Alabama football jumped out to a big lead quickly against Mercer, and that allowed the Crimson Tide to get plenty of work for the backup quarterbacks.

Jalen Milroe, the starter, played for a little over two quarters in the 52-7 victory. Then Ty Simpson got his chance, followed by Dylan Lonergan and then Austin Mack.

"I thought all of them did a nice job," Alabama offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said Monday. "Certainly there were learning moments for each one of them. But as far as execution and moving their unit, I thought those guys did a nice job. Every snap you get is invaluable for their growth and development. I thought all three guys did a nice job."

Simpson completed five of 10 passes for 71 yards while rushing for 14 yards on two carries. His best play came when he escaped a sack on third-and-long and hit tight end Josh Cuevas for a 43-yard pass near the goal line. Alabama scored on the next play.

"If it's picked off, it's picked off," Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said Saturday. "Smart just to give him a chance. Find a way to make a play."

Lonergan took over from Simpson and completed five of six passes for 23 yards. Lonergan helped Alabama convert a fourth-and-3 with 6:09 left with a five-yard pass.

Then Mack replaced him. Mack threw the only touchdown of the day for the backups; He completed two of three passes for 39 yards and one touchdown, which he threw to Rico Scott late in the fourth quarter.

"I was proud of the way they just handled everything, from the execution to even the procedural things, making sure guys are lined up before they motion," DeBoer said. "All that stuff. Thought it was a good day for all of them as a whole."

Next up, Alabama (8-2, 4-2 SEC) will face Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5) on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPN) in Norman, Oklahoma.