Blake Sims Is Not Stereotypical Alabama QB, but He Is Perfect for This Team
Remember when Blake Sims was a liability and Jake Coker was the next big thing?
Ah, the offseason.
All Sims has done in his one and only year as the starting quarterback of the Alabama Crimson Tide is help put the program in the driver's seat for a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff. He's managed games like a seasoned veteran as the Tide have surged to 9-1 (6-1 SEC).
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Sims completed 19 of 31 passes for 211 yards, one touchdown pass, zero interceptions and rushed four times for 18 yards in the 25-20 win over No. 1 Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa.
Sims—who once played running back for head coach Nick Saban—isn't the prototypical dropback passer like many of his predecessors who have thrived at the Capstone, and he doesn't have the arm strength of a gunslinger. What he does possess is the ability to extend plays with his legs, find the hole at the right time and run away from defenders.
He isn't necessarily the quarterback Saban wants, but he's the quarterback this team needs.
Sims was particularly clutch for his team in the forth quarter. With his team up 19-13 midway through the fourth quarter, Sims scrambled for a first down on two separate 3rd-and-longs and also completed a pass on third down to Yeldon to keep the drive alive. That drive ultimately led to the touchdown that put the game away.
It wasn't the exception; it was the rule.
He had completed 45 of his 65 passes on third down coming in, with 35 of those going for a first down. Eleven of his 19 rushing attempts on third down had also moved the chains. Saban was particularly impressed with Alabama's fourth-quarter TD run, per AL.com's Andrew Gribble:
Simply put, Sims is clutch in a way that's new to Alabama.
Newer is always better.
What Sims has done this season has been nothing short of spectacular and has ushered in a new era of Alabama quarterbacks.
Do quarterbacks have to be statues in the pocket? Not anymore.
Not at Alabama.
Sims' ability to help stabilize the offense for first-year coordinator Lane Kiffin sets the tone for future Alabama quarterbacks. That future should include commit Blake Barnett—the top-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2015.
The combination of Sims' play this year and Barnett's loyalty to Alabama opens the door for more quarterbacks down the road to sign on the dotted line with the Crimson Tide.
What used to be an old-school approach to offense has evolved into a system that can produce results for dual-threat quarterbacks who can play within the pro-style system that Kiffin and Saban employ. In the past, dual-threat prospects and Saban's program didn't seem like a match made in heaven.
Now it does, and the Crimson Tide have Sims to thank.
If Barnett takes that torch and runs with it next season, the possibilities for the Tide offense are endless.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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