TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe seems to always end up with the ball when the Crimson Tide gets near the goal line. Milroe has had some emphatic performances on the ground and has a rushing touchdown in all but one of Alabama’s games this season. His scoring output on the ground has already helped him break Jalen Hurts’ record for rushing touchdowns by an Alabama quarterback, while Milroe has also continued to make plays with his arm.

After two passing and one rushing touchdown in Alabama’s 52-7 win over Mercer on Saturday, Milroe is up to 17 scores on the ground and 15 through the air. He is on track to become just the fourth SEC quarterback to throw for at least 20 touchdowns while rushing for a further 20. The other three players to accomplish the feat were Tim Tebow in 2007, Cam Newton and 2010 and Johnny Manziel in 2012. All three players won the Heisman Trophy.

Milroe reaching the 20-20 club might not earn him college football’s highest individual honor this season. He currently has the fifth highest odds to win the award at +3,000 according to BetMGM. But Milroe’s dual-threat ability still puts him in elite company and Alabama has found an excellent balance of Milroe’s passing and running traits in recent games.

"There's gonna be times where you got to throw the ball, there's times where you got to run and just reps over and over and over again,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said of his quarterback Monday. “He's, I think, back in a really good spot with trust in the guys around him, there's been a little more continuity with the practice, skill players, offensive line. There's just been more of that. He's become more comfortable in understanding what our team needs from him to be able to win SEC football games."

Milroe’s composure has improved for Alabama in recent weeks. Since Alabama's loss to Tennessee — where Milroe threw a season-high 45 pass attempts — there’s been less pressure on Milroe to be Alabama’s Superman through the air. He didn’t throw a touchdown in Alabama’s wins over Missouri and LSU but also ended a four-game streak with an interception, managing both games with his arm and finding the end zone a combined five times on the ground.

As Alabama looks to finish off the regular season on a high, it appears to have struck an all-important balance required to get the best out of a quarterback with Milroe’s skillset. The Tide has the chance to further cement its status as a College Football Playoff favorite after some mid-season road bumps, and how the coaching staff continues balancing their quarterback’s dual-threat ability will the crucial in determining how far Alabama can go.

“I think he deserves so much credit for the work he’s put in throughout his career, and becoming as good of a football player as he possibly can be,” offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said. “So. he’s had production in both areas, and the more you do well, both as a unit and as a player, the harder you are to defend. So I think that’s the goal for each player in each unit, is do a lot of things really well, so that you’re tough to defend.”

Milroe and the Tide will look to notch another strong road performance when Alabama faces Oklahoma on Saturday. The Crimson Tide and Sooners will face off at 6:30 p.m. CT in Norman, Oklahoma. The game will be broadcast on ABC.