The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Defense could receive big boost from Rice
Inside LB has missed past two games with a foot injury.
ATHENS — Inside linebacker Monty Rice, who has missed No. 4 Georgia’s past two games after injuring his foot in pregame warmups before the Massachusetts game Nov. 17, got some practice work in Tuesday as the Bulldogs prepared for Saturday’s SEC Championship game with No. 1 Alabama.
“Monty was able to move around and do some things,” coach Kirby Smart said of Rice, Georgia’s second-leading defender with 59 tackles, including one quarterback sack. “He did a little more as practice went on, and we hope that he’s going to be able to do more (Wednesday). He ran some today, cut some and did some things.”
Rice’s absence has provided opportunities for other players — including Tae Crowder, Channing Tindall and Quay Walker — to fill the gaps. Crowder has 41 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 quarterback sacks, two interceptions and four pass breakups, Tindall has 14 tackles, two tackles for loss and one quarterback sack and Walker has six tackles.
Smart referred to Georgia’s inside linebackers as a “wounded warrior unit.”
“It will be by committee,” Smart said. “Monty’s been down since before UMass. … He’s been out two games, so we’ve had to play other guys. Channing’s played some, Quay’s beginning to step up and play, Natrez (Patrick) has been dinged up and he keeps pushing through, so we’re a wounded warrior unit when it comes to defense, especially at the linebacker position. … We’ll lean on the guys we got and try to get those guys prepared.”
Smart also said that senior defensive tackle DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle, who has played in only five games (and hasn’t seen the field since the Vanderbilt game), could return for Saturday’s game.
“He may be back for the game. Not sure,” Smart said. “He was able to practice today for the first time in a long time.”
Tua Time: Alabama coach Nick Saban inserted then-freshman Tua Tagovailoa into January’s national title game in the third quarter, and the Hawaii native has been calling most of the shots on offense ever since. While the 6-foot-1, 218-pound sophomore is a running threat (he’s rushed for 292 yards and five touchdowns), his passing skills have been a key factor in the Crimson Tide’s success this season.
Tagovailoa has completed 189 of 269 passes (70.3 percent) for 3,189 yards, 36 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He has set the program’s single-season passing yardage record and has pushed the Crimson Tide to its highest point total ever; in addition, Tagovailoa now owns Alabama’s single-season touchdown responsibility record (41 — 36 passing, five rushing) and threw for four or more touchdowns in five games, including five passing scores Saturday against Auburn.
As Smart opined Monday, Tagovailoa’s game has only improved since January, and he’s not the only threat in the passing game.
“He’s improved tremendously,” Smart said of Tagovailoa. “I mean, he was really good in that half, but you have to remember, they had two really young linemen in the game. They had a lot of receivers that were playing at that point that were really young that have grown up. Their receiving corps is extremely talented, and they all seemed young then.
“So now they’re all very experienced, very talented, and he has them at his disposal to make good decisions and put the ball in the right people’s hands, and his decision-making and touch and accuracy is really just off the charts.”
Jerry Jeudy is Alabama’s leading receiver with 56 catches for 1,079 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s followed by Henry Ruggs III (39 receptions, 675 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Jaylen Waddle (37 receptions, 690 yards, six touchdowns).