TUSCALOOSA, Ala.–In what should be another David versus Goliath contest between top-seed Alabama and No. 4-seed Washington in a College Football Playoff semifinal game on Saturday, Dec. 31, head coach Chris Petersen and the Huskies suffered a major setback on defense.
Per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, Washington will be without a pair of linebackers when it faces the Crimson Tide in Atlanta. Veterans Joe Mathis (foot) and Azeem Victor (leg) have sustained injuries.
Mathis, a senior, has 25 total tackles.
He stands fourth on the team in tackles for loss (7.5), while adding five sacks. Victor, a junior, leads Washington in tackles with 67. He’s totaled three tackles for loss, a pass breakup and a forced fumble through 10 games.
The duo anchored a unit that’s allowed 17.2 points and 316.2 yards per game this season.
Stephen M. Smith is a senior analyst and columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
