Aaron Suttles
Rivals.com
ARLINGTON, Texas | If the goal was to improve, check the box and move on to the next category and next objective.
There were missed passes - one that would have surely gone for a touchdown - and chances to avoid negative plays that weren't taken.
Senior quarterback Jake Coker started Saturday's opener before Cooper Bateman came on late.
But there were also well-thrown passes that continued drives, including one for a score, no turnovers and good decisions made.
In the University of Alabama's first game of the season, the quarterback competition continued between Jake Coker and Cooper Bateman, and each are likely to see action next week against Middle Tennessee State, but Coker did nothing to "lose" the job that still hasn't been formally named his.
The team found out he was started when he went out with center Ryan Kelly to do snapping drills.
Coker earned the majority of playing time, playing into the third quarter. He was sacked twice early in the game, resulting in a loss of 24 yards, but bounced back to lead two nice scoring drives on the second and fourth drives of the first half, going a combined 8-for-8 for 119 yards on those drive, including a 17-yard touchdown pass to Robert Foster.
"I was excited about being out there, excited about the win," a visibly enthused Coker said. "We'll see how it played on (film) Sunday."
The only drawback? Missing on a couple of deep throws.
"Yeah, pretty much all the long balls," he said. "I didn't help my receivers out too much. I wasn't real happy about that."
UA coach Nick Saban said he made the decision to start Coker on Thursday, but he cautioned that the team hasn't named a starter, just who started this game.
"(Jake) did a really good job," Saban said. "I think he was (15) for 21 and I thought four of the balls were long balls that we had a chance on. Didn't turn it over. We need to protect a little better, a couple of times we got sacked early in the game, not really his fault but I thought he did a nice job: he was accurate with the ball, he didn't make any poor decisions, he didn't put the ball into coverage anywhere, did a nice job of executing what we wanted him to do. It created a balance for us in our offense and that was really good."
Bateman came in on the fourth drive of the second half and showed an ability to run and make smart decisions by simply taking what the defense gave him. He didn't create much offense, but he also protected the football and didn't take a sack (although the stats crew gave him a questionable sack taken after the fact during the fourth quarter).
Once Coker got his feet under him, he performed well enough for the Crimson Tide to get a win over an AP Top 25 team. At times, Wisconsin dared Coker to beat them, but the fifth-year senior quarterback made plays, kept drives alive and drove Alabama to its ninth opening-seasoning win under Saban.
Coker finished the night 15 of 21 (71.4 percent) for 213 yards and one touchdown. It was also the most Coker's played in a real game since he was a senior at St. Paul's in Mobile.
By the time he exited the game, Alabama held a three-touchdown lead.
His best throw of the night might have come on a laser to the right sideline just over the hand of a Wisconsin defender into the hands of UA wide receiver Richard Mullaney.
- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1799519#sthash.puqRDoYj.dpuf
Rivals.com
ARLINGTON, Texas | If the goal was to improve, check the box and move on to the next category and next objective.
There were missed passes - one that would have surely gone for a touchdown - and chances to avoid negative plays that weren't taken.
Senior quarterback Jake Coker started Saturday's opener before Cooper Bateman came on late.
But there were also well-thrown passes that continued drives, including one for a score, no turnovers and good decisions made.
In the University of Alabama's first game of the season, the quarterback competition continued between Jake Coker and Cooper Bateman, and each are likely to see action next week against Middle Tennessee State, but Coker did nothing to "lose" the job that still hasn't been formally named his.
The team found out he was started when he went out with center Ryan Kelly to do snapping drills.
Coker earned the majority of playing time, playing into the third quarter. He was sacked twice early in the game, resulting in a loss of 24 yards, but bounced back to lead two nice scoring drives on the second and fourth drives of the first half, going a combined 8-for-8 for 119 yards on those drive, including a 17-yard touchdown pass to Robert Foster.
"I was excited about being out there, excited about the win," a visibly enthused Coker said. "We'll see how it played on (film) Sunday."
The only drawback? Missing on a couple of deep throws.
"Yeah, pretty much all the long balls," he said. "I didn't help my receivers out too much. I wasn't real happy about that."
UA coach Nick Saban said he made the decision to start Coker on Thursday, but he cautioned that the team hasn't named a starter, just who started this game.
"(Jake) did a really good job," Saban said. "I think he was (15) for 21 and I thought four of the balls were long balls that we had a chance on. Didn't turn it over. We need to protect a little better, a couple of times we got sacked early in the game, not really his fault but I thought he did a nice job: he was accurate with the ball, he didn't make any poor decisions, he didn't put the ball into coverage anywhere, did a nice job of executing what we wanted him to do. It created a balance for us in our offense and that was really good."
Bateman came in on the fourth drive of the second half and showed an ability to run and make smart decisions by simply taking what the defense gave him. He didn't create much offense, but he also protected the football and didn't take a sack (although the stats crew gave him a questionable sack taken after the fact during the fourth quarter).
Once Coker got his feet under him, he performed well enough for the Crimson Tide to get a win over an AP Top 25 team. At times, Wisconsin dared Coker to beat them, but the fifth-year senior quarterback made plays, kept drives alive and drove Alabama to its ninth opening-seasoning win under Saban.
Coker finished the night 15 of 21 (71.4 percent) for 213 yards and one touchdown. It was also the most Coker's played in a real game since he was a senior at St. Paul's in Mobile.
By the time he exited the game, Alabama held a three-touchdown lead.
His best throw of the night might have come on a laser to the right sideline just over the hand of a Wisconsin defender into the hands of UA wide receiver Richard Mullaney.
- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1799519#sthash.puqRDoYj.dpuf
