Bama Central

What I Noticed From Alabama's Backup Quarterbacks Against Mercer

Alabama got all its backup quarterbacks action against the Mercer Bears in Saturday's blowout victory.

Joe Gaither

Nov 16, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) receives a snapped ball against the Mercer Bears during the third quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) receives a snapped ball against the Mercer Bears during the third quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images / Will McLelland-Imagn Images
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The No. 10 Alabama football program did exactly what they were supposed to on Saturday as they dominated the Mercer Bears from bell to bell, winning 52-7 in the penultimate home game of the season.

Buy games on SEC schedules against FCS opponents serve as opportunities to get deep into the bench and see unfamiliar faces as backups try to leave strong impresssions for next season.

The Alabama backup quarterbacks inherited the game already leading 38-7 with almost nine minutes remaining the third quarter. The quartet of Ty Simpson, Dylan Lonergan, Austin Mack and Cade Carruth successfully drained the rest of the clock without dramatics, protecting the football and even scoring two more times to send the Crimson Tide faithful home happy.

Simpson and Mack made the most highlight worthy plays as Simpson showed his athleticism on a third-and-15, avoiding a sack and throwing a deep shot for a conversion, while Mack dialed up a dime to Rico Scott for the game's final touchdown.

"Yeah, Ty [Simpson] with some scrambles, the long one kind of along our sidelines," Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said. "I think people who really know and have watched Ty, probably all of you, you can see that he's got that ability, can do things with his feet. Everyone gets tied in with Jalen and his running ability, but Ty is tough to handle when it comes to running the football too. Escaping, making some plays, the third down throwing it deep, or fourth down throwing it deep. If it's picked off, it's picked off. Smart just to give him a chance and find a way to make a play. I thought Dylan [Lonergan] and Austin [Mack] coming in and moving the chains. Dylan on a fourth down, was it a fourth down, right? Fourth down conversion. Austin coming in, laying a ball down the left sideline for the touchdown. There's that fine window of trying to let these guys run the offense and getting that experience and an opportunity to do what they work on each and every day. I was proud of the way they just handled everything from the execution to even just the procedural things where making sure guys are lined up before we motioned, all that stuff. I thought it was a good day for all them as a whole."

Let's take a peak at each scholarship quarterback's action against the Bears and see how well they did.

Ty Simpson - 22 snaps, 5/10 for 71 yards with two carries for 14 yards

Simpson entered the game first as the Crimson Tide's primary backup option. His first pass is a second down dart immediately to the right to Caleb Odom for a first down, which is key for multiple reasons.

Primarily, Alabama is trying to get the clock running and utilize as much clock as possible. The Crimson Tide's first down run to Kendrick Law is stopped for a three-yard loss, putting the drive in jeopardy right off the bat. Simpson's quick decision and accurate ball placement gives Odom enough opportunity to gain enough yardage for a first down, resetting the chains and presenting the Crimson Tide with at least three more opportunities to burn the clock.

Secondly, and more specifically to Simpson, it shows how prepared he is for this opportunity. The redshirt sophomore shows command of the offense knowing the passing concept and how it applies to the defense he's shown. He rips the ball with confidence to Odom and Alabama's backup offense officially gets on the move.

Simpson's second completion comes on his third snap on a hitch concept. Once again he finds Odom quickly for positive yardage. His pass is a little outside, but had Odom prepared for that he could've utilized the placement to run for even more yardage.

A second down loss sets up a third-and-11, putting pressure on the backup to keep the offense on the field. Simpson escapes the pocket and scampers for a first down, showing he's not the only athletic quarterback on the Crimson Tide roster.

Simpson's scramble was athletic, however his most impressive play came in the fourth quarter facing a third-and-15. Mercer rushes four and the Bears defensive lineman beats Roq Montgomery inside on a pass rush move and should have had Simpson sacked. Instead the redshirt sophomore absorbed the blow, escaped out of the back of the pocket and launched deep down the field to Josh Cuevas. Perhaps the pass was a little ill-advised given the coverage, but considering the down and distance the worst case scenario is a long interception. Instead it goes for a big completion to Cuevas, setting Alabama up at the 1-yard line for a Richard Young touchdown plunge.

Dylan Lonergan - 12 snaps, 5/6 for 23 yards

Alabama redshirt freshman Dylan Lonergan entered the game next for the Crimson Tide. His mission, the same as Simpsons, play efficiently and keep the clock moving. Lonergan leaned largely on running backs Daniel Hill and Kevin Riley in his dozen snaps, but still passed the ball well in his limited opportunities.

Lonergan's first pass goes to Rico Scott in a passing concept where everyone is running hitch routes. Lonergan chooses Scott on the outside and is in his throwing motion before Scott is out of his break, the pass hits Scott in the numbers for an easy completion.

His next pass is a swing pass to Bubba Hampton but his third pass comes on the exact same concept as the first. Instead of choosing his outside receiver, Jaren Hamilton, he takes the tight end, squeezing a ball into freshman Jay Lindsey's gut before a safety closes on the pass.

Lonergan's only real chance to push the ball down the field comes a few plays later on first-and-10, with a flood pattern to the right side. Unfortunately, Lonergan's met with pressure in his face as Mercer brings a stunt, limiting the opportunity to go deep. He takes a check down to Riley for minimal yards, but avoids a sack and didn't force the ball into coverage down the field.

Austin Mack - 5 snaps, 2/3 for 39 yards and one touchdown

Austin Mack certainly leaves Saturday's game with the best play from the backup quarterbacks as he found Rico Scott for a 31-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline.

Mack got the fewest reps of the scholarship quarterbacks but made the most of his time in the game. He missed redshirt freshman Ty Lockwood long on a play action concept on his second play but was able to get the ball out quickly to Riley on a check down on third-and-8 for a first down.

Two plays later Mack found Scott down the sideline for a one-handed reception to add to the season long highlight reel.

The Crimson Tide backup quarterbacks all showed promise over the weekend. Simpson dealt with the most defensive pressure but was able to use his athleticism to keep the Bears off balance and move the chains. Lonergan's precision and understanding of the passing concepts was clearly evident while Mack's playmaking ability and arm talent was undeniable.

Alabama is bringing in 5-star freshman Keelon Russell from the Class of 2025 next season. Starting quarterback Jalen Milroe is a redshirt junior, but will most likely depart this coming spring for the NFL Draft leaving head coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan to prepare a new starting quarterback in 2025. It looks like a good problem to have as each candidate performed well on Saturday.

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Joe Gaither
JOE GAITHER

My name is Joe Gaither, I am a native of Chattanooga, Tenn., and a 2018 graduate of the University of Alabama. I have a strong passion for sports and giving a voice to the underserved. Feel free to email me at joegaither6@icloud.com for tips, story ideas or comments.

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