Alabama Starting Linebacker Ruled Day-to-Day with Ankle Injury
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama opened up SEC play with a 24-10 victory over Ole Miss Saturday afternoon. It was a strong performance for the Crimson Tide on defense, but one of its best player left the game with an injury in the second quarter.
Starting linebacker Deontae Lawson left the game with an ankle injury, and head coach Nick Saban updated his status after the game.
"He's got a sprained ankle," Saban said in the postgame press conference. "He's gonna be day-to-day. It's a pretty good one, so nobody knows how long it will take for him to respond. So that's all I can tell you about that one."
Prior to the Ole Miss game, Lawson was Alabama's leading tackler on the season. Jihaad Campbell and Kendrick Blackshire stepped up in his place at middle linebacker.
"Anybody on the defense will step up," outside linebacker Dallas Turner said. "It's always a next-man-up mentality here. You know, that's how I played my freshman year. Just seeing Deontae go down, it hurt my heart– that's my brother. He's going to bounce back for sure. We have one of the best training staffs in the world."
Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe also took a hard hit on his touchdown pass. He played the rest of the game. Saban said he was a little dinged up but will be just fine.
In-game injury updates:
- With about nine minutes to go in the second quarter, Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson went down after making a tackle. He was looked at by the Alabama medical personnel on the field. He walked off the field under his own power, but headed straight to the medical tent on the sidelines.
- Lawson was taken to the locker room, and according to the CBS broadcast, is questionable to return with a lower body injury.
- Darrian Dalcourt appears to have gotten shaken up. Terrance Ferguson has entered for him at right guard.
- Ferguson, who was already in for the injured Dalcourt, gets up gingerly and has to be helped off the field after that third down play. He is taken straight to the injury tent. Ferguson is also taken to the locker room.
- Dalcourt is back in the game for Alabama at right guard to start the second half.
- Jalen Milroe briefly went into the injury tent after Alabama's last series, but he appears to be fine.
- Milroe gets drilled on his touchdown pass to Jalen Hale, but after getting looked at by the medical staff, he gets up and sprints down the field to celebrate with teammates. He probably just had the wind knocked out of him after taking a shot to the chest. Ty Simpson comes in for the two-point conversion for the Crimson Tide.
