It doesn't matter if the opponent is Mercer or Auburn, the venue Bryant-Denny Stadium or Jordan-Hare.

"The first thing we talk about in any game we play is, 'The ball, the ball, the ball,'" Alabama coach Nick Saban said.

Cherish it. Possess it. Control it. Never lose it.

"Some players have a hard time putting that as a priority," Saban continued.

But that's not the case with one manning Alabama's most important position.

Jalen Hurts has played quarterback with the kind of care and responsibility Saban demands, but also with a near-impeccable track record no college coach should expect.

This season, Hurts has been on the field for 581 snaps and committed only one turnover -- an interception snagged by Arkansas' Kevin Richardson in a game Alabama won, 41-9.

No player handles the ball more than Hurts, the sophomore who has avoided mistakes while throwing it 201 times and carrying it on 119 other plays. He's steered clear of disaster even as he has expanded his repertoire and made more challenging throws to deeper regions of the field.

"The older I get, the better I should get with reps and all that," Hurts explained.

But Hurts is playing beyond his years, avoiding the pitfalls that young quarterbacks typically experience. It's the main reason why Alabama is tied with LSU for the fewest giveaways in the Football Bowl Subdivision. There is also a direct correlation between his cautious play and the Crimson Tide's undefeated record heading into its Iron Bowl clash with Auburn on Saturday.

Need evidence of that? Just go back ten days to Nov. 11.

Against Mississippi State, the Tide launched only ten drives and held the ball 21 minutes. Each possession was crucial especially as Hurts and Alabama staged a comeback in the fourth quarter before prevailing in the final minute.

"Turnovers, they're points," said center Bradley Bozeman. "You give the ball away and the defense usually gets points off of it. Anytime you can end in a punt instead of a turnover is huge."

It's even better when the final result of a drive is a touchdown.

This season, Alabama has scored 58 -- the eighth-most in the FBS -- and all but one has been produced by the offense.

No team has a better touchdown-to-turnover ratio than the Crimson Tide, and no player is more responsible for that than Hurts.

He plays with the risk-averse mindset Saban values.

"That's something we've really emphasized with our team and it's something that Jalen is very conscious of and done a good job of," Saban said. "He's probably learned from his past experiences of taking care of the ball. So I think it's critical and will continue to be critical."

That's especially true in a high-stakes game like the one Alabama will play this weekend. Against Auburn, Alabama knows there is little margin for error.

"Expecting some adversity in the game going against a good team," Hurts said.

Chances are, though, it won't be self-inflicted because the quarterback running Alabama's offense rarely makes mistakes.

Rainer Sabin is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin