The Tennessee Volunteers got a reprieve from their injury-riddled football season this past weekend by having an open date.
Ole Miss has been without cornerback Ken Webster and tailback Eric Swinney since the first half of its first game, while LSU and Georgia have been forced to play stretches this season without star rushers Leonard Fournette and Nick Chubb.
Alabama no longer has the services of senior safety Eddie Jackson, who fractured his leg in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 33-14 win over Texas A&M, and the Crimson Tide players know they won't receive much sympathy.
"All we can do is move forward," sophomore cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick said. "We can't linger on with the fact he's not going to be with us anymore. We have to have people step up, myself included, and our younger guys are going to have to put more responsibility on themselves."
Jackson suffered the fracture on a 17-yard punt return early in the fourth quarter and quickly was carted from the field. His absence resulted in increased roles for junior defensive backs Tony Brown and Hootie Jones, with Jones replacing him at safety and Brown entering when the Crimson Tide employed six defensive backs.
Brown missed the first four games this season due to an NCAA suspension.
"We've got to circle the wagons and really around the DBs and try to help them out as much as possible," senior defensive end Jonathan Allen said. "They're going to be fine, and we're going to be fine. It's just sad to see your brother go down in his senior season.
"That's something you don't want to see."
Alabama coach Nick Saban met briefly with the media Monday before speaking in Birmingham but would only say that several options would be discussed in the secondary.
Jackson is certainly a significant loss, given that he headed the secondary on a defense that ranks among the top five nationally by allowing just 274.5 yards per game. He leads the nation in punt returns with a 23.0-yard average, having reached the end zone from 85 yards out at Ole Miss and 79 yards at Tennessee.
Throw in the 55-yard interception return for a touchdown in the 38-10 win over Western Kentucky, and Jackson has been responsible for three of Alabama's 12 non-offensive scores through eight games this season.
"Its a great feeling when we're able to score on the other side of the ball," Jackson said after the 49-10 win in Knoxville. "We've got guys who are really good at just finishing. When we get a turnover, we look for a block. When we get the ball, we turn into offensive players."
Jackson's punt-returning chores could fall to redshirt freshman Xavian Marks, who had a 75-yard return for a score in the 48-0 win over Kent State.
His biggest absence, however, could be felt from a leadership standpoint. The 6-foot, 194-pounder from Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., made his 38th career start against the Aggies, having had four as a freshman cornerback in 2013.
"It's just a deal where everybody has to step up without Eddie there," redshirt sophomore cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. "He's a playmaker and a great punt returner, but I think we've got the guys who can step up and make plays."
Said Fitzpatrick: "He's definitely a leader off the field. He kind of helps all the young guys and gets them focused and makes sure we know what we're doing. He has kept us on track."
Tide tidbits
Alabama's game Nov. 5 at LSU was picked up Monday by CBS, as expected, and will be televised at 8 p.m. Fitzpatrick was named Monday among the 16 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given annually to college football's top defensive back. Saban on Mack Wilson's hit on Speedy Noil during a first-quarter kickoff return: "It was a good hit. I know some people made something about the fact that it was targeting, but it's not an unprotected player. The guy is running with the ball."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.