Even without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, No. 1 Alabama (7-0, 4-0 in the SEC) heads into this week’s game against Arkansas (2-5, 0-4) as a 33-point favorite, according to VegasInsider.com. The Crimson Tide holds a 22-7 record all-time against the Razorbacks and heads into Saturday’s game riding a 12-game winning streak in the series.
Today, we will break down where Alabama stands heading into this week’s game by providing three observations, two questions and one prediction.
THREE OBSERVATIONS
Alabama expects improvement from Mac Jones
If Alabama is concerned about facing life without Tagovailoa, it's doing a pretty good job of hiding it.
Nick Saban provided another update on his starting quarterback Monday, a day after the Heisman contender underwent surgery on a high-ankle sprain. The head coach said there is “no real timetable” for Tagovailoa's return but stated he hopes he will be able to participate in active-type rehab in 10 days.
In the meantime, the Crimson Tide will rely on backup Mac Jones to lead the offense. The redshirt sophomore subbed in for Tagovailoa during last week’s game against Tennessee, completing 6 of 11 passes for 72 yards while leading Alabama to a 35-13 victory.
“All In all, I thought he handled the situation really well,” Saban said. “It’s a difficult circumstance to get thrown into. We’ve got a lot of confidence in Mac. With a week of preparation, I think he’ll do a lot better in this game.”
Jones will make his first career start Saturday against Arkansas. Appearing in six games this season, the right-hander has completed 20 of 32 (62.5 percent) of his passes for 237 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Monday, Miller Forristall expressed confidence in Jones, saying little separates him from Tagovailoa during practice. The tight end also provided a reminder that “down here we’ve done well historically with backup quarterbacks.”
“I’ve got as much faith in Mac as I’ve got in any quarterback here,” Forristall said. “He’s sat here and practiced against our defense for three years. MVP of the spring game. He can throw the crap out of the ball. It’s not like our playbook gets limited or we stop attacking down the field. We got to roll just the same as we always do.”
