Replacing Landon Dickerson Won't Be Easy, But With Chris Owens, Alabama is Confident It Can Be Done
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Maybe the biggest storyline heading into the University of Alabama's meeting with Notre Dame on Friday in the Rose Bowl in Dallas is the absence of starting center Landon Dickerson.
Dickerson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the fourth quarter against Florida on Dec. 19, will seemingly be replaced by redshirt senior lineman Chris Owens.
Losing a team captain like Dickerson and someone who anchors the line like he does will be massive against a tenacious defense like the Fighting Irish, but Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban is certain the fifth-year player can do it what it takes to keep Alabama's dominant offensive line moving and staying in sync despite its key loss.
"Chris has been a really selfless player as well," Saban said during his Rose Bowl media availability. "He's been kind of a jack-of-all-trades for us. He's played center. He's played guard. He's played tackle. Probably all this year. And has done a really good job in whatever we've asked him to do.This is certainly going to be a challenge, no doubt.
"But we have total confidence that Chris can go in there and get the job done because he's a fifth-year center and he has a significant amount of experience. And he really has played a lot of football here. So Landon did a great job, and I don't think you replace guys. But I think Chris certainly has the ability and the attitude and the character to get the job done for us."
Stepping in for a starter this season isn't new for Owens in 2020.
He did it at the right tackle position against Arkansas earlier this month when Evan Neal was absent against the Razorbacks. In that contest, the Crimson Tide offensive line bludgeoned Arkansas for 443 total yards and 52 points.
"Of course it was a big loss because he's [Dickerson] a great leader, you know what I mean," left tackle Alex Letherwood said. "Emotionally, stuff like that. He's great in the run game, great in the pass game. But I feel like we'll be fine because Chris is not a rookie. He's played before and we trust in him to get the job done."
Over the course of his career, Owens has five starts and has appeared in 36 games. When he arrived at the Capstone in 2016, he was redshirted, then primarily played guard upon moving to a backup center and reserve tackle role ever since.
And with playing center from here on out, Owens has the versatility to know what assignments his teammates have on each and every snap. So, he makes for the perfect "sixth man" to come off the bench and pick up where the Rimington Trophy Finalist, Dickerson, left off.
Crimson Tide defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis sung Owens' praise when he spoke with the media earlier this week.
"Chris Owens, he's a great guy, happy to see him step up after Landon being down," Mathis said. "And can't wait to see what he goes out and do this week. He does a lot for the D linemen, gives us a great look in the run game, also in the passing game. And he just been great all around, and I'm glad to see him step up and take on this big challenge."
Alabama is also one of three schools vying for the Joe Moore Award, which honors the best offensive line in the country, along with Notre Dame and Texas A&M. Leatherwood thinks a solid showing from Owens could help the Crimson Tide win the matchup with the Irish, and possibly bring home the trophy.
"We have head-to-head match up with Notre Dame's O line to compete for the Joe Moore Award," Leatherwood said. "And I'm excited to compete and showcase what we can do, even with a backup center, you know what I mean? Because I feel like everybody in our offensive line room is just committed to being the best that we can be. I'm excited to see that matchup."
Like quarterback Mac Jones who is finally blooming in his fourth year of being inside the Alabama program, Owens, who is in his fifth, has his shot now on the sport's biggest stage to move the Crimson Tide one step closer to winning its 18th national championship.
"Landon would want nothing more than us to just keep doing what we're doing, and that starts with Chris," Jones said. "Chris has been here for many years. And he's also one of my close buddies, that, you know, he does a good job. He's played tackle, guard, center. We've been -- we go way back years and years. We kind of have that same communication level. We've been working on it this week.
"I've been really proud of him and the opportunity that he's gotten. I mean, that's a great experience just to be able to say, hey, I'm starting the College Football Playoff game and I've been here a while. We have that same similar late-bloom. So I'm just really excited for Chris. We're on the same page and we're ready to roll."
