Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell wasn’t going to let an ankle injury keep him on the sideline in Baton Rouge, not with the Crimson Tide’s playoff hopes on the line.
Russell went to the injury tent after Alabama’s first offensive drive of the second half against LSU on Saturday, and backup Austin Mack started warming up. However, Russell returned with his left ankle heavily taped and threw three touchdown passes to lead No. 5 Alabama to a 31-13 win over No. 14 LSU at Tiger Stadium.
The Crimson Tide outscored LSU 21-0 after he came back. After the game, Russell made it clear that sitting out was never an option.
Keelon Russell Called LSU Win ‘Life or Death’
Russell didn’t hold back when ESPN’s Holly Rowe asked him why he returned.
“It’s just fight,” Russell stated. “Coach is always talking about the toughest guy in the building — I wasn’t just going to sit there and let my team starve, and I feel like I was just gritty enough to go out there.
“All the external stuff — we fight over things, you know what I’m saying — but ankle injury that’s the least of my concern. I’ve got to go out here and win this game. It’s life-or-death situations right now. We got to go to the playoffs, so I’ve got to come out here and do my thing.”
Russell wasn’t exaggerating.
Alabama came into Saturday with two losses — a 20-17 home loss to Georgia and a 26-10 defeat at Tennessee. It marked the program’s first back-to-back regular-season losses since 2007.
After the Tennessee loss, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum warned that if Alabama also lost at LSU, “they’re done” as far as the College Football Playoff was concerned.
Instead, the Crimson Tide kept their playoff hopes alive and may have done some serious damage to LSU’s in the process. And if Alabama does find its way into the 12-team field, Russell’s taped-up ankle could go down as a big reason why.
Keelon Russell Wasn’t Coming Out of the LSU Game
Alabama checked Russell’s left ankle with an on-site imaging device, according to the ABC broadcast, and he never took his helmet off. Instead, he paced the sideline and did calf raises with trainers to test it out.
Meanwhile, LSU took its first lead of the night late in the third quarter. Trailing 13-10, that’s when Russell went back in.
He promptly led a five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped by a 7-yard pass to tight end Josh Ford. On the Tide’s next possession, Russell hit Cederian Morgan for a 25-yard score on the first play after a 32-yard punt return from Ryan Coleman-Williams.
Then he found Kaleb Edwards for another touchdown to make it 31-13 with 6:23 left. Russell finished 17 of 24 for 206 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Head coach Kalen DeBoer wasn’t surprised.
“The guy’s tough,” DeBoer said. “It doesn’t surprise me, because I’ve seen it before wit
Keelon Russell Makes Strong Statement After Alabama’s Win Over LSU