Alabama Quarterback Jalen Milroe Has to 'Find a Way' to Make Tackle On Pick Six

The Crimson Tide quarterback showed poor effort in stopping Kip Lewis from putting Oklahoma ahead by three scores.

Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Kip Lewis (10) return an interception for a touchdown during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Oklahoma won 24-3. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The Oklahoma Sooners upset the, then ranked, No. 7 Alabama on Saturday after the Crimson Tide's offense imploded in the second half. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe threw three second-half interceptions leading to 14 Sooner points, burying the Crimson Tide in an insurmountable hole.

Milroe's second interception was particularly costly as linebacker Kip Lewis took the turnover 49 yards cashing in for an Oklahoma touchdown. Milroe's poor pass ended as the game's final scoring play, but perhaps more troubling than the bad decision to throw to a covered Robbie Ouzts was Milroe's effort in trying to tackle Lewis.

At the 18-yard line along the Alabama sideline Milroe has a shot at tackling Lewis, or even shoving the linebacker out of bounds. Instead he offers a haphazard slide attempt akin to something you'd see on the soccer field. Lewis hops over Milroe's outstretched legs and ensures the interception comes at maximum cost, scoring to give the Sooners a three-score lead.

"Yeah, he's got to find a way to get him out," Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said on Monday. "He's a good enough athlete to where, either using the sideline or forcing a cutback, it's not something you spend a lot of time practicing. That's not a position that he's normally in, he's got to find a way to get him out of bounds. I trust Jalen to do a lot of things. I trust that he can get him down. Find a way. Find a way to get the defense out there. Find some way possible to hold them to a field goal, those are things we want to try to do. But that's not something you practice a lot, I blow the whistle dead every time. Obviously, I don't want guys tackling each other in practice, especially the quarterback so find a way, that's what I would say."

Kalen DeBoer on Jalen Milroe's effort after the interception:"That's not a position that he's normally in, he's got to find a way to get him out of bounds. I trust Jalen to do a lot of things. I trust that he can get him down. Find a way. Find a way to get the defense out there" pic.twitter.com/u2TjTMkORj

— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) November 25, 2024

DeBoer's sentiments were echoed by Alabama offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan as their goal was clear, do whatever necessary to give the defense a chance to hold the opposing offense to a field goal or force a turnover of their own.

"Certainly the number one priority anytime you turn the ball over is to get the guy down," Sheridan said. "There's different things and fundamentals that you teach the players. You're always trying to front the ball to try to make a change of direction to try to help the pursuit but obviously, we didn't do a good enough job in that moment."