Texas Football: 5 best QB’s Steve Sarkisian ever coached
Tua Tagovailoa
Outside of Leinart, maybe the most famous college quarterback at the time that Sark ever worked with as an offensive coordinator and/or quarterbacks coach is the former Heisman Trophy runner-up and first-round NFL Draft pick Tua Tagovailoa. Tua was looking at a very special junior campaign if not for the tough season-ending injury he had against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in 2019.
But Sark came into a great situation right away as the Alabama offensive coordinator in 2019 when he had Tua as the starting quarterback. And Alabama was putting up some record-breaking type offensive numbers in the SEC in the first nine games of the 2019 campaign.
Alabama had an offense that was putting up similar numbers in 2019 to what USC did when Sark was their quarterbacks coach in 2005. The Crimson Tide averaged 47.2 points per game (second in the FBS) just under 350 passing yards per game, and nearly four passing touchdowns.
Tagovailoa was nearly spotless in his nine games played in 2019, registering 2,840 passing yards, 13.4 adjusted yards per passing attempt, 33 passing touchdowns, three interceptions, and two rushing scores.
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That ultra-balanced offense that could still take the top off of opposing defenses schemed up by Sark was really put to perfection in 2019. Alabama had a 1,000-yard rusher in 2019 with Najee Harris and two 1,000-yard receivers in Smith and Jerry Jeudy. But that was also that loaded Alabama receiving corps that featured the likes of Smith, Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, and Jaylen Waddle.