Alabama doesn’t have the luxury of easing into life without linebackers Shaun Dion Hamilton and Mack Wilson.
Both Hamilton and Wilson sustained injuries during Saturday night’s 24-10 win over LSU, with Hamilton suffering a broken kneecap that has scratched the rest of his college career. Wilson underwent foot surgery Sunday and will miss more than a month, so his best-case scenario is playing in a bowl game.
Next up for the Crimson Tide is a trip to Mississippi State and the challenge of facing Bulldogs dual-threat quarterback Nick Fitzgerald.
“They have a lot of quarterback runs, so you’re basically playing against the wildcat (formation) on every snap,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said Monday during his weekly news conference. “He has great ability to throw, so that’s something you also have to take into consideration. When they do pass, his ability to scramble creates problems for the defense.
“These kinds of guys create problems for everybody on defense, and not just the linebackers.”