Saban: Game manager label is high praise for Alabama QB
BY JOHN ZENOR Associated Press
Friday, November 02, 2012
11/02/12 at 4:32 AM
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - A quarterback described as a game manager can often be perceived as someone who's mostly responsible for supervising plays and not making them.
Unless the QB is AJ McCarron and he plays for Nick Saban.
The coach of top-ranked Alabama considers it the highest praise. No. 5 LSU (7-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) would love to get a McCarron-like, efficient performance from Zach Mettenberger Saturday night in Baton Rouge where both passers will be supported by punishing tailbacks and terrific defenses.
McCarron has been the consummate game manager even with 18 touchdown passes.
"I don't think it's fair to AJ that because I said he's a really good game manager for us that it's like that means he doesn't do anything," Saban said. "He does everything. I don't think you can be a good quarterback unless you're a really good game manager. That's the ultimate compliment, to me."
McCarron has been the nation's most efficient passer with a quarterback rating of 182.4 for Alabama (8-0, 5-0). He's thrown 262 passes without an interception dating back to last season, second-longest in SEC history behind the 325-pass streak by Kentucky's Andre' Woodson.
McCarron wants to clear up what being a game manager means in his eyes.
"What I think and then what the media tries to make a game manager out to be is two totally different things," he said. "I probably think more along the lines of coach Saban. A game manager can be anything. I mean, he can throw nine touchdowns in one game but he still managed the game. He could hand the ball off 47 times but still manage the game.
"I think coach, in that aspect, is saying he's taking what the defense is giving him and he's not making any real bonehead mistakes. And that's the biggest thing. People nowadays love to see the ball being slung around and everything but that's not our style of play. So I'm going to, like what coach always, take what the defense gives me and ... eventually they'll give you the game."
The strong-armed Mettenberger might still be finding his way toward the game manager role in his first year as starter. He hasn't completed 50 percent of his passes in any of the last three games - all against ranked SEC teams - and has one touchdown pass, two interceptions and a modest 403 passing yards during that stretch.
Mettenberger has been intercepted a modest four times through eight games.
Running back Michael Ford and his teammates are standing by their quarterback.
"He throws a little bad ball and everybody jumps on his back," Ford said. "We've just got to go out there and give him confidence."
It's Mettenberger's first time playing in an Alabama-LSU confrontation. He knows the big-game drill, though.
"You have to be level-headed," Mettenberger said. "You can't get too jacked up or you will start throwing balls in the stands."
Original Print Headline: 'Game manager' high praise to Saban
Up next: Alabama at LSU
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
TV: KOTV-6
