Jacobs aids in Alabama's quick start at Tennessee,
After spending all season coming off the bench in support of Damien Harris and Najee Harris, third-string Alabama tailback Josh Jacobs got the starting nod in last Saturday’s game at Tennessee and didn’t disappoint.
Jacobs returned the opening kickoff 42 yards out of his end zone and had a 16-yard run to the Tennessee 35-yard line on Alabama’s second play from scrimmage. The 5-foot10, 216-pound junior finished the opening touchdown drive with four carries for 30 yards.
Never before had the Tulsa, Oklahoma, resident made such an early impact for Alabama.
“It reminded me of high school,” a smiling Jacobs said afterward. “That’s the only way I can explain it.”
Jacobs wound up rushing 12 times for a team-high 68 yards in the 58-21 drubbing of the Volunteers that improved Alabama’s record to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in Southeastern Conference play. The top-ranked Crimson Tide had Monday off and are open this week before the Nov. 3 showdown at No. 4 LSU (7-1, 4-1).
The starting opportunity for Jacobs was created when senior Damien Harris, who is bidding for a third consecutive 1,000-yard season, was temporarily benched for what coach Nick Saban described Saturday night as “internal reasons.” The change in order had no effect on Alabama’s productivity inside Neyland Stadium, as the Tide rushed for 218 yards on 42 carries, averaging 5.2 yards per rush.
Alabama’s fourth-string tailback, Brian Robinson Jr., had 13 fourth-quarter carries for 60 yards.
“Josh did a really good job,” Saban said. “I thought Najee played well when he played, and I’ve been very pleased with all of our running backs this year and the job that they’ve done.”
Jacobs has 186 rushes for 1,118 yards in his Alabama career, an average of 6.0 yards a carry. His eight touchdowns lead all Tide rushers this season, with sophomore receiver Jerry Jeudy’s 10 touchdown catches leading the offense overall.
Whether Jacobs gets another start this year remains to be seen, but he certainly capitalized on the first one.
“Because of the environment we were in, we wanted to get the crowd out of it as soon as possible,” Jacobs said. “That was the biggest thing.”
Hurts hurting
Alabama backup quarterback Jalen Hurts sustained a high-ankle sprain on his 21-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter that capped the scoring during Saturday’s game.
“They did a minor procedure to try to help the healing,” Saban said Monday while speaking in Birmingham. “I think he will be out for one week, probably this bye week, and he will probably be ready to start working again next week.”
Tide tidbits
CBS, as expected, did select next Saturday’s Alabama-LSU game as its lone prime-time SEC telecast of the season, with kickoff scheduled for shortly after 8 EDT. … Saban on Monday when asked about the targeting call on LSU linebacker Devin White, who must sit out the first half of the Alabama game: “I don’t think it’s my place to make a comment on it.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.