A brutal setback for one of the most beloved player in Alabama football history.
Tua Tagovailoa has likely played his last game with the Crimson Tide following Saturday's horrific injury suffered in the first half at Mississippi State. Reportedly a hip fracture, Tagovailoa is out for the season and will have a decision to make on his collegiate future as a draft eligible quarterback in the spring.
The reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year and Heisman contender posted on Twitter late Saturday:
"Thank you all for the prayers and well wishes! God always has a plan," Tagovailoa tweeted.
With Alabama leading 35-7, Tagovailoa trotted back out there with the starters in hopes of getting reps during a two-minute situation, Nick Saban said. During the broadcast, Saban appeared to motion for Mac Jones, but Tagovailoa shrugged him off and spoke with his coach outside the huddle on the sideline.
Tagovailoa, with 256 yards passing and two touchdowns, went back into the game and crashed to the turf three plays later.
“He was at least as good as he was a week ago in terms of his ability to move, and I didn’t think that anything that he did affected his performance in this game in the first half,” Saban said. “So, the guy played, and I thought he played really well. We hate it that he got injured. We hate it for him. We hate it for his family. I hate it if any player on our team gets injured. So, Godspeed to him and his entire family, and our thoughts and prayers are with him.
“Hopefully, this is not so serious that it has any longterm effect on his future as a player.”
Dozens of national media members were critical of Saban's decision to play Tagovailoa late in the second quarter, blaming him for the injury. There were numerous fiery takes, but some level-headed, like this message from CBS Sports analyst Kevin Carter.
"You want to win and win impressively, but for him persnally, your heart goes out to him," Carter said.