Alabama coach Nick Saban watches. Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has struggled to protect the ball in recent games, and his former coach offered some advice on how to fix that problem.

Nick Saban talked about Milroe’s play on “College GameDay” ahead of the big Alabama-LSU rivalry game. The legendary coach used a basketball reference to describe how Milroe and LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier — who also struggled with turnovers — played this season. Saban said Milroe and Nussmeier need to start adopting a point guard mentality rather than playing like shooters.

“That’s the biggest problem with these guys: They want to make plays. But they don’t need to have a shooting guard mentality. They need a playmaker mentality,” Saban said. “Have 13 assists in a game and no turnovers, and that’s good quarterback play.”

Nick Saban on College Gameday on Jalen Milroe and Garrett Nussmeier: “That’s the biggest problem with these guys: They want to make plays. But they don’t have to have a shooter mentality. They need a leader mentality to have 13 assists a game and no turnovers, and that’s….

-Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) November 9, 2024

Milroe has thrown 5 touchdown passes against 6 interceptions in Alabama’s last five games, including two losses. The Crimson Tide lost both games by a total of 12 points. Milroe had 3 picks in these contests, so turnovers were costly.

Alabama is still ranked 11th in the nation despite losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee. The Tide has an outside chance of making the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, but Milroe will have to be at his best for Alabama to succeed. Perhaps Saban’s advice will resonate with the junior.