TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Seth McLaughlin knew he screwed up the moment the football left his hands. During No. 4 Alabama’s first possession of Saturday’s season opener against Middle Tennessee, the starting center delivered a low snap that bounced past quarterback Jalen Milroe and back to the MTSU 33-yard line.
“The moment it came off my fingers, I was like ‘Oh, no,’” McLaughlin recalled. “The ball was a little wet, I had my finger on the lace. I knew it from the moment it came out.”
Then McLaughlin remembered what he has come to learn over the past few months. No play is dead with No. 4 behind center
What at first appeared to be a lost cause soon developed into the night’s biggest highlight as Milroe scooped up the ball before using his athleticism to provide some magic.
After picking up the ball, the agile quarterback stepped up to avoid an oncoming defender before taking off to his right. From there, Milroe beat a lineman to the edge, shoved off a safety at the 15-yard line and rumbled into the end zone for Alabama’s first score of the season.
“Honestly, it was all set up from my team,” Milroe said of the score. “I was fortunate to pick the ball up and make a play with it, but it was all with the other 10 guys on the field that helped me get into the end zone.”
That might sound nice, but McLaughlin knows his quarterback is being modest.
“I’m thankful that he bailed me out,” he said with a smile.
McLaughlin didn’t see much of Milroe’s touchdown run. After his errored snap, the center did his best to salvage the play by sealing off defenders to allow his quarterback to make something happen. It wasn’t until McLaughlin saw a replay of the run on the sideline that he could appreciate Milroe’s heroics.
Although even that was bittersweet
“As soon as the play was over, I looked up,” McLaughlin said. “I was like, ‘Oh my goodness.’ One, I was like, ‘Thank God that wasn’t a busted play, didn’t kill the drive. And two, ‘Oh no, this is going to go viral and millions of people are going to see this.’ I super proud of the way Jalen improvised and made that play.”
Then again, looking back McLaughlin feels he should be credited with a bit of an assist to what could end up being Milroe’s breakout moment.
“I was like ‘You’re welcome,’” McLaughlin said of his conversation to the quarterback on the sideline. “I was going to make up a story that he paid me 20 bucks to do it just so he could showcase what he can do.”
Milroe’s highlight scramble was one of two touchdowns he ran in during Alabama’s 56-7 victory Saturday night. The dual-threat passer also broke away for a 13-yard touchdown in the second quarter and added a 25-yard run for a first down in the second half, finishing the night with a team-high 48 yards on seven carries.
“That’s just him being the athlete he is, showing his athleticism, making plays for us” said Alabama starting running back Jase McClellan. “I feel like he could be a running back if he tried. That was great to see him run the ball, breaking tackles.”
While Milroe dazzled on the ground, he was even better through the air, completing 13 of 18 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. All three of his touchdown passes came on long throws as he connected with Isaiah Bond for a 47-yard score before finding Jermaine Burton from 48 yards out and Amari Niblack from 28 yards.
“I think Jalen did a good job,” Alabama head 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, doing a good job in the passing game. His athleticism helps him… He’s a threat to pull the bal on zone plays, which he scored a ball on that. And I thought he threw the ball effectively. I thought he played well.”
Milroe earned the start Saturday after beating out Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner and redshirt freshman Ty Simpson during preseason camp.
Following his standout performance, the redshirt sophomore is expected to retain his starting role for next week’s marque matchup against No. 11 Texas.
“Overall, I need to get better,” Milroe said. “I need to get better as a leader. I need to get better overall at what I’m doing. I just want to continue to build and be the best version of myself when I take the field.”
