Jalen Milroe in the Run Game: What I Noticed In Alabama's 24-3 Loss to Oklahoma

The Alabama signal caller wasn't successful with his legs on Saturday against the Sooners.

Nov 23, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) breaks a tackle by Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Peyton Bowen (22) during the third quarter at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images / William Purnell-Imagn Images

No. 7 Alabama football went to Norman this past weekend with its season on the line and everything to play for, but laid another inexplicable egg on the road as they fell to the Oklahoma Sooners 24-3. The loss knocked the Crimson Tide out of SEC championship game contention, all but eliminated them from College Football Playoff consideration and perpetuates anxious feelings around the program as head coach Kalen DeBoer finishes his first year in charge.

The Sooners entered Saturday night knowing the key to pulling off the upset was to slow down and frustrate the Alabama offense, beginning with quarterback Jalen Milroe and his running ability.

The redshirt junior was averaging 60 yards on the ground per game while topping 100 yards against Georgia and LSU. The Tennessee Volunteers were the only team, before Saturday, to hold Milroe without a rushing touchdown as they limited him to just 11 yards on 14 carries.

Milroe took 15 carries for seven yards without a touchdown in Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The inability to get Milroe going on the ground created numerous issues for the Crimson Tide as one of its bread and butter tactics was neutralized.

"I have a lot of confidence in what we can do running the football, but also you got to credit a little bit of who they are, what they can do defensively," DeBoer said after the game. "We knew it would be a physical game, and sometimes we got to stay on blocks and maintain blocks.

"In the second half again, the game gets away from you. Some of the things that we just weren't quite as clean on maybe in the first half that you want to be better at you're not able to call. And the penalties there in the fourth quarter gets you behind the sticks as well. So it becomes a pass happy game to try to catch up and lengthen the game, to try to give yourself a chance to win. We didn't run it as well as we would have hoped early in the game. Usually, what I've seen from us is that the two or three yard gains become four or five and some game breakers and we just never got to those game breakers because we didn't get a chance to really hammer away enough with the normal down and distances and the normal flow of the game."

Here is every Jalen Milroe rush in Alabama's loss to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Milroe took 15 carries for 7 yards in Norman.

What do you notice from these 15 snaps? pic.twitter.com/LLtKSiah29

— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) November 25, 2024

What I Noticed From Alabama's QB Run Against Oklahoma

How did the Sooners hold Milroe to his second-lowest rushing output of the season?

Oklahoma set the tone on Alabama's very first offensive snap as linebacker Danny Stutsman met Jalen Milroe at the line of scrimmage for a one-yard gain. Stutsman's strong tackle immediately energizes the Sooners defense as their captain got the better of Alabama's on the first snap.

1Q 13:02 | 1st-and-10

Oklahoma's defensive run fits are extremely tight and on display on the first snap. The Sooners playside defensive lineman all crash down as the linebackers scrape over the top. The end squeezing creates a tough angle for Tyler Booker at the point of attack and CJ Dippre is thrown off his path creating an opening for Danny Stutsman to fly into. Stutsman meets Milroe violently in the hole to foreshadow the rest of the evening.

1Q 12:24 | 2nd-and-4

The second rush wasn't much better than the first, but this time it is blocked relatively well, Milroe just chooses the wrong gap while trying to make a big play.

Guard Tyler Booker and tackle Kadyn Proctor pull while the right side blocks down. Booker gets knocked off his path due to Elijah Pritchett's failure to win at the point of attack but it doesn't entirely derail the play. Instead, Proctor ends up out front on his own leading Milroe through the hole. The Crimson Tide quarterback gains three yards and then sees an opportunity to break outside if he can't get around one play. Unfortunately, Milroe couldn't get around a corner and lost yardage in the attempt resulting in a one-yard gain.

Can you fault Milroe for having faith in his abilities? No. However, on this play staying the course and following Proctor would've at minimum secured a first down and would've likely gone for a 10 yard gain.

1Q 9:31 | 2nd-and-15

Alabama calls QB draw as they're behind the chains. Milroe loses a yard after Ethan Downs defeats Kadyn Proctor's block at the line on scrimmage.

Look to the right side and take note of the Sooners strategy. Oklahoma sent their left defensive end (Alabama's right) and sent him flying upfield and to the outside, obviously playing quarterback contain.

Regardless of Proctor winning or losing his block, it's clear the Sooners are keyed into what Milroe may try.

1Q 6:55 | 1st-and-10

Alabama runs QB-read for the first time in the evening and Jalen Milroe reads it well. The defensive end crashes, playing the handoff to Jam Miller and Milroe pulls to run.

The Crimson Tide quarterback is left one-on-one with the Sooners corner who makes a tackle after a short gain. Milroe clearly tries to set up Woodi Washington for a juke move that would get him outside and off to the races, however Washington never bites and plays a contain role on the run, preventing a long gain.

1Q 6:14 | 2nd-and-6

Alabama calls a QB-draw RPO, but the screen action may just be window dressing. Regardless, the Crimson Tide is running a draw but the offensive line is blown up, leaving Milroe with minimal running room.

True freshman Jayden Jackson shocks and shucks Kadyn Proctor before taking on a pulling Jaeden Roberts. Jackson shoots his hands on Roberts as well completely clogging where the run was designed.

