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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. _ Nick Saban isn’t hiding the fact that he’ll use both senior Blake Sims and junior Jacob Coker at quarterback on Saturday against Florida Atlantic (noon ET, SEC Network).
As for how he’ll use them the University of Alabama coach isn’t ready to disclose.
Saban said during his weekly radio show on Thursday night that he doesn’t have a plan in place yet for when each might play during the Crimson Tide’s home opener. However, he will before kickoff.
Saban added that part of the reason why is because assistant coaches can be some of the most insecure people one will can across and won’t speak up about wanting to change the quarterback during a game.
“We still have competition at the position, so it gives us an opportunity to evaluate how guys played in the game,” he said earlier this week. “We already know how Blake Sims played, and I thought he played fairly well. But regardless of how our quarterback situation works out long-term, you always want to have another guy that’s ready to go in the game if something happens to the first guy, whoever that might be.
“It’s not about who we’re playing, it’s about trying to manage our team for the future, and that’s exactly what we’re trying to do.”
Sims played nearly the entire game against West Virginia and completed 24 of 33 passes (72.7 percent) for 250 yards, with one interception. He set Crimson Tide records for attempt and completions by a quarterback making his first career start.
Although at one point Coker was warming up during the second quarter, he only took two snaps at the end, both handoffs.
So far the players say the continuing competition hasn’t been a distraction.
“For the most part I can (ignore it) because I have a lot of trust in the people in this building, I have a lot of trust in my teammates,” senior guard Arie Kouandjio said. “No matter who is in the game I feel like they’re going to give their maximum effort and put it all on the line for their brothers and their comrades.”
Christopher Walsh has covered Alabama football since 2004 and is the author of 19 books. In his free time, he writes about college football.
