The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tide monitoring some key injury situations
ATHENS — One of the key differences in Georgia’s last game against Alabama and the one Monday night will be the Crimson Tide playing without John Metchie.
A junior flanker, Metchie was lost late in the second half of the SEC Championship game Dec. 4 to a noncontact ACL tear. He was and still is Alabama’s receptions leader with 96 (for 1,142 yards and eight TDS). Split end Jameson Williams leads the team in receiving yardage (1,507) and touchdowns (15).
In the Tide’s 27-6 win over Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl on Friday, freshman Ja’corey Brooks emerged as Metchie’s primary replacement and looked good in his debut in that role. The former 5-star prospect had 66 yards on four catches, including a 44-yard touchdown. He has nine catches for 145 yards and two TDS in six games this season.
Brooks is not the only answer. Slade Bolden has been the next man up for Alabama at the flanker position the past two seasons. A junior, Bolden has 35 catches for 364 yards and three touchdowns this season.
Williams actually left the Cotton Bowl game for a short time early in the second half
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Monday
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CFP national final after getting hit hard on a kickoff return. ESPN sideline reporter Laura Rutledge reported that trainers were examining Williams’ shoulder when he went into the medical tent. However, Williams returned and finished the game.
Alabama has more pressing injury concerns at other positions. Reports out of Tuscaloosa this week are that two cornerbacks are at least questionable for the College Football Playoff Championship game. Josh Jobe (turf toe) missed the Cotton Bowl and is listed by some news outlets as doubtful for Monday’s game. Meanwhile, the other corner, Jalyn Armour-davis, has not been ruled out but
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Indianapolis 8 p.m. apparently is dealing with a problematic hip issue. He started against Cincinnati but was in and out of the game.
Heralded freshman Koolaid Mckinstry started at Jobe’s corner and played well, with five tackles. Junior college transfer Khyree Davis stepped in for Armour-davis in the Cotton Bowl and had three stops.
On the offensive line, right guard Emil Ekiyor (shoulder) and right tackle Chris Owens (ankle) both left the Cotton Bowl with injuries. Alabama reporters were listing them as questionable for Monday’s game. Freshman guard J.C. Latham and sophomore tackle Amari Kight replaced the starters in Dallas.
ESPN
Alabama coach Nick Saban hasn’t provided any new information on the Tide’s wounded players.
“We really don’t have a lot of updates,” Saban said before Alabama practiced Monday. “… We’ll kind of see how these guys progress during the week. We’re hopeful that we’ll get some guys back.”
Georgia is relatively healthy. It does not appear that the Bulldogs lost any starters to injury in the Orange Bowl, and several front-line players seemed significantly recovered in that contest.
Left tackle Jamaree Salyer, who missed the last four games of the regular season with a sprained foot, had a phenomenal day against Michigan’s touted defensive ends, Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. Coming in with 25 sacks between them, neither recorded one, as the Wolverines failed to bring down quarterback Stetson Bennett even once.
Meanwhile, senior safety Christopher Smith (knee) said he was much closer to 100% before that game. Smith started and finished with one tackle. Georgia coaches went to sophomore walk-on Dan Jackson most of the game at safety, and Jackson had four tackles in the game.
Middle Tennessee 31, Toledo 24
Coastal Carolina 47, Northern Illinois 41
W. Kentucky 59, Appalachian St. 38
South Carolina St. 31, Jackson State 10
Fresno State 31, UTEP 24
UAB 31, BYU 28
Liberty 56, Eastern Michigan 20
Utah State 24, Oregon State 13
Louisiana-lafayette 36, Marshall 21
Tulsa 30, Old Dominion 17
Wyoming 52, Kent State 38
San Diego State 38, UTSA 24
Army 24, Missouri 22
Miami (Ohio) 27, North Texas 14
UCF 29, Florida 17
Memphis vs. Hawaii, canceled
Georgia State 51, Ball State 20
Western Michigan 52, Nevada 24
E. Carolina vs. Boston College, canceled
Houston 17, Auburn 13
Air Force 31, Louisville 28
Texas Tech 34, Mississippi State 7
UCLA vs. North Carolina State, canceled
Minnesota 18, West Virginia 6 SMU vs. Virginia, canceled
Maryland 54, Virginia Tech 10
Clemson 20, Iowa State 13
Oklahoma 47, Oregon 32
South Carolina 38, North Carolina 21
Purdue 48, Tennessee 45
Michigan State 31, Pittsburgh 21
Wisconsin 20, Arizona State 13
Wake Forest 38, Rutgers 10
Central Michigan 24, Washington St. 21
No.1alabama 27,No.4cincinnati6
No. 3 Georgia 34, No. 2 Michigan 11
Arkansas 24, Penn State 10
Kentucky 20, Iowa 17
Oklahoma State 37, Notre Dame 35
Ohio State 48, Utah 45
Baylor 21, Mississippi 7
Kansas State 42, LSU 20
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 3 Georgia