Milroe makes a move in the backfield and appears to have room to fall forward for a few yards, but instead spins and fights to the outside looking for a play, only to lose four yards in the process, turning what would be a third-and-4 into a third-and-10.

1Q 5:05 | 1st-and-10

It's hard to tell if Jalen Milroe is being asked to read this play, or if it's a QB-run all the way. Regardless, it's one of the Crimson Tide's better blocked plays of the day so far and Milroe scampers through the middle of the defense for a seven-yard gain.

Jaeden Roberts and Elijah Pritchett get good push on the play side. Robbie Ouzts handles the play side defensive end screaming upfield and Milroe follows his blocks inside for a healthy gain.

1Q 4:44 | 2nd-and-3

Seven steps forward on first down, three steps backward on second down. The Crimson Tide runs QB-read and it appears Jalen Milroe is reading Danny Stutsman or Mason Thomas. Both players move to their respective inside gaps, indicating pull, however, the Oklahoma secondary is scraping hard over the top to play contain.

Once Milroe recognizes this he turns it into a footrace to the outside. He is already out leveraged by the Sooners' defenders, making his footrace futile and Alabma loses three yards.

2Q 15:00 | 3rd-and-10

A mind boggling decision by the Alabama offense on third and long goes predictably Oklahoma's way.

The Sooners show four additional players to the line of scrimmage, bringing eight defenders on the line. Alabama opts to block the eight defenders with its five offensive linemen and running back Richard Young and it does not go well.

Upon the snap, both unblocked Oklahoma defensive ends race upfield to play a hard contain, boxing Alabama in. Two Sooner defenders are in Tyler Booker's gap, leaving one free, while Booker evicts the other, but Young is clearly confused on his assignment. Is Young to block the play side defensive end who's now rushed up field or the next unblocked defender?

The confusion is off the charts and four Oklahoma defenders tackle Milroe, Young and Jaeden Roberts in the backfield for a loss.

This run got left out the reel on accident, but the point remains. pic.twitter.com/AtrkVJQ8tJ

— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) November 25, 2024

2Q 6:43 | 2nd-and-8

Alabama tries another QB-draw but Milroe loses 5-yards as he has no chance, schmatically, to make a play.

Once again Oklahoma's left side defensive end flys upfield to play a tough contain. This is important because this is Tyler Booker's block as he pulls from the offense's left to the right. The end's path takes Booker off his own path and junks up the play as Milroe is boxed in from the jump.

The disruption junks the play up enough to allow other Oklahoma defenders to get into the picture and drop Milroe for a loss.

3Q 11:37 | 1st-and-10

The first play on this list that's not a designed quarterback run comes in the third quarter.

Alabama is in max protection as Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard are the only to Crimson Tide players in the pattern.

Mason Thomas Jr. works hard and battles the double-team blocks of CJ Dippre and Robbie Ouzts. Milroe ends up feeling the pressure and moving through the pocket to begin to scramble.

He gains positive yards but as was the pattern on Saturday night, Milroe once again chose to cut to the outside, costing him yardage, instead of putting his foot in the ground and just taking the three to four yards in front of him.

3Q 8:40 | 1st-and-10

It's hard to tell if this is a QB-read option of if Jalen Milroe is being asked to keep the ball the whole way here.

Oklahoma does it's part here to make things confusing as Mason Thomas Jr. is clearly sitting on Richard Young's potential handoff, giving Milroe a pull-read. The problem for Alabama? Elijah Pritchett whiffs his block completely leaving Milroe no place to go once the read is made.

3Q :57 | 3rd-and-8

Alabama dials up QB-draw again, presumably knowing they're going for it on fourth down, and it becomes Jalen Milroe's best run of the night.

This time Alabama is able to get Parker Brailsford to the second level cleanly and Jam Miller to serve as a lead blocker for Milroe as he weaves and works through the middle of the defense for 11 yards.

4Q 15:00 | 3rd-and-2

Alabama is still in comeback mode and goes to an old reliable play. Nick Sheridan dials up the QB-lead play that decimated the LSU Tigers and saw Milroe score a big play against the Georgia Bulldogs, unfortunately, Elijah Pritchett doesn't block anyone.

Ethan Downs rushes straight up field as Pritchett goes to seal his gap. Downs runs straight past him into the backfield and tackles Milroe just after the fake handoff for a loss of one. The play looked blocked nicely on the front side, leaving questions of what could have been on a play that Alabama has hit many home runs on this season.

4Q 10:20 | 1st-and-10

There's not much to this final quarterback run as Jalen Milroe runs a quarterback sneak with his back on the goal line.

Alabama is in 12 personnel lined up under center and Milroe takes the snap, spots a gap and dives forward for a few yards to give the offense more room to operate.

Oklahoma clearly did its homework as it pertained to Milroe in the run game. The Sooners always had defenders assigned to contain Milroe from outside in. The defenders continuously played Milroe with outside leverage, forcing him back inside and preventing any big plays. To make matters worse the Alabama offensive line got flat out whipped, leaving Milroe without many lanes to maneuver in.

"It's hard to explain, but just discipline and physicality," Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. "There's a timeliness to it. We defended several of the runs with some deception. The players executed at an incredibly high level, the staff did a fantastic job of putting together a bulletproof plan. The players played with great aggressiveness and anticipation. I felt like they had another great week of preparation, all the work they put in, and the staff putting them in a position to be successful. But again, every step of the way, the staff and the players had an answer for what Alabama was doing."