No mistakes: QB Greg McElroy manages Tide to national title

QB McElroy manages Tide to title

PASADENA, Calif. — Greg McElroy stayed perfect as a starting quarterback by staying out of the way while Alabama won the national title.

McElroy was the very definition of a good game manager in the Crimson Tide’s 37-21 victory Thursday night, making no huge plays and no big mistakes. That’s exactly what Alabama needed from the unassuming quarterback who led this history-laden program to its first 14-win season.

“I think he’s a good leader, and I think that the players respond to him,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “I think he’s smart in how he distributes the ball, which is the No. 1 thing a quarterback should do. … I thought Greg did a good job of managing the game today, got us in the right place.”

McElroy survived a season-high five sacks without fumbling, and he didn’t throw an interception. He went 6 for 11 for 58 yards, nearly half of it on a 23-yard throw to Julio Jones that was his only completion in the first quarter.

Alabama largely put its offensive hopes on tailbacks Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, and McElroy flawlessly got the ball to them in the Tide’s 205-yard rushing attack.

McElroy’s resilience under pressure was his biggest asset. In last season’s Sugar Bowl, John Parker Wilson was sacked eight times and made three turnovers during Utah’s decisive victory — but the Tide’s poor protection didn’t cost them when McElroy had the ball.

McElroy wasn’t even among the group of six players picked for the cover of Alabama’s postseason media guide, yet he lived up to his venerated No. 12 jersey at the Rose Bowl.

In an opening that had shades of Wilson’s first-quarter battering against the Utes, McElroy was sacked three times on the Crimson Tide’s first six plays while Texas took a 6-0 lead. McElroy shook it off to lead a seven-play scoring drive that included his hookup with Jones, and the Crimson Tide never trailed after Ingram’s score in the opening minute of the second quarter, with McElroy leading two more short scoring drives before halftime.

McElroy was 4 for 7 for 24 yards after halftime. The Alabama offense managed just 3 yards in the third quarter, but punched in two touchdowns following turnovers in the final 2:01, setting up McElroy to celebrate with his teammates amid the confetti and flashbulbs.

The flashy moments of McElroy’s football career were mostly confined to his senior year of high school in the Dallas area. McElroy, who spent part of his childhood growing up in Los Angeles, was former Missouri star Chase Daniel’s backup until he threw a state-record 56 touchdown passes while leading Southlake Carroll to a 16-0 record and a title.

The Crimson Tide signed McElroy when Tim Tebow turned them down, and he threw 20 passes during two seasons as Wilson’s backup before getting his starting chance this fall as a fourth-year junior. He was mostly solid in Alabama’s run-dominated offense, passing for 2,450 yards with 17 touchdowns and just four interceptions, though he went through a rocky midseason stretch that left Alabama fans worrying.