PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Tua Tagovailoa has a national-best passing efficiency rating of 248.1, which essentially has held steady in SEC games. In four conference games, he has completed 55 of 80 passes (68.8 percent) for 1,177 yards and 13 touchdowns (that’s an efficiency rating of 245.96). Tagovailoa, despite not appearing in the fourth quarter this season, is the Heisman front-runner. He has directed 52 drives, with 34 resulting in touchdowns and five culminating in field goals.
He told ESPN he can do better.
“A lot of things during the Missouri game, I missed,” he said.
“And we can take an example, the fumble where I got sacked, the sack fumble. I had a wide-open guy coming across, he had a dig route, and I kind of held onto the ball too long. I couldn’t see, but it was one of those things where it was a timing route and my eyes were focused on the safety and I just didn’t go through my progressions good enough to find Henry (Ruggs III).”
–LB Mack Wilson had his best game of the season against Missouri, with 11 tackles, including 1.5 for loss and his first career sack. The inside linebacker had put pressure on himself to do more after making just 21 tackles through the first six games. “I had to step up and study more film,” he said. “I was here extra every night. I’d go to tutoring and come back and get extra work that helped us tremendously. I was able to make the calls and checks, I knew what plays were coming.”
–WR Jerry Jeudy has 25 receptions for 705 yards and nine touchdowns, leading the nation with an average of 27.12 yards per catch. He was one of five Alabama players named to the AP’s midseason All-American team, the others being QB Tua Tagovailoa, LT Jonah Williams, C Ross Pierschbacher and S Deionte Thompson.
–DB Shyheim Carter has been playing with a fractured hand since the Ole Miss game on Sept. 15. He has returned two interceptions for touchdowns this season. “My hand, it’s doing all right,” he said Monday. “It’s good. I can’t really say anything. That’s about it. It’s good. But I go out about it in practice with it wrapped. In the game, I have it wrapped but I just have my fingers out in the game.”
SERIES HISTORY: Alabama leads Tennessee 54-38-7 and has won 11 in a row in the series. The Tide won 45-7 last season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Played really well. He’s very productive and did a better job of making adjustments in the game with the front, got us in the right lanes.” — Alabama coach Nick Saban on LB Mack Wilson’s performance last week.
