GENERAL NEWS

Alabama benches starting QB in National Championship for freshman

Jan 8, 2018, 9:04 PM

Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa runs during the second half of the NCAA college football playoff...

Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa runs during the second half of the NCAA college football playoff championship game against Georgia, Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

(AP Photo/David Goldman)

The second half of the National Championship would wind up being two true freshmen quarterbacks deciding the biggest game of the college football season.

Alabama coach Nick Saban decided to sit starting sophomore Jalen Hurts for true freshman Tua Tagovailoa after trailing Georgia 13-0 after one half.

Hurts was struggling, going 3-of-8 through the air for 21 yards and rushing for 47 yards on six carries on the ground.

Alabama would call a big shot for Tagovailoa early, a play-action pass on his first play. Tagovailoa had his man deep but overthrew him.

A shaky start wouldn’t bother the freshman, though, as he completed his next five passes on a touchdown drive in a game where the Crimson Tide could barely get a first down.

The drive included the signature play of the game for Alabama. On third down, Tagovailoa scrambled right and didn’t have anywhere to throw or run. With four Georgia defenders around him, he managed to somehow scramble out of the scrum to the left to gain the first down.

At the end of the drive, the freshman had the country’s attention.

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