Don’t look now, but Alabama has one of those undefeated quarterback things going again.
A year after former Crimson Tide quarterback Greg McElroy extended his undefeated streak as a starter to 19 games, AJ McCarron is 7-0 in his first year in the role. Considered the biggest question mark before the season as to Alabama’s 2011 championship hopes, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound redshirt sophomore from Mobile is guiding an offense that has gone 50 consecutive possessions without a turnover and 77 straight without an interception.
“I think he’s improved in every game, and he’s done a really good job in managing the game,” Tide coach Nick Saban said. “I think the players have confidence in him. We’re executing better as a group, and he’s certainly doing his part.”
Though Alabama’s defense has been second to none nationally through the first half of the college football season, the Crimson Tide offense is plenty healthy, averaging 460.6 yards and 39.7 points per game.
McCarron shared snaps with Phillip Sims in the Sept. 3 opener, when Alabama defeated Kent State 48-7 despite two interceptions apiece by the quarterbacks. McCarron took the reins the next week in a 27-11 win at Penn State, and he enters Saturday night’s game against Tennessee having gone 151 attempts without getting picked off.