Jalen Milroe threw two touchdown passes and ran for another in just over two quarters, leading No. 9 Alabama to a 52-7 win over Mercer on Saturday.
Ryan Williams added to the scoring, running for a 29-yard touchdown and catching a 14-yard touchdown pass for the Crimson Tide (8-2, No. 9 CFP). After a big win over LSU last week, Alabama had a break from SEC play, and now they will focus on improving their playoff chances and competing for an SEC title with upcoming games against Oklahoma and Auburn.
Alabama has dominated in its last three games, winning by a combined score of 128-20 since their loss to No. 6 Tennessee. These wins include victories over ranked SEC teams LSU and Missouri.
“We’ve been treating every game the same, like it’s a nameless, faceless opponent,” said Williams, the freshman star receiver. “At this point, it’s about us executing well, not about who we’re playing.”
Mercer (9-2), which had already secured a spot in the FCS playoffs and a share of the Southern Conference title, played without their injured starting quarterback DJ Smith. Whitt Newbauer took over and completed 15 of 22 passes for 140 yards with one interception.
Mercer scored their only touchdown late in the first half, a 31-yard pass from Newbauer to Kendall Harris.
As expected, Alabama dominated. They led 31-7 at halftime, and Milroe left the game after opening the second half with a 3-yard touchdown run, his 17th of the season.
Milroe finished the game 11-of-16 passing for 186 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown to tight end Robbie Ouzts, who scored his second career touchdown.
“We’ve been using him in a lot of ways,” said Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer. “You can tell how much the team loves him.”
Milroe had scored four rushing touchdowns against LSU the previous week, and after his second-half touchdown, he watched as backup Ty Simpson took over. Simpson impressed with a 43-yard pass to Josh Cuevas after escaping a defender, showing his scrambling ability. Simpson is expected to be a strong contender for the starting job next season.
Alabama’s defense also had some key moments. Freshman Zabien Brown returned a fumble 68 yards for a touchdown in one of three turnovers forced by the defense.
“We’re hunting the ball,” said DeBoer.
