Kalen DeBoer comments on Jalen Milroe's tackle attempt on pick-six
Kalen DeBoer would have liked to see his starting quarterback make a better effort as a tackler during his pick-six.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Jalen Milroe is known for his throwing and running ability, but Kalen DeBoer would have liked to see his starting quarterback make a better effort as a tackler during his pick-six touchdown against Oklahoma over the weekend.
Trailing by two touchdowns midway through the third quarter, Milroe was picked off at midfield by Oklahoma linebacker Kip Lewis on a pass toward the right sideline. Following the interception, Lewis broke down the field toward the end zone. Milroe was the only Tide player with a chance to catch the defender, but he appeared to try and trip Lewis with his legs instead of attempting to tackle him. From there, Lewis easily sidestepped Milroe on his way to the end zone.
“He’s got to find a way to get him out,” DeBoer said when asked about Milroe’s effort Monday. “He’s a good enough athlete to where either using a sideline or forcing a cutback. It’s not something you spend a lot of time practicing. That’s not a position he’s in [often]. He’s got to find a way to get him out of bounds.”
Lewis is listed at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds on Oklahoma’s roster, while Alabama lists Milroe at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds.
“I trust Jalen to do a lot of things, and I trust he can get him down,” DeBoer said. “Find a way. Find a way to get the defense out there. Find somewhere possible to hold them to a field goal. Those are the things we want to try to do.”
As DeBoer pointed out, Milroe doesn't have much practice making tackles. Alabama quarterbacks wear no-contact jerseys during practice and aren’t going to be called on to bring down one of their teammates during drills. Still, offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said, his quarterbacks are taught basic skills in how to make a stop if the situation presents itself.
“There’s different things and fundamentals that you’re trying to teach the players,” Sheridan said. “You’re always trying to front the ball up to try and make him change the direction to try to help the pursuit. But obviously, we didn’t do a good enough job in that moment.”
Lewis’ pick-six on Milroe was one of three interceptions the quarterback threw in Alabama’s 24-3 loss to Oklahoma. Milroe completed just 11 of 26 passes for 164 yards against the Sooners.
