Jalen Milroe’s play has become a problem for Alabama.
A three-game regression from Alabama’s fourth-year quarterback has become a bigger part of the conversation around the Tide’s October slide, which has taken Alabama from the No. 1 team in the country to two losses before the leaves have changed. It’s the first time Alabama’s had multiple losses before Halloween since 2007, and after the defense’s demise took center stage after the Vanderbilt defeat, Milroe’s performance was one of the top reasons Alabama fell Saturday to Tennessee, 24-17.
Milroe finished 25-of-45 for 239 yards in Knoxville, throwing a 5-yard touchdown in the second quarter to Ryan Williams but tossing two interceptions, including the game-sealing pick with less than two minutes remaining.
It’s stunning how quickly the dial turned for Milroe over the past month after he was a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender exiting September. He extended a streak of passes without an interception to 160, the sixth-longest in school history, into the Georgia game before one bounced off the hands of tight end CJ Dippre and was picked off by the Bulldogs. A tight throw to Ryan Williams the next week at Vanderbilt took an extreme bounce and was intercepted, but over the past two games, Milroe has thrown four picks, including two in the end zone.
