Mississippi probably found out early on that it was going to either defeat Alabama or injure a couple of Crimson Tide players in the process. Rebels head coach Matt Luke saw the latter of the conversation occur on Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium during a 66-3 blowout loss.
Alabama would sustain injuries to sophomore cornerback Trevon Diggs and senior defensive end Da’Shawn Hand. While Diggs was seen on crutches late in the first half, Hand took a helmet to his left knee in the third quarter and was carted off the field to the locker room.
After the game, head coach Nick Saban updated the media on both guys.
“Da’Shawn Hand probably will be evaluated in the morning, but he may probably have an MCL strain,” Saban said. “Trevon Diggs has a foot injury that will also be evaluated in the morning.”
Before the injuries, Hand totaled three tackles – including one for loss and a sack.
Sack! Da’shawn Hand #BamavsOleMiss pic.twitter.com/dyiWxr4K1T
— BamaVideo (@BamaVideo_) October 1, 2017
Diggs, on the other hand, had two punt returns for 37 yards. Despite having a fumble on his second return, Alabama was able to recover the ball and maintain possession.
It lost both Christian Miller and Terrell Lewis for the season because of medical mishaps; however, the Crimson Tide can’t afford to lose a leader like Hand on the defensive line.
If this brings any solace to Alabama fans, Ole Miss’ wide receiver A.J. Brown suffered a strained MCL versus California before it faced the Tide and he was still able to play. Continue to stay tuned to tdalabamamag.com for more information on both Hand and Diggs this week.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
