Tua Tagovailoa was carted off with a lower-body injury in the fourth quarter of the SEC Championship Game.
It went from bad to worse for Tua Tagovailoa in the SEC Championship after the Alabama quarterback had to be carted off with an ankle injury. Tagovailoa was stepped on by his own teammate and immediately reached for his ankle. He went to the sideline and made a return trip to the medical tent where he spent time earlier with an ankle injury. Later, the cart came out for Tagovailoa who is questionable to return.
Tagovailoa has battled back from a PCL injury that has left him wearing a brace on his knee and has been attacked from all angles vs. Georgia. Prior to leaving with the injury, Tagovailoa was 10/25 for 164 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The two picks match his total from the previous 12 games combined.
With Tagovailoa out, Jalen Hurts came in to try and orchestrate a late comeback vs. Georgia who leads 28-21. On his first drive, Hurts led Alabama to an 80-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard touchdown by Jerry Jeudy to tie the game at 28.
This flips the script from last year’s National Championship Game between these two teams when Tagovailoa relieved Hurts in the second half and threw three touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.
Stay tuned to see if Hurts can seal the deal. With a loss, Alabama might still be in the College Football Playoff. They made the field last year despite not winning the SEC, and history could repeat itself if Georgia is able to hold off Hurts and the Tide.
Update: Hurts was able to finish the comeback and lead Alabama to a 35-28 win for the SEC Championship and clinch the top seed in the playoff.
After the game, Saban said Tagovailoa actually sprained his ankle in the first half and he doesn’t think the injury will keep him out of the playoff.