milroe is great at throwing the deep ball,” Pittman said on Tuesday. “I mean, he is. Really, if you look a little bit about he and (Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson) from, let’s say, a year ago, I think the thing with KJ, you’d say, ‘He can run and he can throw the deep ball.’ I’m not saying Milroe can’t make every throw, I’m saying he’s fantastic at the deep ball.

“And they’ve put some quarterback sweeps in. When you go back and look at South Florida game, when Milroe didn’t start, vs. now, yes, they’re a run-first team, including using him. And they're throwing the long ball and they're connecting."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Remembering Alabama QB Jalen Milroe's 2022 game vs. Arkansas