DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - Alabama Quarterback Tua Tagovailo was carted off the field after being sacked while up 35-7 in the second quarter against Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon.
The injuries for Tua Tagovailoa the past few years have been brutal. pic.twitter.com/VUNdMzxos0
— Jeff Nowak (@Jeff_Nowak)
November 16, 2019 Early reports suggest that in addition to a bloody nose, Tagovailo suffered a hip injury that prevented him from putting any weight on his lower extremities.
Due to a previous ankle injury suffered earlier in the season, Tagovailo had just come off of surgery to repair the damage in his ankle in their game against LSU on November 9th, and was a game-time decision this week against Mississippi State.
In his halftime interview on ESPN, Alabama head coach Nick Saban said that it was supposed to be Tagovailo's last series of the game and that they wanted him to get some practice in the two-minute drill, before putting in back up Mac Jones for the rest of the afternoon.
Here’s Nick Saban’s halftime interview with ESPN on Tua Tagovailoa’s hip injury and the plan before halftime pic.twitter.com/ZKixkhf2Ds
— Marq Burnett (@Marq_Burnett)
November 16, 2019 Early speculation from Dr. Mark Adickes, a medical expert for ESPN and DirecTV's Fantasy Zone, Tua's injury could be consistent with a posterior hip subluxation, which leads to a labral tear, and would likely require surgery, ending both Tua's season and his career at Alabama.
Tua Tagovailoa injury video reviewed. Mechanism consistent with posterior hip subluxation. Leads to labral tear. Surgery probable. Season likely over.
— Dr. Mark Adickes (@jocktodoc)
November 16, 2019 Tagovailo was undergoing x-rays in a medical facility located in the Mississippi State stadium, and has now been reportedly flown by helipcopter to St. Vincent's Medical Center in Birmingham Alabama, per Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News.
With his future at Alabama now in doubt, Nick Saban will be forced to turn to back up Mac Jones to continue the Crimson Tide's playoff push, as they attempt to climb back into the picture following their loss to LSU a week ago.
Jones does have previous starting experience for the Tide, albeit in just one game, in a 48-7 blowout of the Arkansas Razorbacks on October 26th. In that game, Jones completed 18-22 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns, with a QBR of 90.9.
The Tide will have some time to formulate a plan going forward, with their next matchup coming against the Western Carolina Catamounts, before their annual showdown in the Iron Bowl against Auburn on November 30th.
