HZT Crimson Tide Daily Wrap plus Practice Report 10-7-2013
By Chris Hale
Nick Saban Monday Press Conference (Courtesy of BamaOnline)
- As promised earlier today, LB Denzel Devall (knee) wore a black, non-contact jersey and worked off to the side with a trainer. Devall was doing upper-body exercises with elastic bands during the media viewing session.
- There was no sign of C Ryan Kelly, who continues to recover from a knee injury.
- Suspended S HaHa Clinton-Dix continued to practice with the team. He was going through individual drills just like he always does at this time of the week.
- CB Eddie Jackson (ankle) and DE Jeoffrey Pagan (shoulder) don’t seem bothered by the injuries they had Saturday. They were full participants in what we were able to see.
- Dillon Lee opened practice with the outside linebackers.
- Freshman Jonathan Cook, a defensive back from Spanish Fort, worked with the safeties during today’s viewing period. He’s been a scout team guy throughout the season.
- Alabama’s scout team quarterbacks were either wearing No. 2 (Jalen Whitlow) or No. 11 (Maxwell Smith). Whitlow took all of the snaps Saturday against South Carolina.
Alabama LB Denzel Devall nursing knee injury but expected to play at Kentucky
- Denzel Devall will be limited in practice today and, perhaps, over the next few days, but Nick Saban said he expects the sophomore outside linebacker to be ready for Saturday’s game at Kentucky. Click title link to read more.
Cyrus Kouandjio, A’Shawn Robinson, Dee Hart among Alabama’s players of week
Though Alabama cleared the benches and played a number of young players Saturday against Georgia State, a large number of veterans were the recipients of the coaches’ player of the week honors. Click title link to read the entire list.
Five players from Alabama listed in updated 247Sports Class of 2015 rankings
- The state of Alabama looks to be headed for another strong crop of football talent in the class of 2015, according to the latest recruiting rankings from 247Sports. Click the title link for more.
Alabama will play Arkansas in another evening game on ESPN family
- Alabama’s Oct. 19 home date with Arkansas will kickoff at 6 p.m. CT in Bryant-Denny Stadium. It will air on either ESPN or ESPN2, the SEC announced Monday morning.
Alabama vs Kentucky Game Info From RollTide.com
- THE GAME: The University of Alabama football team returns to Southeastern Conference action with a road game against the Kentucky Wildcats this week. The game marks the first meeting between the Crimson Tide and Wildcats since the 2009 season and will be broadcast on ESPN2 with kickoff set for 6 p.m. (CDT). Mark Jones will serve as the play-by-play announcer, with Brock Huard at his side as the color analyst. The two will be joined by sideline reporter Lewis Johnson. Eli Gold and Phil Savage will handle the radio call on the Crimson Tide Sports Network, with Chris Stewart serving as sideline reporter.
- RANKINGS: Alabama enters week seven of the 2013 season ranked first in the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches polls. Kentucky is unranked.
- KENTUCKY: Kentucky is under the direction of first-year head coach Mark Stoops, who took the reins of the Wildcats’ program after three seasons as the defensive coordinator at Florida State. The Wildcats are 1-4 in 2013 after a hard-fought loss to South Carolina, 35-28, last weekend. UK is 0-2 in Southeastern Conference action after a 24-7 loss to the Gators on Sept. 28. Maxwell Smith and Jalen Whitlow have both quarterbacked for Kentucky this season combining for five touchdowns and two interceptions. Jojo Kemp, Raymond Sanders III and Jalen Whitlow lead the rushing attack as the Wildcats average 172 yards per game on the ground.
- SERIES HISTORY: Saturday’s game in the Bluegrass state is the Tide’s first against an SEC East opponent this season. The Crimson Tide won the last meeting, 38-20, at Commonwealth Stadium in 2009. Alabama holds a 35-2-1 advantage in the series and has won four straight dating back to a 40-34 overtime win for the Wildcats in 1997. Both of Kentucky’s wins in the series have come in Lexington, but Alabama boasts a 15-2 record in the state of Kentucky (14-2 in Lexington & 1-0 in Louisville).
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