Hurts his toughest critic
Freshman QB does not dwell on past results
TAMPA, Fla. — Hurts hears the criticism. Not the jabs coming from fans on message boards or on social media. No, this criticism comes from deep within himself.
“I have a high standard for myself,” Hurts said. “I expect more out of myself than anyone else will.”
Alabama’s dynamic freshman quarterback is his own harshest critic, unwilling to accept mediocrity over excellence.
“I hate seeing the little mistakes and little critical things that I know can be fixed, but things that I can control,” he said. “If I can control it, I want to have it right down pat so it’ll never happen again.”
After putting together one of the most productive seasons in Alabama history and earning SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors, Hurts struggled in his first postseason showdown: a 24-7 win over fourth-ranked Washington in the Peach Bowl semifinal.
He had a season-low 107 yards of total offense and a dismal 3.24 yards per play. But when asked about the performance, Hurts quickly dismissed any concerns.
“I’m not the type to dwell on the past. That’s over with,” he said. “My job is to execute. That’s what I’m going to do. Doesn’t matter what the stats come out to be. If I’m 7 of 14 (today) and have 57 yards and we still win, who cares, right?”
But does coming off his worst statistical performance of the season force him to change his preparation heading into today’s national championship showdown with Clemson?
“Jalen Hurts is going to be Jalen Hurts. Jalen Hurts is going to do what he’s done all year as far as preparation and mindset and all that,” he said. “I’m fine. Just gotta play. The dice don’t always roll the way you want. You gotta go play.”
His teammates say that demeanor and poise are the main reasons Alabama will be playing for a national title.
“He’s had his ups and downs — it’s his freshman year, he’s what, 18 years old — it’s expected of him … but it’s the way he responds to those ups and downs which really keeps him in the position that he’s in,” sophomore running back Damien Harris said. “He always responds in a positive manner and he continues to put us in the best position to win.”
SARKISIAN’S DEBUT: Hurts will have a new offensive coordinator and play-caller today. Former USC and Washington coach Steve Sarkisian takes over after spending the season in Tuscaloosa working as an analyst and aid to Lane Kiffin, who is now the head coach at Florida Atlantic. Saban made the change after the Washington game.
“So it’s really different, but I think we feel good about the situation we’re in, and we all think that (Sarkisian will) do a great job,” Hurts said.
BEATING No. 1: This would be Clemson’s first victory over a team ranked No. 1 and would give the Tigers five victories against ranked opponents this season, the most in school history.
ROLLING VS. RANKED TEAMS:
Alabama has won 16 straight games against ranked opponents, matching Southern California’s record streak during the Pete Carroll era (2001-09).
CAL: Coach Sonny Dykes was fired in a surprise move on Sunday after four seasons that produced just one bowl appearance.
Dykes left Louisiana Tech to replace Jeff Tedford and took over the struggling Cal program in 2013, but could never get the Bears turned around. They went 8-5 in 2015, but then slid back to 5-7 this season.
Dykes and the administration seemed to be at odds after that 2015 season during a prolonged negotiation of a contract extension. The deal was finally worked out and Dykes’ deal was extended through the 2019 season. Dykes is owed more than $5 million under terms of the deal finalized in March.
Dykes finished his tenure with a 19-30 record, including 10-26 in the Pac-12.
ACC: Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford says the conference is likely to move its football championship game out of Charlotte, N.C., again if a state law that limits anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people is not repealed or adjusted.
The ACC followed the NCAA’s lead and decided in September to pull its championship from Charlotte in response to North Carolina’s so-called “bathroom bill.”