Report: Alabama LB Deontae Lawson out vs. Miss State, could miss multiple games

Alabama redshirt sophomore linebacker Deontae Lawson will miss the Crimson Tide’s game on Saturday against Mississippi State with an ankle injury, according to ESPN’s Chris Low. Lawson could miss multiple games as a result of the injury.

Lawson injured his ankle in the Crimson Tide’s win over Ole Miss this past weekend. After the game, head coach Nick Saban said simply that it was a sprained ankle and Lawson’s status would be addressed going forward.

On Wednesday, Saban offered a further, less promising update on Lawson’s status.

Saban confirmed both Lawson and offensive lineman Terrence Ferguson, who is also banged up, sat out practice, which is why he put them in the “very questionable” category for this week.

“Both guys were unable to practice today, so that would put them in a probably category of ‘very questionable,’” Saban said.

Saban explained that the Crimson Tide does have plan for the defense sans Lawson.

“Well, you know, we played most of the game this last week with Jihaad [Campbell] playing and Trezmen [Marshall] playing,” Saban said. “So, that’ll be the way that we go. Obviously, the depth at that position is going to become critical for us if Deontae can’t go. So, we’ll keep working with those guys and try to get them ready to go this week.”

Lawson has 26 tackles and two sacks already on the season. He had been starting at inside linebacker to start the season prior to the injury.

Alabama plays at Mississippi State on Saturday with kick off scheduled for 9 p.m. EST.

Saban is ready for a big challenge on the road

For the last few years, teams knew what they were up against with Mississippi State and its Air Raid offense. But after the sudden death of Mike Leach, Zach Arnett and his new-look staff have changed everything about the offense.

That means teams are in for a new challenge against the Bulldogs. The Air Raid is no more, and they run a pro-style offense even with Will Rogers still at quarterback. As a result, preparation is different for teams getting ready to head to Starkville.

To Saban, that makes this week’s game even bigger for Alabama.

“I really think this is a big game for us,” Saban said on Hey Coach and The Nick Saban Show. “I think this is a big challenge for us being on the road. This is a tough place to play, always a tough place to play. And this is a very physical, tough, well-coached team. It’s not the team that you saw before, in terms of the offense. They’re gonna run the ball, they’ve got a good back, they’ve got some good receivers. The quarterback’s started 38 games or whatever and is a really, really good player.

“They’re very aggressive on defense. This is a very challenging preparation for us and it’s a very challenging game for us. And we need to continue to progress as a team if we’re going to have success in this game.”