Dylan Moses Returns to Home State for LSU, Calls Matchup a "Regular Game"
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — As the possibility that Alabama football's upcoming game against LSU could be cancelled grows more and more likely due to positive COVID-19 tests on the Tigers' roster, Crimson Tide senior linebacker Dylan Moses made it clear that he and his defense will be ready regardless of whether or not the game will take place.
Moses, a Louisiana native, seemed unshaken at the thought of once again traveling back home to take on the Tigers. In addition to Moses, both redshirt-junior linebacker Christopher Allen and sophomore linebacker Christian Harris also hail from Baton Rouge, forming a trio of Crimson Tide linebackers that will be returning to their home state to take on LSU this weekend.
"As far as the Louisiana guys, we’re looking at it as another game," Moses said. "We’re not trying to put too much into it. I’m a senior now, I’ve played in this game a couple of times, so I’m looking at it as a regular game."
After suffering a knee injury prior to the 2019 season that kept him on the sidelines for the entire year, Moses was unable to compete last season as LSU came to Bryant-Denny Stadium and handed Alabama its first loss.
Despite not being able to play, Moses was still in attendance and dressed out despite not being able to enter the game.
“I really wanted to be out there with my teammates," Moses said. "I wanted to give them an extra push, extra motivation. One of their leaders isn’t out there but he’s willing to come out there and dress up and give them the support that they needed in that particular time frame. It definitely meant a lot to me."
Moses said that while missing the game last year was tough and it was difficult being forced to watch from the sidelines, he said that it wasn't really different to him than any other game last season.
"It wasn’t just that game, it was every game," Moses said. "Missing an entire season, that was a lot for me: I haven’t missed a game in my entire football career, since I was a little kid. An entire season, it was hard."
After missing the entirety of 2019, Moses returned to Alabama this season. Despite a slow start to 2020, Moses has slowly improved his game on the field week by week, increasing his tackle numbers and even intercepting a pass in the Crimson Tide's most recent game in Mississippi State.
Alabama coach Nick Saban agrees that Moses' game has gotten better and better.
"I think Dylan has played better and better as the season has gone along," Saban said. "I think he probably had to get the sea legs back under him early in the season after missing one entire year of football. But I think he's much more confident now. I think he feels better about the role that he's in in terms of assuming command and leadership and making calls and trying to help other players play better. So I'm very pleased with the way he's progressed throughout the year.”
After last year's LSU game, videos surfaced of Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron and other players trash talking the Crimson Tide, infuriating Alabama fans and reigniting a rivalry that had grown fairly cold over the last few years.
According to Moses, he and his teammates don't use the material provided by LSU last year as a motivating factor.
"We’re not worried about that at all," Moses said. "We’re just trying to play one game at a time and get better each and every week."
