Tommy Rees discusses turning points for 2023 Alabama offense

LOS ANGELES – Alabama’s coaching staff started playing more to quarterback Jalen Milroe’s strengths after its lackluster showing at South Florida in Week 3. Including that 17-3 win, which Milroe did not play in, the Crimson Tide has won 11 straight to reach the playoffs.

But rather than the game in Tampa, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees – speaking to reporters for the first time since preseason camp – pointed to two other Alabama wins this season.

“USF, obviously, everybody is going to look at that as the turning point, but you really look at the (Texas) A&M game and probably the LSU game as opportunities that we’ve built off of and gave us our identity as we come through this final stretch,” Rees said on Thursday.

In the Tide’s 26-20 win at Texas A&M in Week 6, Milroe threw for a career-high 321 yards, three touchdowns and one interception on 21-of-33 passing – but was sacked six times. Four weeks later, the redshirt sophomore quarterback didn’t throw a touchdown pass, but he rushed for 155 yards, a new career-best, and four touchdowns on 20 carries in a 42-28 win.

Since the forgettable performance at USF, Rees and company game-planned more to what the starting quarterback does best, and the victories over the Aggies and Tigers proved that.

“I think when we made the decision after USF, hey, we’re going to try to build things around what we do really well, build it around Jalen, that took a couple weeks to transpire,” Rees said. “You look at the A&M game where we threw it around because we knew that’s what we needed to be that week and build the pass game around what Jalen likes to where we were against LSU when we started implementing some of the run game stuff for Jalen.

“And what are the matchups we try to find with our skill players? Who out of the backfield can we use in different spots? Obviously, Kendrick Law’s package developing and really finding the strengths of who we are and saying, ‘Let’s put everything around these guys.’”

Now, Alabama (12-1, 8-0 SEC) is one away from competing for a national championship, and it’s in large part due to the improvement of the offense. In his first year in Tuscaloosa, Rees’ unit has steadily progressed from Game 1 through the postseason, Milroe in particular. 

“I think it ultimately starts with the quarterback and making sure that he’s confident and comfortable in what we’re doing,” Rees said. “And when you give them ownership and you give them the autonomy of what we’re trying to do, I think they buy in a little bit more. And that’s what we’ve tried to build with our entire roster on offense. 

“It takes a total buy-in from the staff and players, which we’ve had.”

Rees talks dealing with pressure

The Alabama offense is seemingly running on all cylinders now, but the season didn’t start off well. After an expected dismantling of Middle Tennessee, the Tide lost to Texas at home, 34-24, before its dud at South Florida. In Tuscaloosa, there is pressure to perform, and no position is as aware of that as the offensive coordinator, which is often under a microscope.

But expectations are something Rees embraced in his move from Notre Dame to UA.

“You come to Alabama for certain reasons, and you want to be at a place where football is important,” Rees said. “You want to be at a place where that pressure is there. Me personally, that’s never anything that I’ve shied away from. I know there’s noise out there, but you try not to get in the weeds of that and you put your head down and you work. I think certain people can handle it, and certain people can’t.

“At a young age playing the position, you face adversity, and I think that’s prepared me for my career, which I’m fortunate for. You know, I threw a lot of interceptions, and there was a lot of criticism that came with that. So that’s never anything that’s fazed me. Like I said, I want to be at a place where the pressure is high. I want to be at a place where the demands are what they are. You don’t come here thinking it’s going to be anything different. You come here for that challenge and you come here because you have that competitive spirit.”

Rees continued, “Coach has been great all year, and we just continue to challenge ourselves to find a better way, find ways to enhance what we’re doing and it’s led to some success and we’re hungry for more. But those challenges, that’s what you want. That’s why you come to place like this. That’s why you come to the SEC. For me personally, that was a challenge I was welcoming. 

“I’m proud of the group, proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish, but those challenges, personally, you just put your head down and work. That’s really all there is. There’s no other way to get through hard times than to put in the effort and time to find a way through it.”

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