Milroe makes statement with 5 TDs as Bama rolls
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Alex Scarborough, ESPN Staff Writer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Jalen Milroe was the first quarterback to take the field for Alabama in its season opener against Middle Tennessee on Saturday, and he used the opportunity to make an emphatic statement about why he should be the starter moving forward, scoring five total touchdowns in just three quarters of play.
The fourth-ranked Crimson Tide beat the Blue Raiders 56-7, with Milroe delivering a near-flawless performance with touchdown passes of 48, 47 and 29 yards.
He finished 13-of-18 for 194 yards and no interceptions. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound redshirt sophomore also rushed for 48 yards and two scores.
In doing so, Milroe became the first quarterback in school history to throw for three touchdowns and rush for two scores in a game.
“Jalen did a good job,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “I think he’s had a good fall camp. I thought he played well in both scrimmages. I think he’s more confident and doing a good job in the passing game.
“His athleticism helps him. … You know, he’s a threat to pull the ball, which he scored a touchdown on that. And I thought he threw the ball effectively. So I thought they played well.”
Saban said there was one check he wanted Milroe to make at the line of scrimmage that he didn’t, but “as he continues to develop and gain experience, he’s going to play better and better.”
Asked later about how Milroe’s performance will help him in later games, Saban bristled.
“You’re asking me to speculate and answer a question about how some guy’s going to perform in the future?” he said. “I don’t really know. I love him. I think he’s doing well. I know he’s working hard to try to improve. He’s a good competitor. He’ll do everything he can to play his best.”
Saban grabbed a soda sitting atop the podium.
“This is a Coke bottle,” he said, “it’s not a crystal ball. … It’s hard to know.”
Milroe, who was Bryce Young’s backup last season, started Saturday atop the depth chart. But he was listed as the co-starter along with Tyler Buchner, Ty Simpson and Dylan Lonergan.
Buchner, the former Notre Dame quarterback, came on in relief of Milroe and rushed for a 9-yard touchdown. He finished 3-of-5 for 27 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.
Simpson, a redshirt freshman, had a 1-yard touchdown run. He completed his only pass attempt for 5 yards.
Lonergan, a true freshman and former four-star recruit, did not play.
Milroe took his performance in stride.
“I need to be better overall at what I’m doing,” he said. “I just want to continue to build and be the best version of myself when I take the field. So there’s some things that I’m gonna look at with the coaching staff and with my teammates.”
Isaiah Bond led all Alabama receivers with five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.
The Crimson Tide rushed for 205 yards and five scores, but no running back had more than 40 yards rushing in the game.
Alabama will host No. 11 Texas on Saturday.
Milroe grew up in Katy, Texas, and has family members who root for the Longhorns. But he said it’s “just another opponent on the schedule.”
“Saturday, our success on that day is gonna come from our preparation throughout the week,” he added. “So no matter what the opponent is, we’re just gonna take it on one day at a time.”
PASASDENA, Calif. — Nico Iamaleava threw for two touchdowns and ran for three more on Saturday as UCLA notched its first win of the season in stunning fashion, knocking off No. 7 Penn State 42-37 at the Rose Bowl.
The Nittany Lions, who lost to Oregon at home last week for their first loss of the season, have suddenly dropped two straight, and could fall out of the Associated Press Top 25 after a sluggish performance that saw the Bruins (1-4) take a 27-7 lead before holding off the visitors.
Penn State (3-2) allowed more than 400 yards to a team that hadn’t held a lead all season, and is being led by interim coach Tim Skipper after DeShaun Foster was fired Sept. 14.
“It feels great. That is a valiant team and our coaches, we stuck together. Everyone counted us out, we just needed to keep going to work,” Skipper said on the CBS game broadcast. “Every single play counted today. That is a top-notch Penn State team. We kept our minds right and just continued to execute.”
The Bruins became the first 0-4 team to defeat a top-10 team since 1985, when UTEP knocked off BYU.
“Ballers always ball out,” Skipper said of Iamaleava. “He shows up every single week. I’m glad he’s on my team, I will say that.”
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David Hale
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The stands at Kenan Stadium were nearly empty long before halftime, and the fervor that surrounded the hiring of Bill Belichick at North Carolina has, in the span of just five games, devolved into exasperation and frustration after the Tar Heels looked awful yet again in a 38-10 loss to Clemson.
UNC trailed 28-3 after the first quarter, giving up 14 points on Clemson’s first four plays. The Heels are now 0-3 against Power 4 teams, having been outscored by a combined total of 120-33.
Despite the struggles, Belichick shrugged off a need for structural changes so soon into his tenure.
“The main thing we need to do is to keep doing what we’re doing but do them better,” Belichick said. “Fundamentally we’re not doing the wrong things, we’re just not doing them well enough.”
Belichick chalked up Saturday’s defeat to self-inflicted wounds at “two or three critical times” and noted that execution and coaching are to blame.
“It’s a lack of concentration,” he said, “and part of that is coaching, too, so I’ll take my share of the responsibility.”
Saturday’s implosion comes just days after a letter from GM Mike Lombardi to donors was released publicly, in which Lombardi calls this a “rebuilding” campaign for the Tar Heels and explains in detail about a dearth of talent on this year’s team due to exits from past recruiting classes.
After the loss to Clemson, Belichick downplayed the branding of a rebuild, but when asked directly what he’s telling recruits about the status of the program, he appeared to acknowledge a long-term approach.
“We’re honest with them, honest that we’re building, and if you want to be a part of a program that’s being built, then we’re here for you,” Belichick said.
That’s not the notion UNC’s players seemed to embrace after a 2-3 start.
Quarterback Max Johnson, who got his first start Saturday in place of injured Gio Lopez, said he feels UNC has enough talent, and receiver Jordan Shipp strongly pushed back against the notion this program was in need of a rebuild.
“I’m not here to rebuild, I’m here to win football games,” Shipp said. “That’s why I’m here. Whatever they’re doing with the donors, that has nothing to do with me. I’m here to win football games and that’s what 100% of my focus is on.”
Belichick said he won’t make changes in personnel based on a long-term vision of the program, despite the poor results early on.
“The guys who deserve to play are going to play,” he said. “I’m not going to base it on how old they are or whatever. Guys that play the best deserve to play. We’ll see how that goes. My expectations are to come in and have a good week this week and get ready for Cal.”
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