Jalen Milroe holding penalty: Why was Alabama QB's 74-yard TD nullified?
Jalen Milroe and Alabama had a hard time beating the South Florida Bulls for the second year in a row. Although the 42-16 final score does not suggest it, Alabama put in the work to make the difference in the last quarter of the game when they scored 28 points to South Florida's three. Entering the fourth quarter, the game was 14-13 in favor of the Crimson Tide.
Simple mistakes prevented Alabama from taking a big lead earlier in the game. One of those moments the Crimson Tide would like a second crack at was Jalen Milroe's 74-yard touchdown with two minutes left before halftime. The play was called back due to a holding penalty on the offense.
If anyone's reaction to the play was worthy of rewatching, it was Nick Saban's. The former Alabama coach was on the sidelines getting ready to enter the field for a ceremony in his honor during halftime. What probably would've made him explode in rage just a year ago, now made him look like a disappointed father.
Penalties were an issue for Kalen DeBoer's team in the first half, as the Crimson Tide lost 60 yards in eight penalties. For the game, they lost a total of 120 yards to 13 penalties.
Jalen Milroe's performance in Week 2
Despite losing a 74-yard touchdown attempt, the Alabama quarterback had a solid game. Jalen Milroe threw for 199 yards with two touchdown passes against the South Florida Bulls. While it wasn't the most impressive of performances, it showed an important level of consistency from the Alabama signal-caller.
Speaking with the press after the game, Jalen Milroe said this:
“We learned that you don’t win a game in one quarter, two quarters, three quarters. You win it in all four phases. Just seeing the guys just have tremendous grit and pull out a win like that just shows the toughness and the want to in a sense. So, I’m just proud of those guys for the hard work throughout the whole game.”
Jamarion Miller was also instrumental in Alabama's victory. Miller ran for 140 yards, averaging 9.3 yards per carry. The running back also had one rushing touchdown.
In Week 3 Alabama will face Wisconsin on the road.