Alabama Football: 10 greatest quarterback-receiver duos of all time
By Ronald Evans
No. 6 Alabama Quarterback-Receiver Duo
- Jake Coker and Calvin Ridley – 2015 Season
After transferring from Florida State, Jake Coker was a backup to Blake Sims in the 2014 season. Coker started the 2015 season as the Crimson Tide’s top quarterback. In the Tide’s second game against Middle Tennessee State, Coker was inconsistent. The following week, Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin went with Cooper Bateman instead.
With Alabama trailing 17-3 in the second quarter, Coker replaced Bateman. Though Coker threw two interceptions, he passed for 201 yards and rushed for 58 more in a losing rally for the Tide. Coker’s leadership and toughness shown against Ole Miss, when it appeared all was lost earned him the starting job for the rest of the season.
Leading Alabama’s offense to the 2015 National Championship, Coker passed for 3,110 yards, with a completion percentage of 66.9%. The top receiver for Coker in 2015 was freshman, Calvin Ridley. Ridley caught 69 passes for 1,045 yards and seven touchdowns. Not far behind in receiving stats in the 2015 season was Ardarius Stewart who had 63 receptions for 700 yards.
Coker and his receivers had plenty of help in the 2015 season, with Derrick Henry rushing for 2,219 yards. Along with Henry, Kenyan Drake and Bo Scarbrough, the Crimson Tide had three running backs who averaged over five yards per carry.