Why Jalen Milroe isn't same quarterback he was vs. Texas A&M in 2022
After offseason fireworks, Nick Saban vs. Jimbo Fisher dominated conversation leading into the Alabama football vs. Texas A&M game a season ago. By the end of the first half, Jalen Milroe's play took over the discourse.
The second-year quarterback was starting his first collegiate game after Bryce Young had sustained an injury the week prior against Arkansas. Milroe played a half against the Razorbacks, but the game against the Aggies after a week's worth of practice as the starter gave him his first true opportunity in the spotlight as QB1.
Everyone watching went for a wild ride in the first half. Milroe threw two touchdowns, but he also gave Texas A&M the football three times before halftime: Two fumbles and one interception.
"Those are learning moments for me and allow me to grow," Milroe said Monday. "Good or bad makes you stronger. So anything, any areas where I messed up playing in that game, I take full ownership for it and I want to continue to work, work hard, grow and build.”
He has grown, and it has become evident lately as No. 10 Alabama (4-1, 2-0 SEC) prepares to face Texas A&M (4-1, 2-0) on Saturday (2:30 p.m., CBS) at Kyle Field. Milroe has shown recently he's not the same quarterback as he was in his first start a season ago.
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The growth began as immediately as halftime of the Texas A&M game. After the turnover-filled first half against the Aggies, Milroe didn't commit another the rest of the game as Alabama went on to win.
Milroe hadn't started another game until the 2023 season opener against Middle Tennessee, and he dazzled with five total touchdowns. He experienced some bumps, however, the following week against Texas with two interceptions to go with his two touchdowns in the loss. Milroe didn't play in the South Florida game, but he was named the permanent starter ahead of Ole Miss. The first half was rocky from the offense, but then Milroe put together a strong second half. Then he had one of his best performances against Mississippi State. Really, the past six quarters of football from Milroe have been his best yet.
The most obvious difference in Milroe from then to now is he's much more experienced. He now has five starts to his name, four of which have been against Power Five opponents. The experience is the first thing Milroe listed as the biggest change from then to now.
"Learning more football," Milroe said. "Also, being around Coach Saban and Coach (Tommy) Rees learning a lot of football. I’m learning and growing to this day.”
His work is starting to pay off, too. He didn't turn the ball over against Mississippi State. Alabama primarily attacked the Bulldogs with the running game, but Milroe's solid passing day is still worth noting: He completed 10 of 12 attempts (83.3%) for 164 yards. He also dominated the Bulldogs on the ground for two touchdowns, one of which went for 53 yards.
The past two games, Milroe has completed at least 81% of his passes. His quarterback rating is third in the SEC at 177.17 behind LSU's Jayden Daniels and Missouri's Brady Cook.
A deeper dive into Milroe's stats via Pro Football Focus also show his improvement. He attempted five passes for 20 or more yards in 2022 but completed none of them with three interceptions. This season? Milroe has gone 11-for-17 (64.7%) for 402 yards, 5 touchdowns and zero interceptions on deep passes.
He hasn't always been perfect on intermediate throws this season, but he's still completing them at a higher rate than a season ago. In 2022, Milroe completed 6 of 16 passes (37.5%) for 102 yards and two touchdowns from 10-19 yards. In 2023, he's gone 8 of 15 (53.3%) for 181 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The two interceptions aren't an improvement, but he's becoming more accurate than he was in 2022.
Milroe still has plenty on which to keep improving and working, but it's clear he's a better quarterback than he was a season ago when Texas A&M came to Tuscaloosa.
Nick Kelly covers Alabama football and men's basketball for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Jalen Milroe not the same QB who played Texas A&M in 2022
