Smith, Hurts mending as Bama readies for LSU
Alabama is getting closer and closer to full strength offensively heading into Saturday night’s showdown at LSU.
Crimson Tide sophomore receiver DeVonta Smith, the hero of January’s overtime victory against Georgia in the national championship contest, sustained a hamstring injury during the 39-10 win over Missouri on Oct. 13. The 6-foot-1, 173-pounder from Amite, Louisiana, suffered the setback on a 57-yard reception, which was the longest catch of his career.
Smith did not make the trip to Tennessee for the 58-21 victory on Oct. 20, and he benefited from the Crimson Tide having an open date last weekend.
“He’s practiced every day this week, and I think he’s making good progress,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said Wednesday. “We just continue to go day to day, and we’ll see how he improves through the course of the week before determining what his role can be during the game.”
Smith has 21 receptions this season for 409 yards (19.5 per catch) and three touchdowns.
Another Alabama offensive player on the mend is backup quarterback Jalen Hurts, who suffered an ankle injury during the victory in Knoxville. The 6-2, 218-pound junior from Houston has completed 39 of 53 passes (73.6 percent) for 589 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions, and he also has rushed 28 times for 136 yards (4.9 per carry) and a score.
“Jalen is starting to turn the corner,” Saban said. “He’s starting to be able to move around and do some things. It’s going to be a
total confidence thing with him.”
In Alabama’s 10-0 win at LSU two years ago, Hurts rushed 20 times for 114 yards and broke open a scoreless contest with a 21-yard touchdown run with 13:08 remaining.
Very few sacks
Alabama has allowed just five sacks all season, but LSU coach Ed Orgeron is not lacking confidence in his team’s ability to pressure Crimson
Tide starter Tua Tagovailoa.
In the Tide’s 24-10 win last November in Tuscaloosa, the Tigers sacked Hurts four times for 37 yards.
“We feel like we can put a good rush on him,” Orgeron said. “He gets rid of the ball very quickly, so that’s one of the things we’ve got to be very patient with. We’ve got to get our hands up, and maybe we’ll block some passes, but he is hard to contain.
“We’ve got to have great rush lanes, because he can scramble both inside and outside, but we feel like we can rush the passer.”
Tagovailoa leads the nation in efficiency (238.8) and has thrown 25 touchdown passes and no interceptions. He also has rushed 26 times for 123 yards (4.7) and two scores.
Only kidding
LSU sophomore safety Grant Delpit, who has five of his team’s 14 interceptions, had an amusing response this week when a reporter asked why Tagovailoa had yet to be intercepted.
“Maybe because he hasn’t played anyone like us yet,” Delpit said with a smile before adding, “or maybe it’s because he just makes smart decisions. He’s a great quarterback.”
Tide tidbits
Alabama holds a commanding 52-25-5 series edge over LSU and has won the past seven meetings. … LSU defensive lineman Rashard Lawrence on studying Alabama’s offense on video: “It gets kind of boring, watching them run up and down on everybody.” … Wednesday was Saban’s 67th birthday.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.