Alabama football starting quarterback Jalen Milroe orchestrated almost three quarters of dominance over Western Kentucky. That opened the door for appearances from multiple backup quarterbacks.

Ty Simpson entered the game against the Hilltoppers late in the third quarter. He led two touchdown drives, the second including a scoring run of 15 yards from Simpson.

Then Dylan Lonergan closed out the game in the fourth quarter as No. 5 Alabama beat Western Kentucky 63-0.

“I thought they were clean,” offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said of the backup quarterbacks Monday. “I thought they communicated well, by-and-large made the right decisions. There’s a couple that we’d like to learn from. But that was the first experience for me with all the guys in our room as far as seeing them compete and being out on the grass in a game environment, and I was proud of them.”

Simpson finished the day completing five of nine passes for 66 yards. He also rushed for 32 yards on two carries, scoring off the second. Lonergan didn’t log any stats, primarily handing off the ball.

“They had poise,” Sheridan said. “They led their groups. They moved the ball when they were in there, and ultimately that’s their job as quarterbacks. They used their legs. I thought they played football and that was good to see. I was happy that they both got a chance to get in the game.”

Now, Alabama will play host to South Florida on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Time will tell if backup quarterbacks get to play again this weekend.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.