Jalen Milroe previews matchup, atmosphere for Alabama-LSU

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Saturday’s Alabama-LSU game will feature a Tigers’ offense that leads the nation in yards and points against a Crimson Tide defense that ranks among the top five in the SEC in just about every major stats category entering Week 10 of the season.

There has been little to no talk about Alabama’s offense against LSU’s defense, which may be because the Tigers have been porous on that side of the football this fall. But does all of the attention on LSU’s quarterback and offense motivate Jalen Milroe and company?

“LSU has a great offense,” Milroe said Monday. “They do a lot of great stuff. Jayden Daniels is doing a great job leading those guys and being efficient as a passer. 

“As far as an offensive standpoint, we have to prepare very hard for their defense. They have a great defense. They play very physical. They master their game plan every single week. We have a great challenge in front of us. 

“So the biggest thing we have to do is approach today and attack today and prepare as much as possible because they’re a great opponent coming to Tuscaloosa.”

Daniels is the SEC’s leading passer with 2,573 yards, 25 touchdowns and three interceptions on 163-of-223 passing (73.1) in eight games. Daniels ranks first in the nation with a passer rating of 204.32 – the only player above 200 – and an average of 11.5 yards per pass attempt. 

But Milroe is right behind the LSU signal-caller in yards per attempt at 10.6, which ranks second in the nation. Milroe is also eighth nationally with a passer rating of 174.99 entering Week 10. 

Milroe has passed for 1,617 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 64.7 percent of his throws. Both quarterbacks in Saturday’s game have the ability to make plays with their legs and have both accounted for five touchdowns on the ground this season. 

In the Week 8 win over Tennessee, the Alabama quarterback gained 39 rushing yards prior to sacks (-36 yards), and Milroe had three first-down runs of 10 or more yards during the second-half comeback, including a 15-yard run on 3rd and 10 during the fourth quarter.

On Monday, he reiterated his approach to calling his own number when dropping back to pass.

“My biggest thing is I want to do everything that calls for the game plan, really maximize and mastering what Coach (Tommy) Rees calls,” Milroe said. “And whether it’s passing the ball, whether it’s handing the ball off, whether it’s running, I try to maximize all the opportunities I have on the football field.”

He continued “It’s funny, everyone always mentions my running ability and everything like that, but in the offseason, all I do is throw. I do zero training when it comes to running. My intent when I’m on the field is to throw the ball because the ball can get there faster than my legs can on any drive. When it comes to running, if it happens it happens. 

“I try to just be a point guard with the football.”

This weekend in Alabama’s penultimate home game of the 2023 campaign, Milroe will face an LSU defense that has allowed 26.5 points (T-75th nationally) and 395 yards (91st) per game this fall and has only tallied 14 sacks (13 in the SEC). Injuries have also piled up for the Tigers, as cornerback Zy Alexander is unavailable to start the week, and defensive tackle Mehki Wingo will likely miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery this past week.

The Tide will look to get revenge for a second straight game after losing to LSU, 32-31, last year in Baton Rouge. Milroe is expecting another raucous atmosphere at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

“Going into this game, whether it’s home game, away game, no matter what, the atmosphere is great,” Milroe said. “With these games, it takes a lot of challenges, it takes a lot of having the right mindset each drive you take on the field. 

“That’s the focus on this week, really just taking it one play at a time, maximizing the opportunities we have in front of us. Because we’re faced with many challenges throughout the game, and maximizing the mistakes and maximizing the mental errors and little things like that is going to allow us to really make great strides this week against LSU. 

“To speak about the matchup, it’s going to be a great matchup for us.”

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