Nick Saban won’t let foul play from opposition dictate his moves.
The head coach for the University of Alabama football program took the podium on Monday for his presser, and among the first questions he tackled was the health of his quarterback room.
Since having surgery on his ankle, Jalen Hurts did not play against LSU or Mississippi State.
Despite making some progress in practice, the junior was clearly favoring the issue in pre-game warmups versus both schools. After news surfaced on Tua Tagovailoa nursing a sprained posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) to his knee against Arkansas, four different Southeastern Conference teams have targeted the area and have aimed low with hits on the sophomore.
Regardless of concern shown from Tide fans and local media delivering thoughts on Saban resting Tagovailoa for this week’s matchup, the five-time national champion for the Crimson Tide is not hearing it. He updated the statuses of all three guys and said Tagovailoa is “OK.”
“Jalen is day-to-day and he’s definitely getting better,” Saban said. “Tua is going to be able to practice. That is not an issue. Mac (Jones) is getting a lot of reps, so I think he is getting better.”
While he acknowledges the challenge to plan around injuries, Saban is not one to coach out of fear. If he feels as though his best player can go and if the player feels the same, the 67-year-old will pull the trigger and live with the result. Upon being asked on whether he would limit Tagovailoa’s reps for Alabama’s meeting with the Citadel, Saban let the reporter have it.
“No,” he said.
“No. Why would we do that? Are you saying that this is not an important game or he doesn’t need to play? I think the people playing around him need to do a better job so he doesn’t get hit and he needs to do a better job of stepping up in the pocket and getting rid of the football. Some of these hits can be avoided with better execution. That is what we are going to focus on.”
It had allowed the SEC’s fewest sacks (five) before facing a vaunted defensive front for Mississippi State, but its four sacks allowed versus the Bulldogs has the Tide’s offensive line back on edge to protect Tagovailoa. Redshirt sophomore Deonte Brown left the game due to a turf toe, and hopefully it is nothing serious.
With him in the lineup, Alabama had much success running the football and mixed some throws in. After he went down, Lester Cotton could not maintain the level of play. The trio of Auburn, Georgia and the College Football Playoff lie ahead of the Tide, and while Saban is certain of Tagovailoa’s health, the offensive line must improve more going forward.
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 @CoachingMSmith.
