Josh Heupel discusses difficulty preparing for dual-threat QB like Jalen Milroe

Tennessee will take on Alabama this weekend, looking to repeat last year’s feat by winning. It’s not something that has come easy in the traditional rivalry game, with last year’s win snapping a 15-game Alabama streak in the series. But Jalen Milroe is a new starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide.

And he figures to make life more difficult for the Volunteers, having to go up against a dual-threat quarterback so talented.

He’s hard to simulate in practice.

“Extremely difficult to finish the way these quarterbacks, the way that he has a chance to finish it,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Wednesday on an SEC teleconference call. “His strength, his speed, his ability to change direction, all of those things are something that is extremely difficult to emulate.”

Milroe briefly lost the starting job after suffering a loss to Texas in the second week of the season. But after a brief experiment with his backups, Jalen Milroe returned as the starter.

He has since upped his season totals to 1,397 passing yards with 11 touchdowns against four interceptions, while he has also run for 139 yards and five touchdowns.

Tennessee’s focus will be on slowing his rushing ability.

“It’s something that your players, for us defensively, we’ve got to settle into the football game extremely early on that side of it,” Heupel said. “I think the running quarterback is one of the hardest things to simulate during the course of your preparation. One, your typically not tackling that guy. Then, two, as dynamic as he is it’s hard to have somebody back there that your defense is facing on a consistent basis throughout the course of the week.”

However it prepares for Milroe, Tennessee will be hoping to continue its winning ways. The Volunteers had lofty preseason ambitions that took a significant hit with a loss to rival Florida.

But Tennessee remains unbeaten since that point, sporting a 5-1 record going into the key rivalry game with the Crimson Tide.

While it might be tough to prepare for Jalen Milroe, too, Tennessee has at least had the luxury of going against Joe Milton in spring and fall camp, even if he was in a non-contact jersey. Milton provides a similar rushing threat and has a big frame, like Milroe.

In any case, we’ll find out just how ready Tennessee is come Saturday. The two teams are slated to meet at 3:30 p.m. ET with a broadcast on CBS.