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Alabama pass-catchers show support for Jalen Milroe amidst struggles

63571867_t466o7i5ncby: Blake Byler10/22/24blakebyler45

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama’s offense is in a slump, and you can trace that slump almost directly back to the play of quarterback Jalen Milroe.

Through the first five games of the season, the Alabama offense was humming. The Crimson Tide scored 35 or more points in all five games to start the year, and Milroe was scoring four-to-five touchdowns a game. Alabama looked like it had one of the most unstoppable offenses in the country, and Milroe looked like a Heisman candidate.

But the past few weeks, the offense has slammed into a brick wall.

The Crimson Tide went under 30 points for the first time all season against South Carolina two weeks ago, and it nearly resulted in a disastrous loss. A week later, the offense halted once more, being unable to move the ball with any consistency against Tennessee, leading to the second loss of the season at an inopportune time.

Milroe, who once looked untouchable, now looks undeniably mortal.

Saturday’s game against Tennessee might have been his worst in an Alabama uniform. He completed just 56 percent of his passes on 45 attempts, couldn’t run the ball effectively whatsoever, and had a negative touchdown-interception ratio.

But in the middle of his lowest lows, Milroe’s teammates are working to instill him with confidence to try to get the offense rolling again.

“I just tell him, continue to keep your head up, man,” wide receiver Germie Bernard said. “Just continue to do what you do. Don’t listen to any of the doubters, or like he says, the naysayers. I always tell him, regardless I’ll always have your back, regardless of what anybody else is saying. I just continue to tell him that, so he doesn’t try to get down on himself or anything like that.”

Another one of Milroe’s pass-catchers, tight end CJ Dippre, empathized with the difficulties that come with playing quarterback and what the position demands. He provided some similarities to some of the tight ends’ responsibilities in the offense.

“It’s tough, quarterback is a tough position. As tight ends, we have to see it kind of like a quarterback,” Dippre said. “We’re in the run game and the pass game so much, we see some things, and it’s tough. Sometimes we get fooled as well in our details. Just keeping confidence up, everyone makes mistakes, nobody plays perfect consistently, that’s for sure. Just striving for excellence as much as we can be, keeping the confidence up for everybody.”

Dippre emphatically echoed Bernard’s support, providing a similar message himself.

“It’s always, ‘I got your back,'” Dippre said. “We’ve always had each other’s back, why wouldn’t we have each other’s back now? I don’t think anything has changes week in and week out, it’s just going 1-0.”

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