Quite the ho-hum week for Jalen Hurts.
Alabama's true freshman quarterback struggled throughout Saturday's 24-7 defeat of Washington in the Peach Bowl, completing 7 of 14 passes for just 57 yards and rushing 19 times for 50 yards. It was the first time all season Hurts threw for fewer than 100 yards, and now he's moving forward with Steve Sarkisian as his offensive coordinator following Nick Saban's decision Monday to part ways with Lane Kiffin.
"I don't know if Jalen was pressing," Kiffin said on the field following Saturday's game. "I think he would be the first to tell you that he didn't play great, but I've been saying that this is a big stage and he's still a true freshman. This was a good defense that gives people problems, and the one good thing he did is that he didn't throw it to them.
"He almost did on the first play of the game, but we didn't have any turnovers, and that was key."
The No. 1 Crimson Tide (14-0) did play turnover-free for a second straight contest after going eight consecutive games with at least one miscue, which is a positive heading into Monday night's national championship showdown in Tampa against No. 2 Clemson (13-1). Yet the 107-yard output in total offense by Hurts against the Huskies was his lowest of the season, worse than the 139 he compiled a month ago against Florida in the Southeastern Conference championship game.
Nerves? Frustration? What happened to the 6-foot-2, 209-pound phenom from Channelview, Texas?
"I wouldn't say he was nervous, but it was just hard to get things going," senior tight end O.J. Howard said. "Washington was in great position in all of our plays, and he didn't force anything. He didn't want to make any mistakes, and that's the way it should be, but it was tough for our offense, especially passing the ball. At least we got the running game going eventually."
Said Hurts: "I rarely get frustrated. I just take it as it comes and play ball. We had a lack of execution at times, and it's nothing more than that. We were able to wear them down. We base our team on being a fourth-quarter team, and we did a good job of finishing this game."
Crimson Tide sophomore tailback Bo Scarbrough rushed 19 times for 180 yards and two touchdowns, nearly matching the 194 total yards compiled by the Huskies.
Clemson gained 550 yards in last season's title game, which Alabama won 45-40, with Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson throwing for 405 yards. Watson accounted for three touchdowns (two rushing and one passing) in Saturday night's 31-0 drubbing of Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, but he also was intercepted twice, bringing his total this season to 17 after throwing 15 combined his first two years.
Kiffin wasn't planning to ask Hurts to be Watson - a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist whom Saban considers the best college quarterback he's seen since Cam Newton - on Monday night. Kiffin just wanted him to be better than the Hurts he witnessed inside the Georgia Dome.
"He's got to make the easy plays," Kiffin said. "We're not asking him to win the game by himself or to throw the ball 50 times. There are just a few easy plays that he has got to make for us to win this next one.
"We'll go back to work, and hopefully we'll do that."
Of course, it's now Sarkisian providing the tutelage.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.