Jalen Milroe gives initial thoughts of Tennessee rivalry

Alabama will give its best attempt to erase the memory of last season’s loss to Tennessee from its memory as the Vols head to Tuscaloosa this weekend for a Week 8 SEC matchup.

Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe, who wasn’t able to play a major role during last season’s matchup while sitting behind Bryce Young, expressed his excitement for playing in this rivalry and what it will take for his squad to emerge victorious.

“It’s going to take a lot of preparation this week in just preparing for how hard our opponent is, but it’s a great opportunity for us and we’re excited for the challenge,” Milroe said on Monday. “… It’s just another opportunity for us to have fun. We get to play in front of our fans this weekend so we’re excited about that. A lot of energy will be in the air with playing a great opponent and it’s going to be a lot of fun this weekend so we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Tennessee comes into the matchup ranked No. 17 (Alabama is No. 11) with, like the Crimson Tide, one loss on the season. Similarly, both teams have exploded out of the gates since their respective losses and have had their most successful performances since those games.

Milroe explained the keys to what recapturing that same success might look like on Saturday.

“I think the biggest thing is the mindset of approaching things one play at a time. Not losing focus, I think that’s very key,” Milroe continued. “Not to get too high or get too low. You have to be in the same position all throughout the game, whether it’s good or bad, I think that’s very key, just to have the right mindset, the right approach.

“Another thing too is just — mistakes happen no matter who we are. We’re not perfect at all by any means, only one person in this world that is perfect is my lord and savior. We have to focus on that. The biggest thing too is that everyone has mistakes, but we can all fix them. That’s very key. That’s what we’re focusing on. We all can get better so I think that’s very key.”

Opening kickoff for Saturday’s SEC matchup is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET live on CBS as Milroe looks to stay poised and take each play as they come. Preparation, as Milroe mentioned, will be key for Alabama as they head into the rest of game week as 9.5-point betting favorites, per Vegas Insider.