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Andy Staples/Sports IllustratedMar 21, 2017 at 11:56a ET
The drive that followed got most of the attentionāand rightfully soābecause it brought Clemson a national title and cemented Deshaun Watsonās legacy as one of college footballās all-time great quarterbacks. But perhaps we should examine the penultimate touchdown drive of the national title game more closely and consider what it might mean for the quarterback who engineered it.
Remember the circumstances? Clemson had just taken a 28ā24 lead thanks to a Wayne Gallman touchdown run. Alabama got the ball back on its own 32-yard line with 4:38 remaining. A true freshman quarterback, who had struggled for weeks to throw the ball with any accuracy, had to drive his team 68 yards for a touchdown. Against one of the most ferocious pass rushes in college football. With a playcaller who had been on the job for eight days. In the national title game.
And he did it.
Forget everything else about Jalen Hurtsā first season as Alabamaās quarterback and just think about that drive. When the Crimson Tide absolutely, positively needed a touchdown against a defense that had shut down the offense for most of the second half on the gameās biggest stage, Hurts delivered that touchdown. That drive ended with him sprinting 30 yards up the middle and into the end zone. And if almost anyone other than Watson had been the other quarterback, Alabama would have another national title.
Go back and watch Hurts throw in that first game against USC compared to that final game against Clemson. He threw more confidently early in the season than he did late. He also threw for more yards, which would make more sense if Alabamaās schedule included all the cupcakes early. But it didnāt. It was fairly evenly distributed. Through the first seven games, Hurts completed 60% of his passes and averaged 7.9 yards per attempt. While the later results would suggest that Hurtsā accuracy fell off, the truth is he completed a higher percentage of passes (62.1) in Alabamaās final eight games. But his per-attempt average dropped to 6.7 yards.
By that national title game, Alabama had become more of a horizontal passing team. Steve Sarkisianāthe offensive coordinator for that game onlyātook few risks down the field. And given the dominance of Alabamaās defense last year, that wasnāt a terrible game plan. As long as the Crimson Tide didnāt hand Clemson points with a turnover, they had a chance. The only time Sarkisian took the playcalling handcuffs off Hurts was that final possession. He had no other choice. And Hurts put Alabama in the end zone.
With Sarkisian off to run the Atlanta Falconsā offense and Lane Kiffin cruising Del Boca Vista (Phase Three) as FAUās head coach, former New England Patriots tight ends coachāand three-time NFL offensive coordinatorāBrian Daboll takes over Hurts and the rest of the Crimson Tide offense. It will be curious to see how the NFL transplant handles the parts of Alabamaās offense that were installed as responses to changes in the college game. Hurts is there specifically because coach Nick Saban wanted a quarterback who can run and throw. So is Tua Tagovailoa, the freshman from Hawaii who will try to take the job from Hurts just as Hurts took the job from all of Alabamaās (since transferred) older quarterbacks last year. Presumably, Alabamaās offense will not revert to the AJ McCarron era.
Sabanās plan will likely evolve while still keeping a pro-style foundation. That is crucial to prepare Alabamaās offensive players for the NFL. The list of players drafted is the Crimson Tideās best recruiting tool, so to keep the superior talent coming, Saban knows the players need to be prepared for the next level. But Saban also wants to take advantage of what the college rules allow, so donāt expect him to scrap the wrinkles Alabama began adding in 2014 when Blake Sims started at quarterback.
If Hurts can use this offseason to develop as a passer, he might ultimately leave college football with the same kind of reputation as Watson. Few people could handle the pressure of starting at quarterback at Alabama as a true freshman. Saban knew that, and thatās why he was cautious last summer to make Hurts the starter even though then-coordinator Kiffin was pushing for it. āYouāve got to make sure theyāre ready,ā Kiffin said in December. āIf you put them in and they play bad, they may be ruined forever. ā¦ Alabama is so football everywhere you go. When you do great, youāre going to hear youāre really great all the time. When you do bad, youāre going to hear youāre really bad all the time.ā
But Hurts could manage that pressure. He lost a fumble on his first play against USC and still went out and staked his claim to the QB1 spot. āIām sure many people thought I was done after I fumbled the ball,ā Hurts said in December. āMy teammates didnāt give up on me, and my coaches didnāt give up on me. Thatās all that matters to me.ā He proved it again at Ole Miss when he led the Tide on a touchdown drive immediately after coughing up a fumble that was returned for a touchdown that put the Crimson Tide down 21. Hurts wound up throwing for 158 yards and running for 146. Most importantly, Alabama wound up winning 48ā43. āThereās this meme somewhere,ā Hurts said. āJalen Hurts when he throws an interception. Jalen Hurts when he throws a touchdown. Jalen Hurts when he fumbles. Itās just a straight face.ā
That straight face will help Hurts now. Saban does not like his players to get comfortable. Tagovailoa will get his chances even if Hurts appears to have firm control of the job. Hurts clearly understands Sabanās motivational style, and it doesnāt seem to bother him. āEverybody thinks heās mean for some reason,ā said Hurts, who claims the āass chewingsā from his high school coach father Averion Hurts surpassed any Saban has delivered. āI donāt know why. Heās a cool guy.ā
That description will get tested if Hurts doesnāt improve as a passer this offseason. But if Hurts stays cool and evolves into the quarterback his last drive suggests he can be, the possibilities for Alabamaās offense may be limitless.
