Happy Thursday, everyone. Your injury report for Tennessee:
On the SEC coaches media teleconference, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer described Miller’s status as “questionable” as he navigates concussion protocol. On “Hey Coach,” DeBoer said Miller is “continuing to move along here throughout the week” and “making good progress.
“We’re going to think optimistically,” DeBoer said.
DeBoer also said freshman wide receiver Derek Meadows (concussion) would be “out” against the Volunteers.
It would be great if
Miller could play, but his health is obviously first and foremost. I’m skeptical that he will hit the needed markers in one week after getting knocked out cold, but the doctors will ultimately make the decision. On the Tennessee side, they will not be getting back either of their starting corners as they’d hoped. The group that they’ve been running out there has been awful. Gunner Stockton put up by far his best performance of the season with 304 yards, and even UAB threw for 371 on this bunch.
Kalen DeBoer is calling on the crowd to let its hate be heard on Saturday night.
“I think it’s the feeling you even have with the walk into the stadium. There’s just, the players, we pull up in the buses, and you can see everyone’s ready to go. We’d better make sure we uphold our end of the bargain too,” DeBoer said. “That goes into the week of preparation, understanding what it’s even gonna feel like when you’re practicing on a Tuesday, the excitement that leads into wanting to make sure that we’re at the top of our game on Saturday. And then you get in the environment, and you need crowd noise to affect the timing of the snap count for the opponent. The momentum, and what that brings when we’re making plays. So, just huge to have that energy being at home.”
QB Joey Aguilar’s only road test thus far was an afternoon game in Starkville. This should be very different, and the partisans need to make it so.
DeBoer spoke about some of what makes Tennessee challenging to play against on his radio show.
— DeBoer takes another question, about what makes Tennessee offense tough to defend. DeBoer mentioned tempo, explosive runs, a lot of plays, stretching the field. “When they see blood in the water, they attack you even more.”
— John in the audience asks Josh Cuevas how important graduating was to him and his family. His mom told him going into college that he wasn’t going to the NFL without his degree. “The days of football don’t last forever.”
— Cuevas said most of his time away from practice he spends with the tight ends. “Whatever I can do to help the younger guys out.”
— Cuevas said one his goals is to leave this place better than he found it.
— DeBoer said Tennessee has a physical offensive line, can run well and throw the ball way down the field.
Ty Simpson hooked the squad up with some Yeti gear.
That’s the good side of NIL.
Alabama’s offensive line is one of about 30 named to the Joe Moore Award midseason honor roll.
Despite the rotations, Alabama’s offensive line has lived up to the task against bigger competition, allowing no sacks to the vaunted Georgia Bulldog defense. The line has given up four sacks in each of the last two contests, but Ty Simpson takes ownership of those, saying he needs to be better about getting the ball out. Despite the sacks, the Crimson Tide’s offensive line has been named to the Midseason Honor Roll for the Joe Moore Award. The award is presented to the top offensive line in college football annually, with Alabama winning the award twice in the program’s history (2015 and 2020). The Crimson Tide was the first repeat winner in the award’s history.
Absent a couple of notable busts, Ty Simpson has enjoyed a clean pocket on the lion’s share of his dropbacks.
Speaking of Ty, he is the only midseason All-American for Alabama, just like everyone predicted.
Alabama’s Ty Simpson edged out Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza for first-team quarterback on The Associated Press midseason All-America team released Wednesday. Ohio State and Texas A&M led all teams with three players each on the top unit.
Nine players from the Big Ten and seven from the Southeastern Conference are on the first team, as determined by a panel of media members who vote each week in the AP Top 25 college football poll.
Seven players who were on the AP preseason All-America first team also were voted to the midseason first team. Seven other preseason first-team picks are on the second team.
Since he struggled in Alabama’s season-opening loss at Florida State, Simpson has completed 76% of his passes for 285 yards per game, 14 touchdowns and one interception as the Crimson Tide have won five straight. He has Pro Football Focus’ fourth-highest grade among passers with more than 200 attempts.
Last but certainly not least, Alabama basketball takes on Florida State tonight in Birmingham.
Alabama men’s basketball will play at 7 p.m. CT Thursday, Oct. 16 in Boutwell Auditorium, which was built in 1924 as Birmingham’s Municipal Auditorium. The address is located at 1930 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Boulevard in Birmingham.
Making their first appearance in the showcase, Alabama women’s basketball will tip off earlier in the day at noon.
How to buy tickets to see Alabama basketball play FSU in Birmingham
Boutwell Auditorium offers limited seating, holding 6,000 at full capacity, but tickets are still available online. Days before the event, prices dropped to $30 to get in the door.
The game will not be televised, but you can stream on Youtube here.
That’s about it for now. Have a great day.
Roll tide.
