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ESPN analyst Jordan Rodgers didn’t think Alabama QB Jalen Milroe gave max effort on an early pick-six in a loss to Vanderbilt. The college football personality believes the passer had the ability to prevent a touchdown but opted to save his energy instead.
That play was a crucial one in the Commodores‘ 40-35 victory over the top-ranked Crimson Tide as it gave Vandy hope in its upset bid. They’d ride the momentum to a historic victory.
The win was the program’s first over a Top 5 foe, and it sparked a wild scene in Nashville that went well into the wee hours of the night.
A massive part of that upset came thanks to a quick start from the Commodores.
Vanderbilt scored 23 of the game’s first 30 points to jump out to a big first half lead. While Alabama would do its best to close the gap, Vandy never ceded its advantage.
After scoring on their opening offensive drive of the game, it was the Commodore defense that would come up big in its first time on the field.
Randon Fontenette picked off a third-down pass from Jalen Milroe and returned it 29 yards to paydirt. It gave Vanderbilt a 13-0 lead just seven minutes into the action.
Jordan Rodgers, a former Vanderbilt signal caller, doesn’t believe Milroe did all he could to stop Fontenette on his way to the endzone. The analyst suggested he could’ve stopped Fontenette shy of the goal line, but he let off the gas!
“Watch Jalen Milroe on this pick-six and tell me he’s running as fast as he can,” Rodgers said. “How many times have we seen Jalen Milroe turn the corner and run by everybody on the football field?… He ends up giving up.”
Does Jalen Milroe run full speed here on the Pick 6?
Momentum changes everything in CFB. I think Jalen could’ve forced him out short of the endzone. Does Vandy still score, do they settle for a FG, does a goaline stop give momentum back to Bama…?
Does it change the result of… pic.twitter.com/RkmjFcELYV
— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) October 7, 2024
Rodgers says Milroe had an opportunity to keep points off the board in what ended up being a one-score contest. He chose not to do so.
Would a stop have had an effect on the game? Did Milroe even have a chance to make a tackle? That’s up for debate.
Jordan Rodgers didn’t see max effort, and he’s calling the Heisman candidate out for giving up on the play.