Jalen Milroe not satisfied with his record-setting game at Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jalen Milroe joined Tua Tagovailoa and Bryce Young as the only Alabama players to score six touchdowns in a game. But after the Crimson Tide beat Kentucky, 49-21, on Saturday at Kroger Field, Milroe didn’t have the usual smile stretched across his face.

Milroe finished the Week 11 victory with 234 yards and three touchdowns on 15-of-22 passing while running the ball eight times for 36 yards and another three scores. But after the convincing win, Milroe said he wasn’t satisfied with his own performance in the Bluegrass State.

“No, I’m real frustrated,” Milroe said. “I’ve got a lot of things I’ve got to fix and get better at. Missed a couple things down the field, missed some ball that I shouldn’t be missing. I hold myself to a higher standard, so I’ve got to improve and fix some things tomorrow.” 

There was plenty of good from his recent outing, however. Milroe became the first player in UA history with three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns in a single game. Over his last two contests, he has accounted for 644 yards and 10 total touchdowns in leading the Tide to wins over LSU and Kentucky, the last one clinching an SEC title game berth.

On Saturday in Lexington, he completed his first seven passes and nine of his first 12 to guide Alabama to an early 21-0 lead. It marked the first time since the season opener against Middle Tennessee that the Crimson Tide scored a touchdown on its opening drive of a game. Alabama was able to find the end zone on its first three possessions and four of its first five.

While he might have been hard on himself, his head coach praised the quarterback. 

“Jalen played really well,” Nick Saban said. “The offense started the game out and set the tempo of the game extremely well. He played extremely well. The whole idea was the way they play on defense is take what the defense gives, and we nickel-dimed them in the first couple drives and then we hit a couple big plays. I thought they did a great job on offense.”

Saban later added that Milroe’s confidence is growing, which has directly affected the players around him, who have “mirrored that confidence.” His teammates see Milroe improving.

“You can see it week by week,” offensive lineman Tyler Booker said. “Jalen’s get better at something different each week. Something he’s gotten better at is stepping up in the pocket and movement in the pocket. We’re just getting better as a whole, but Jalen’s definitely improving and when you have better play from a quarterback, just better play on the team.”

Milroe did briefly leave the game on the Crimson Tide’s first drive after taking a shot to his left leg. He tried to shake it off but eventually dropped to the turf as trainers trotted out to evaluate him. Ty Simpson replaced him before Milroe returned one play later, but he rode a stationary bike on the UA sideline throughout the game and had extra padding on his thigh.

“It was more trying to play for my teammates,” Milroe said of his speedy return. “There was a lot of game left, so they were trying to get my back on the field as fast as possible.”

Asked how his leg was feeling after the game, Milroe did crack a bit of a smile.

“We won, so I’m real proud of that,” Milroe said. “I’m going to enjoy it. Can’t wait to get back to Tuscaloosa and enjoy the win.”

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