Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, coming off right ankle surgery, will be a game-time decision for the No. 2 Crimson Tide’s showdown against visiting No. 1 LSU on Saturday.
Coach Nick Saban said at his Monday press conference that Tagovailoa practiced twice last week during a bye week.
“We’ll see where he’s at today, and then we’ll manage the reps accordingly,” Saban said.
“We cannot predict. If he goes out there today and he looks good, then his rep count is going to go up and we’ll prepare him as if he’s going to have an opportunity to play in the game. If he has a setback during the week, we can’t really control that.”
Saban said the practice plan from Monday through Wednesday would be for Tagovailoa and sophomore Mac Jones to get about the same amount of reps with the first team.
Tagovailoa, a junior, had surgery Oct. 20 to help recover from a high ankle sprain, suffered a day earlier against Tennessee. Jones started against Arkansas on Oct. 26 and completed 18 of 22 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-7 romp.
Tagovailoa passed for 2,166 yards and 27 touchdowns with only two interceptions in the first seven games. His 212.39 passing efficiency rating is second in the nation to his former teammate, Oklahoma senior Jalen Hurts (224.3).
In addition to the stakes involved in the SEC West and College Football Playoff, Saturday’s matchup could have a big impact on the Heisman Trophy race. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow is considered the betting favorite, just ahead of Hurts and Tagovailoa.
