Alabama Football Swagger: Jalen Hurts put MSU on ice

The Iceman cometh, and he took the dreams of Mississippi State Bulldog fans with him. Alabama football starting quarterback Jalen Hurts stayed cool.

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Pressure. It comes with the job when one is the starting quarterback for one of the most historic football programs in the country. The QB needs to show some swagger at all times, even when the game seems perilous. Can’t let the troops see you sweat, or else teammates start to lose confidence and the opposition senses blood in the water.

Instead, Hurts and the Tide washed over MSU’s defense like a force of nature, even when the Bulldogs looked to take command of the game.

Going 10-19 for 242 yards and a touchdown may not seem like much of an aerial attack. Neither does carrying the ball 19 times for 40 yards, an average of 2.1 yards per carry. Yet, Hurts made each of his successful plays count, including a touchdown run of his own.

Both times that MSU scored touchdowns on long drives, it seemed to Mississippi State fans that victory was in sight. Even Alabama football beat writers were under the impression that MSU’s offense, led by QB Nick Fitzgerald, was imposing their will:

However, both times were followed by Hurts finding a wide-open Calvin Ridley, who cut through the MSU defense like a knife:

While MSU fans celebrated each first half touchdown, Hurts just got to work and ignored the fans. He found his man, who shook off defenders like a rock star shaking off heinous groupies. Ridley ended up with five catches for 171 total yards, an average of 34.2 yards per catch.

The quick responses may not have eaten as much clock as Fitzgerald’s monotonous play-action or option runs did, but Hurts kept ice in his veins to find Ridley for big passes and silenced the crowd. Even if it was only for a few seconds.

Hurts was not intimidated by anything. Even after being sacked five times, Hurts just kept moving the ball down the field with his legs or his arm:

Consistency was the key. No matter the play, Hurts found a way to get positive yards. Not once did he look like the stage was too big for him. Like every great performer, Hurts made every play look effortless. He scanned the field, moved out of the pocket when necessary, and either found a receiver for big yardage on third or fourth down or would throw the ball away to avoid a sack for a big loss.

Hurts had to be that calm under pressure. Alabama’s defense was on the field for a ton of time, because MSU’s offense wanted to eat as much clock as they could. Hurts had to show the defense that Alabama’s offense would come back if they could hold off the MSU running game, even if only for one or two drives.

By responding after each home score, Hurts put the hurt on MSU’s offense. It showed Fitzgerald and the Bulldogs that they would have to score on every drive, or else Hurts would lead Alabama football past them.

Fitzgerald started to look gassed and some of his receivers were banged up by the end of the third quarter. They could not sustain their burst of energy, while Hurts’ steady hand led Alabama to outscore MSU 14-3 in the fourth quarter. That steadiness secured the victory.

Before the game, the entire MSU sideline and the wild Bulldog fans in Davis Wade Stadium were jumping all over the place. They filled the air with thick noise of cowbells and a mountain of tension for Alabama football players and fans to climb. However, led by Hurts, the Crimson Tide walked the path steadily, ascending over the mountain and finding solace in football supremacy.

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Nobody cares about swagger before the game, it’s about having the swagger after securing the victory. Never look at the scoreboard until the game is actually over. MSU fans were too busy looking at the lead they once had, instead of watching Hurts calmly guiding Alabama to the promised land under their very noses.