Alabama football switched quarterbacks midway through the College Football Playoff National Championship game. Here’s why Tua Tagovailo should keep the job.
More: Takeaways from Georgia’s win over Alabama in the CFB Playoff Championship Game
Nick Saban made what may have been the gutsiest decision of his collegiate coaching career on the biggest stage. He chose to bench his starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts, entering the second half of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. After playing in little more than mop up time this season, freshman Tua Tagovailoa was asked to mount a comeback against the Georgia Bulldogs.
He did it.
Alabama trailed Georgia 13-0 at half time and allowed an 80-yard touchdown pass from Jake Fromm to Mecole Hardman to fall behind 20-7 halfway through the third quarter. It was Tagovailoa that scored the touchdown that cut the lead to six and it was Tagovailoa that brought his team all the way back to even after coming perilously close to being out of contention midway through the game.
On Monday night, with the nation watching, Tua Tagovailoa became a legend. He propelled Nick Saban to his sixth national championship, his fifth with the Crimson Tide. His heroics on the nation’s biggest stage have earned him the claim to the starting job next season. Here are three reasons Saban needs to name Tagovailoa QB1 in 2018.
1. Tagovailoa dazzled in his first meaningful action of the season
Tua Tagovailoa had been used sparingly during the 2017 season. The redshirt freshman from Hawaii had seen plenty of garbage time moments with his team up by a couple of scores. He hadn’t been asked to lead the offense in a high-pressure situation, let alone with the fate of the entire season on the line.
Entering the championship game, Tagovailoa had attempted 53 passes all season, completing 35 of them for 470 yards and eight touchdowns. He had one interception. Most of the secondaries he had faced all season had been gassed by the repeated body blows dealt them by a physical Alabama offense, but that wasn’t the case in this instance.
Tagovailoa not only faced a fresh, ravenous Georgia defense; he put on a show. He needed just two drives to surpass Hurts’ passing statistics in the first half, and one of those drives was a three-and-out on his first offensive series. The freshman set season highs in completions (14), attempts (24) and carries (12). His 6-yard touchdown pass to Henry Ruggs III was the first Alabama touchdown of the game, and the first of three from Tagovailoa.
Saban knew the gamble he was taking when he put Tagovailoa into a game of this magnitude. If it weren’t for Tagovailoa, the Tide might never have gotten into this game at all. Alabama needs a game-changer not a game manager and Tagovailoa proved he can make plays.
2. The Alabama offense needs a spark
The Crimson Tide saw a minor stepback in their offensive stats this season. They averaged 38.8 points per game in the 2016 season before averaging 37.9 points per game entering the Championship Game. That’s not much of a decline, and it’s somewhat understandable given the turnover on the offensive staff.
The points are there, but that’s partly a function of being able to out-talent most of their opponents. A dominant defense that does some scoring of their own and provides the offense with excellent field position doesn’t hurt either. Despite all this, the explosiveness of this Alabama offense was noticeably impaired. The Tide had 27 plays of 30+ yards this season, 66th most in the nation. Just nine of those came through the air.
Hurts’ has always been a crafty runner, but when forced to throw the ball the Alabama offense goes quiet. Whether it’s confidence or competence, Hurts’ hasn’t developed as a passer nearly enough in year two to warrant him keeping the starting job over Tagovailoa.
Alabama had 94 yards of total offense in the first half. Tagovailoa led the Tide on a scoring drive of 56 yards on his second possession of the game, doing most of the work by himself, including the touchdown pass. He’s rough around the edges, but he woke up a silent Alabama crowd with some of the most exhilarating sequences of offense the Crimson Tide had all game long.
3. Hurts has underwhelmed in moments he was needed the most
It’s hard to poke holes in a resume that includes a 26-2 record as a starting quarterback, but Hurts has underwhelmed on the big stage. Whether it be the final game of the regular season or the College Football Playoff, Hurts has vanished in games where the quarterback is supposed to take charge and be a difference maker. Here’s Hurts’ stat lines in the last three games of the last two seasons:
2016
- Florida (W): 11-of-20 passing, 138 yards and one touchdown. Eight carries for one yard.
- Washington (W): 7-of-14 passing, 57 yards. 19 carries for 50 yards.
- Clemson (L): 13-of-31 passing, 131 yards and one touchdown. 10 carries for 63 yards, one touchdown.
2017
- Auburn (L): 13-of-23 passing, 177 yards and one touchdown. 18 carries for 82 yards.
- Clemson (W): 16-of-24 passing, 120 yards and two touchdowns. 11 carries for 40 yards.
- Georgia (L): 3-of-8 passing, 21 yards. Six carries for 47 yards
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Hurts has accounted for more than 200 yards of total offense once in the six biggest games of his career. He’s had just as many games without a touchdown in those six games than he’s had games with multiple scores. The level of competition is higher, but making the Playoff is the bare minimum expectation in Tuscaloosa. When the light shines brightest, Hurts hasn’t shown up and he’s had more than enough opportunities. Buckle up, it’s Tua time.