If there is any uncertainty that Alabama quarterback Blake Sims had set his competition with Jacob Coker to rest entering Saturday, the Crimson Tide’s fifth-year senior stopped it having a fecund performance in his first SEC start, a 42-21 win over Florida.
Sims shredded the Florida shield for 445 passing yards on 23 of 33 passing, with four touchdowns. He set the tone in the opening play of the match, joining with running back Kenyan Drake for an 87-yard touchdown pass. And his season-long chemistry with star receiver Amari Cooper proceeded to the tune of 10 receptions for 201 yards. It was by no means a perfect trip. Alabama coach Nick Saban was irate with Sims for fumbling away Alabama’s third turnover of the day in the 2nd quarter, and Sims afterwards had a pass deflected and intercepted to provide the Gators excellent field position. But wherever Sims erred, he followed promptly with poise.
Late in the 3rd quarter, Sims left the field using a trainer, seemingly injured after an remarkable scramble. Coker calmed him and wanted just to hand off to running back Derrick Henry for almost all the yardage on a touchdown drive to open a 35-21 lead. But while Sims gave way to Coker for several plays, he left no doubt about Coker’s job going forward. The most heralded transfer in college football, whose former trainer at Florida State forecast would be an improvement over two-time national tournament quarterback AJ McCarron, is formally a back-up. And from the appearance of things, a poor showing by Sims later in the season — if it ever even comes — is not going to alter that.
If Coker is to one day be a high NFL draft pick, as Jimbo Fisher also has projected, he will need to wait until 2015 to show the world why.
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