What Kalen DeBoer thinks of Jalen Milroe’s game in the 2024 Iron Bowl

Jalen Milroe had some good things going for him in his second Iron Bowl. Some bad. Some in between.

However, the roller coaster ride of sorts ultimately led to a good outcome for Alabama football. The Crimson Tide secured a 28-14 victory over Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

“You talk about the resilience of our team. I think that’s a good word for him,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said of Milroe and his 2024 season. “It’s hard to be the quarterback of a football team. I think it’s hard to be a quarterback of a team and a program that expects to win every game. The ball is often in his hands, right?”

It was Saturday. Milroe attempted 24 passes and rushed 17 times. He completed 18 of 24 for 256 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. He fumbled twice and the Auburn defense recovered. He also rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns. This third touchdown was his 20th rushing score of the season.

“That’s a lot of what he brings to the table,” DeBoer said. “It makes a lot of moving parts easier. Had some good conversions. I know there’s always a play or two you want back, but he just stays the course. I thought that after a couple of plays there, he came back in the fourth quarter and made some big third-down throws and had people help him make plays as well, I thought, as the game went on, even the ones that were incomplete , I thought. He put them in a pretty good spot. And I’m just really proud of the way he played tonight and continuing to be resilient, just continuing to stay the course and help us win the football game.”

As the starting quarterback for Alabama, Milroe completed 34 of 48 passes (70.83%) for 515 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in two Iron Bowls. As a runner, Milroe rushed for 211 yards on 35 carries (6.03 yards per carry) and three rushing touchdowns.

Alabama (9-3, 5-3 SEC) now awaits its fate in the College Football Playoff to see if it will be added to the 12-team field.