Nick Saban names starting QB

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Nick Saban has announced a starting quarterback for Week 2.

“I think everybody knows that Tua’s going to start this game, and we’re going to use Jalen’s skill set in the future to help however we feel that he can benefit the team,” Saban said Monday.

“And I just want to be clear with everyone that I have done this in the past where we don’t say who the starter’s going to be for the first game, and we give both quarterbacks an opportunity to play in the game, which is exactly what we did in this game. Not a whole lot different than what we’ve done in the past, aight. So, now we know and you know."

Tua Tagovailoa, in his first career start, accounted for 253 yards and three touchdowns against Louisville. The sophomore quarterback completed 75 percent of his passes (12-of-16) for 227 yards and two scores while adding 26 yards rushing and a touchdown on five carries.

Tagovailoa averaged 18.9 yards per completion and helped Alabama to a 10.5 yards per play average and five touchdowns on the six drives that he directed during a 51-14 win Saturday and was named one of seven Players of the Week following the Camping World Kickoff game.

“Just to be clear on something is I love all our players on our team, and I think as parents out there, you can relate to this, that you love all your children,” Saban said. “And sometimes some of your children do things a little better than others. That doesn’t mean you vilify one and put the other on a pedestal, especially publicly because you want to support and help both be successful.

“And that’s exactly how I feel about the players, and I just want everybody to understand that.”

Saban said the new redshirt rule will not enter his thinking on how he will use Jalen Hurts.

“Look, we make all of our decisions here based on winning,” Saban said. “And whoever we feel gives us the best opportunity to go out there and win, that’s who we’re going to play. Obviously, it’s how you practice, how you prepare and -- I said in the beginning -- who wins the team, aight. So, in our opinion, the one player did a little better job of that, so he got the opportunity to start and we got the opportunity to play both guys and look and see how they performed, and we’re going to continue to try to help both players improve and get better.”

The Crimson Tide hosts Arkansas State in its home opener Saturday, Sept. 8, at 2:30 p.m. CT.

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