J.J. McCarthy vs Jalen Milroe statistical comparison: H2H, notable achievements and records ahead of Rose Bowl showdown

Modified Dec 29, 2023 20:59 GMT

The 2024 Rose Bowl will feature two of college football's top quarterbacks, J.J. McCarthy of the Michigan Wolverines and the Alabama Crimson Tide's Jalen Milroe.

McCarthy is in his second season as a starter, and this will be his second appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Milroe, meanwhile, started slowly in his first season as Alabama's starter, but peaked toward the end of the season.

Ahead of the Rose Bowl, here's a look at how both quarterbacks stack up against one another:

J.J. McCarthy vs Jalen Milroe statistical comparison ahead of Rose Bowl Showdown

Starter records and achievements

McCarthy helped Michigan become the No. 1 team in the country with a 13-0 record as the starter. He also notably defeated rival Ohio State for the second year in a row (third year in a row for Michigan).

He won the Griese–Brees Quarterback of the Year award in 2023 and was named First-team All-Big Ten. He is a three-time Big Ten champion.

Milroe, on the other hand, helped his team defeat former two-time national champions, the Georgia Bulldogs, in the SEC title game where he was named the MVP. Alabama finished 12-1 and earned a playoff berth. Milroe was 11-1 in 12 starts.

Completion Percentage

McCarthy boasted a stronger completion percentage of 74.2%, completing 213 passes on 287 attempts. Meanwhile, Milroe, in his first year as a starter, had a solid completion percentage of 65.5%, completing 171 passes on 261 attempts.

Unique Games

It is important to note that in Alabama’s fourth game against South Florida, Jalen Millroe did not play, as he was benched following the team's loss to Texas the previous week.

However, a key detail about J.J. McCarthy is that in Michigan's 11th game of the season against Penn State, he did not attempt a pass as the Wolverines' offense ran the ball the entire third and fourth quarters.

Passing Yards

While McCarthy's completion percentage was better, he had 2,630 passing yards for the season. Milroe, with fewer attempts and completions, had more yards with 2,718. Milroe's longest completion was for 79 yards, compared to McCarthy’s 54.

Passing Touchdowns

Milroe had 23 passing touchdowns compared to McCarthy's 19. However, it is important to note the difference in the wide receiver talent between Alabama and Michigan to get a clearer picture of the two quarterbacks.

Interceptions

Interceptions will be a major factor in the Rose Bowl matchup. McCarthy had just four interceptions in the regular season while Milroe had six.

Rushing Yards

Milroe dominates in this category with 468 yards on 140 carries. McCarthy is more of a pocket passer and had 146 rushing yards on 57 carries.

Rushing Touchdowns

McCarthy had just three rushing touchdowns against Milroe's 12, which shows the contrast between the two quarterbacks' approaches.

However, both players will need their legs in the upcoming Rose Bowl.

Sacks

The dual-threat quarterback style does come with risk, as Milroe was sacked 38 times. McCarthy, on the other hand, was brought down just 18 times despite both quarterbacks having around the same number of passing attempts.

Head-to-head

The Alabama Crimson Tide lead the all–time series against the Michigan Wolverines 3-2.

Their most recent meeting was at the Citrus Bowl in 2020, when Alabama cruised past Michigan 35-16.