TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- A 3-yard pass, a 5-yard pass and a punt.
Oof.
Then -- bang! -- a 23-yard strike down the sideline on first down. And three plays later, a perfectly lofted ball right into the breadbasket of a receiver for a touchdown.
That wasn't the start Jalen Hurts hoped for when he imagined Alabama's spring game on Saturday, going three-and-out and showing no signs of the progress coaches claimed to have seen in him after a rocky end to his freshman season. On the other hand, his backup, Tua Tagovailoa, was all smiles.