Coming off the bench cold Saturday, it’s fair to say nerves were a factor for backup quarterback Mac Jones.
Thrust into the cockpit in a rivalry game played closer than expected in a stadium anxious about Tua Tagovailoa’s health, the third-year sophomore had mixed results. Now, with Tagovailoa becoming the first starting quarterback of the Nick Saban era to miss a start via injury, the first start for Jones since high school is coming at 6 p.m. CT Saturday against Arkansas.
A popular figure in the locker room where he’s known as “Joker,” the résumé for Jones is limited in terms of meaningful collegiate snaps. Alabama players and Saban gave some insight into what to expect from the new, yet temporary starter at quarterback.
“I think a lot of people underestimate Mac Jones,” tight end Miller Forristall said. “I don’t think they know how good he’s gonna be or how good he is. That’s something where it’s always been that, ‘What’s going to happen after Tua?’ Mac Jones is really good.”
Coming from The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla., Jones was a three-star recruit ranked No. 18 among pro-style quarterbacks signing the same year as Tagovailoa. A decommitment from Kentucky coincided when a new pledge to Alabama on June 7, 2016. Enrolling early, Jones was welcomed to his first A-Day game with a second-throw interception by Kyriq McDonald.
Two years later, he was the star of the spring game completing 19 of 23 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Like that day in April, he’ll have more time to mentally prepare for the role he’ll play in Saturday’s homecoming game.
“I think with Mac it’s not a matter of arm talent or ability,” Saban said Monday, “it’s staying focused and being able to execute on a consistent basis and make good choices and decisions and not think about it too much and just take what the defense gives. When he’s done that he’s been very, very effective and that’s what we’ve worked with him on throughout the season. And for the most part he’s done a pretty good job of that.”
Jones’ presence in the locker room is a factor too. Forristall described Jones as a confident player whose emotion can fuel the offense.
“He can throw the crap out of the ball,” Forristall said. “It’s not like our playbook gets limited or we stop attacking down the field. We got to roll just the same as we always do.”
The longest completion of the Tennessee game was a 21-yarder to Najee Harris, though it was more of a screen pass. The best downfield throw went 18 yards to DeVonta Smith on the drive capped by Slade Bolden’s Wildcat touchdown pass to Forristall.
Saban noted Jones’ 6-for-11 passing numbers against Tennessee were impacted by two drops. There was also a third-down play that he tried to convert on the ground when there was a receiver open.
Ultimately, Saban said Jones “handled the situation really well” against Tennessee.
“It’s a difficult circumstance to get thrown into,” Saban said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in Mac. With a week of preparation, I think he’ll do a lot better in this game.”
Behind him will be Taulia Tagovailoa, a true freshman who has played in two games to date. Saban said they got him reps early in the season in case injuries created a need later in the season.
But it’s Jones start to make Saturday night.
Receiver Henry Ruggs said there’s comfort with Jones taking snaps because of all the reps they’ve taken at the football facility outside of public view.
“I mean, like I said, we all practice the same things with the same guys,” Ruggs said. “Any guy can come in and make plays; if they need Slade to go at quarterback, obviously he threw a touchdown pass, so I feel like he could throw seven more if he wanted to.”
Several teammates noted the Joker nickname that Forristall thinks originated with former offensive lineman Richie Petitbon, now at Illinois.
“Oh gosh. He like cackles a little,” Forristall said. “Less of a laugh and more of a high-pitched cackle, and that’s kind of where it came from.”
Jones did plenty of that the previous two falls when he helped coach the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority flag football team. Complete with wristband play sheets designed by Jones, the ZTAs went undefeated en route to a championship they celebrated with T-shirts last year.
As the back-up instead of the No. 3, things are a little more business-like in 2019. Alabama doesn’t have the safety net of Jalen Hurts backing up Tagovailoa so the job falls to Jones.
Forristall said practices are conducted the same whether its Tagovailoa or Jones throwing the passes.
“If you turned off and watched it, you wouldn’t tell who’s throwing the ball and who’s not as far as like you didn’t see who the quarterback was,” he said. “The ball’s probably going to go to the same guy, the same guy’s going to be open, the read will be the same. It just depends on who puts the ball there and timing. They can both sling the ball, so I’m going to be just as confident. Our playbook’s not limited.”
And though Jones will be the first reserve to start at quarterback in generations, there’s some precedent to passers coming off the bench. Forristall said his message to Jones on Saturday was rooted in recent memories.
“Told him down there we’ve done well historically with backup quarterbacks,” a grinning Forristall said referencing the two comebacks against Georgia -- first with Tagovailoa in 2017 and Hurts last year. “I’ve got as much faith in Mac as I’ve got in any quarterback here.”
Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.