Tua Tagovailoa is no longer Alabama’s starting quarterback for the 2019 season as a result of the dislocated right hip he suffered in Saturday’s 38-7 win at Mississippi State, but his ability to affect others is still on display.
Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban revealed that Monday during his weekly news conference.
“I feel bad, I’m hurting, so I call him on Saturday night to cheer him up, and he cheers me up,” Saban said. “I call him last night because I had been sitting in a room for 10 hours watching film, and I call him to cheer him up, and he cheers me up. This is a guy who has great spirit and is very positive about everything he does.
“He’s been a great ambassador for college football with the class that he shows. The first thing he says to me last night when I tell him good luck with the surgery is, ‘I can’t wait to get back and see the game on Saturday.'”
Fifth-ranked Alabama will host Western Carolina in its Bryant-Denny Stadium season finale this weekend, and nobody is doubting an appearance by Tagovailoa. The 6-foot-1, 218-pound junior was flown to Houston on Sunday night and underwent a successful surgery Monday morning, according to Alabama team orthopedic surgeon Lyle Cain.
“The procedure went as planned, and he is resting comfortably,” Cain said through a released statement. “Tua’s prognosis is excellent, and we expect him to make a full recovery. He will return to Tuscaloosa in the next several days to begin his rehab.”
In 32 games with the Crimson Tide, including 24 starts, Tagovailoa has compiled dazzling number after dazzling number. He has completed 474 of 684 passes (69.3%) for 7,442 yards with 87 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions.
His 96 touchdowns responsible for – 87 passing and nine rushing – are a Tide record.
“We lost a great leader and a great player on our team, and we’re all hurting as a result of it,” Saban said. “Just like any time you lose someone in your family for whatever reasons, everybody in the family is hurting. This is all about people and the person.”
Said junior right tackle Jedrick Wills: “I know it’s something terrible for anybody to go through, and it’s definitely tough on you mentally, but he’s a strong enough person that he’ll have a positive outlook throughout the whole thing and recover.”
Saban added Monday that, while he wishes he could love every player as much as possible, there are only four or five during his time in Tuscaloosa that he has “truly loved.” He has Tagovailoa in that group.
Alabama now has lost its top offensive and defensive leader, with junior middle linebacker Dylan Moses having suffered a season-ending knee injury days before the opener against Duke in Atlanta.
The Tide will be moving on offensively behind redshirt sophomore quarterback Mac Jones, whose only previous start was in the 48-7 drubbing of Arkansas on Oct. 26, when Tagovailoa was recovering from ankle surgery. Jones has completed 50 of 78 passes (64.1%) in his career for 689 yards with five touchdowns and one interception.
“I don’t think the offense changes much at all,” Saban said. “Mac played in the Arkansas game and did a nice job. He was 18-of-22 or whatever. He’s smart, and he understands the offense.
“He’s made a lot of improvement throughout the course of the year. We’re not changing what we do. Mac is a very capable guy.”
Tide tidbits
Saban said defensive linemen Raekwon Davis, DJ Dale and Phidarian Mathis are all questionable for this week’s game, as is receiver Henry Ruggs III. … Wills did not miss an assignment Saturday in 53 snaps. … Alabama’s game at Auburn next week was officially announced as a 3:30 p.m. EST start on CBS.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.