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/alabama-crimson-tide-jalen-hurts-032017
The drive that followed got most of the attentionāand rightfully soābecause it brought Clemson a national title and cemented Deshaun Watsonās legacy as one of college footballās all-time great quarterbacks. But perhaps we should examine the penultimate touchdown drive of the national title game more closely and consider what it might mean for the quarterback who engineered it.
Remember the circumstances? Clemson had just taken a 28ā24 lead thanks to a Wayne Gallman touchdown run. Alabama got the ball back on its own 32-yard line with 4:38 remaining. A true freshman quarterback, who had struggled for weeks to throw the ball with any accuracy, had to drive his team 68 yards for a touchdown. Against one of the most ferocious pass rushes in college football. With a playcaller who had been on the job for eight days. In the national title game.
And he did it.
Forget everything else about Jalen Hurtsā first season as Alabamaās quarterback and just think about that drive. When the Crimson Tide absolutely, positively needed a touchdown against a defense that had shut down the offense for most of the second half on the gameās biggest stage, Hurts delivered that touchdown. That drive ended with him sprinting 30 yards up the middle and into the end zone. And if almost anyone other than Watson had been the other quarterback, Alabama would have another national title.
Go back and watch Hurts throw in that first game against USC compared to that final game against Clemson. He threw more confidently early in the season than he did late. He also threw for more yards, which would make more sense if Alabamaās schedule included all the cupcakes early. But it didnāt. It was fairly evenly distributed. Through the first seven games, Hurts completed 60% of his passes and averaged 7.9 yards per attempt. While the later results would suggest that Hurtsā accuracy fell off, the truth is he completed a higher percentage of passes (62.1) in Alabamaās final eight games. But his per-attempt average dropped to 6.7 yards.
By that national title game, Alabama had become more of a horizontal passing team. Steve Sarkisianāthe offensive coordinator for that game onlyātook few risks down the field. And given the dominance of Alabamaās defense last year, that wasnāt a terrible game plan. As long as the Crimson Tide didnāt hand Clemson points with a turnover, they had a chance. The only time Sarkisian took the playcalling handcuffs off Hurts was that final possession. He had no other choice. And Hurts put Alabama in the end zone.
With Sarkisian off to run the Atlanta Falconsā offense and Lane Kiffin cruising Del Boca Vista (Phase Three) as FAUās head coach, former New England Patriots tight ends coachāand three-time NFL offensive coordinatorāBrian Daboll takes over Hurts and the rest of the Crimson Tide offense. It will be curious to see how the NFL transplant handles the parts of Alabamaās offense that were installed as responses to changes in the college game. Hurts is there specifically because coach Nick Saban wanted a quarterback who can run and throw. So is Tua Tagovailoa, the freshman from Hawaii who will try to take the job from Hurts just as Hurts took the job from all of Alabamaās (since transferred) older quarterbacks last year. Presumably, Alabamaās offense will not revert to the AJ McCarron era.
Sabanās plan will likely evolve while still keeping a pro-style foundation. That is crucial to prepare Alabamaās offensive players for the NFL. The list of players drafted is the Crimson Tideās best recruiting tool, so to keep the superior talent coming, Saban knows the players need to be prepared for the next level. But Saban also wants to take advantage of what the college rules allow, so donāt expect him to scrap the wrinkles Alabama began adding in 2014 when Blake Sims started at quarterback.
If Hurts can use this offseason to develop as a passer, he might ultimately leave college football with the same kind of reputation as Watson. Few people could handle the pressure of starting at quarterback at Alabama as a true freshman. Saban knew that, and thatās why he was cautious last summer to make Hurts the starter even though then-coordinator Kiffin was pushing for it. āYouāve got to make sure theyāre ready,ā Kiffin said in December. āIf you put them in and they play bad, they may be ruined forever. ā¦ Alabama is so football everywhere you go. When you do great, youāre going to hear youāre really great all the time. When you do bad, youāre going to hear youāre really bad all the time.ā
But Hurts could manage that pressure. He lost a fumble on his first play against USC and still went out and staked his claim to the QB1 spot. āIām sure many people thought I was done after I fumbled the ball,ā Hurts said in December. āMy teammates didnāt give up on me, and my coaches didnāt give up on me. Thatās all that matters to me.ā He proved it again at Ole Miss when he led the Tide on a touchdown drive immediately after coughing up a fumble that was returned for a touchdown that put the Crimson Tide down 21. Hurts wound up throwing for 158 yards and running for 146. Most importantly, Alabama wound up winning 48ā43. āThereās this meme somewhere,ā Hurts said. āJalen Hurts when he throws an interception. Jalen Hurts when he throws a touchdown. Jalen Hurts when he fumbles. Itās just a straight face.ā
That straight face will help Hurts now. Saban does not like his players to get comfortable. Tagovailoa will get his chances even if Hurts appears to have firm control of the job. Hurts clearly understands Sabanās motivational style, and it doesnāt seem to bother him. āEverybody thinks heās mean for some reason,ā said Hurts, who claims the āass chewingsā from his high school coach father Averion Hurts surpassed any Saban has delivered. āI donāt know why. Heās a cool guy.ā
That description will get tested if Hurts doesnāt improve as a passer this offseason. But if Hurts stays cool and evolves into the quarterback his last drive suggests he can be, the possibilities for Alabamaās offense may be limitless.
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/alabama-crimson-tide-jalen-hurts-032017
