Jalen Milroe displays 'superpower' by torching LSU with his legs

BATON ROUGE, La. — There was a lot of pressure on Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe headed into Saturday night’s game against LSU.

Which Milroe was Alabama going to get? There have been times this season, like the Georgia game on Sept. 28, where Milroe has looked like the best player in college football. There have been other times, like the Tennessee game on Oct. 19, where he’s looked like a complete and utter liability.

For the Crimson Tide to be able to walk out of Death Valley with a win, Milroe’s performance needed to be closer to the former, and it certainly was.

His passing stats were pedestrian, going 12-of-18 for 109 yards through the air, but that’s not where he’s most dangerous. On the ground, Milroe was unstoppable. He rushed for a whopping 185 yards and four touchdowns on his 12 rushing attempts, averaging over 15 yards per carry with a long of 72.

“Obviously, he’s got a superpower when it comes to running the football,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said of Milroe. “You can see him not just be a guy that gets first downs but finishes in the end zone. So him doing what he did early on just really got the ball rolling there and made throws that were timely when needed. And other guys continue to step up. Again, when we stay ahead of the chains and the whole playbook is available, a lot we can do.”

Milroe’s performance marked a number of milestones. With his second rushing touchdown of the game, he broke Jalen Hurts‘ single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback at Alabama.

With his fourth touchdown, he became the second player in Alabama history to score four rushing touchdowns in a game two separate times, joining the company of the great Shaun Alexander.

The other time Milroe rushed for four touchdowns in a game? That’s right, it was last season against LSU.

“He probably had some good vibes from a year ago, too,” DeBoer said. “I think there’s something about we got him off to a fast start, and again, other guys did their job, too, to help him get to that spot.”

Milroe was a more decisive runner, and looked like he had much more burst than he did in a few games towards late October where is rushing output left much to be desired. In DeBoer’s postgame assessment of Milroe’s performance, he noted the way Alabama’s offense executed around Milroe to allow for such a game.

“There’s blocks that other guys are making. I think our line played physical. I think we won the trenches, both offensive line and defensive line,” DeBoer said. “But blowing open some holes for him, everyone doing their part helped take the pressure off the big moments where he’s gotta convert on a third and extra long every drive. And when we’re able to stay ahead of the chains, we can dink and dunk three yards, five yards, eight yards, and then, all of a sudden, a big explosive play. But yeah, I felt like he was certainly running well tonight, wasn’t he? He was fresh.”

When Milroe played like he has against LSU, both this year and last year, there aren’t many players who compare in this sport. It’s a huge game not only for Alabama’s resume and momentum, but for Milroe’s confidence entering a stretch to end the season where the Crimson Tide should be favored in all three games.

“My goal going into this week was a win despite anything,” Milroe said. “Regardless of whether it was a home or away game, I was focused on the opponent. I’m also proud of my teammates for their grit and determination and everyone coming together collectively as a unit.”