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Tua Tagovailoa injures hip in Alabama’s 38-7 win at Mississippi State

The junior quarterback already was on the mend from surgery four weeks ago for a high ankle sprain.
 
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) is carted off the field after getting injured in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss.
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) is carted off the field after getting injured in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss. [ ROGELIO V. SOLIS | AP ]
Published Nov. 16, 2019|Updated Nov. 17, 2019

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will miss the rest of the season with a hip injury he sustained late in the first half of the Crimson Tide’s victory over Mississippi State on Saturday.

Tagovailoa was injured while being dragged down late in the first half, with the Tide up four touchdowns, and No. 4 Alabama went on to beat Mississippi State 38-7.

Tagovailoa had been nursing an ankle injury and Alabama was considering holding him out of this game.

Tagovailoa was flown by helicopter to the St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Birmingham, Ala. Hours later the school announced he has sustained a dislocated right hip.

The junior needed surgery four weeks ago for a high ankle sprain on his right leg that caused him to miss a game and a half.

Coach Nick Saban told ESPN at halftime the plan was to remove Tagovailoa from the game before the series when the quarterback was injured. Alabama was leading 35-7, but it was decided to let Tagovailoa play one more possession to get work in the two-minute drill.

“We can second guess ourselves all we want,” Saban said. “…Tua wanted to play in the game and so I don’t really make a lot of decisions worrying if a guy is going to get hurt.”

Tagovailoa was 14-of-18 for 256 yards and two touchdown passes against Mississippi State, giving him 31 touchdown passes on the season. He was replaced in the second half by Mac Jones, who went 7 for 11 for 94 yards.

The Crimson Tide (9-1, 6-1 SEC) was coming off a 46-41 loss to LSU that nudged it out of College Football Playoffs position to fifth in the latest selection committee rankings. Now Alabama is facing the possibility of trying to impress the committee without Tagovailoa, the Heisman Trophy runner-up from last season and a potential top-10 selection in the NFL draft.

Tagovailoa played well against LSU, passing for more than 400 yards, but he was shaky at times, favoring his right ankle. Saban said Tagovailoa was a game-time decision against Mississippi State. He started and the Tide jumped out to a 14-0 lead on a touchdown run and a touchdown catch by Najee Harris, who finished with four TDs.