BAMANEWSBOT
Staff
There's a reason why Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts is still on campus prepping to compete for the Crimson Tide's starting job against Tua Tagovailoa in August. He hasn't lost it yet, according to ESPN college football analyst Trevor Matich, who believes Hurts will benefit greatly from a new quarterbacks coach in former Arkansas Dan Enos.
Matich told AL.com, "I’m not quite as certain as some other people that Tua is going to be the guy" in a wide-ranging interview centering on Alabama's offense in 2018. While Tagovailoa recovered from a hand injury during the spring game, Hurts finished 19-of-37 for 195 yards and an interception. He failed to lead his team on a touchdown drive against Alabama's first-team defense and stalled inside the red zone on several possessions.
"What I am certain of is whoever plays at that position, Alabama will have something they haven’t had in a while, and that is a credible, exciting deep passing game, because with Dan Enos as the quarterback coach, he legitimately is the quarterback whisperer," Matich said. "If anybody can draw that aspect of the game out of Jalen Hurts, he can do it. But if Jalen Hurtsdoesn’t improve enough at that, then Tua will be the guy. One way or the other, either a vastly improved Jalen Hurts is throwing downfield or Tua Tagovailoa.
“And the thing about that for defenses, you go back to the Georgia game in the national championship. In the first half, I was on the sideline watching that whole thing, and Georgia stacked the line, which is what everybody does against Alabama, right? And whenever that ball would leave Jalen Hurts’ hand to go down the field, nobody on that Georgia sideline was too worried about it because they knew it probably wouldn’t be a consistent threat to be a big play. When halftime came and Tua came in, everything changed. In the second half, when the ball left Tua’s hand, everybody on that Georgia sideline held their breath because they knew there was a great likelihood that it would drop in for a big play."
Saban was not disappointed in Hurts after A-Day, saying the Crimson Tide's depth up front on the defensive line made it tough on the first-team offense. Hurts rushed for 33 yards on 15 carries, trying to escape the onslaught of pressure off the edge several times on third down. Matich believes opposing defenses will be less apt to stack the box against Alabama this season with an improved Hurts or Tagovailoa threatening the deep ball.
"I think whoever starts at quarterback will be able to complete it down the field because Jalen will either get a lot better or Tua will be the guy, and defenses will be weeping and gnashing teeth," he said.
Alabama Crimson Tide Football: ESPN analyst not sold on Tua Tagovailoa as starting QB
Matich told AL.com, "I’m not quite as certain as some other people that Tua is going to be the guy" in a wide-ranging interview centering on Alabama's offense in 2018. While Tagovailoa recovered from a hand injury during the spring game, Hurts finished 19-of-37 for 195 yards and an interception. He failed to lead his team on a touchdown drive against Alabama's first-team defense and stalled inside the red zone on several possessions.
"What I am certain of is whoever plays at that position, Alabama will have something they haven’t had in a while, and that is a credible, exciting deep passing game, because with Dan Enos as the quarterback coach, he legitimately is the quarterback whisperer," Matich said. "If anybody can draw that aspect of the game out of Jalen Hurts, he can do it. But if Jalen Hurtsdoesn’t improve enough at that, then Tua will be the guy. One way or the other, either a vastly improved Jalen Hurts is throwing downfield or Tua Tagovailoa.
“And the thing about that for defenses, you go back to the Georgia game in the national championship. In the first half, I was on the sideline watching that whole thing, and Georgia stacked the line, which is what everybody does against Alabama, right? And whenever that ball would leave Jalen Hurts’ hand to go down the field, nobody on that Georgia sideline was too worried about it because they knew it probably wouldn’t be a consistent threat to be a big play. When halftime came and Tua came in, everything changed. In the second half, when the ball left Tua’s hand, everybody on that Georgia sideline held their breath because they knew there was a great likelihood that it would drop in for a big play."
Saban was not disappointed in Hurts after A-Day, saying the Crimson Tide's depth up front on the defensive line made it tough on the first-team offense. Hurts rushed for 33 yards on 15 carries, trying to escape the onslaught of pressure off the edge several times on third down. Matich believes opposing defenses will be less apt to stack the box against Alabama this season with an improved Hurts or Tagovailoa threatening the deep ball.
"I think whoever starts at quarterback will be able to complete it down the field because Jalen will either get a lot better or Tua will be the guy, and defenses will be weeping and gnashing teeth," he said.
Alabama Crimson Tide Football: ESPN analyst not sold on Tua Tagovailoa as starting QB
