Alabama RB Jam Miller facing ‘long odds’ to play in SEC title game against Georgia, per report
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Alabama running back Jam Miller is facing “long odds” to play in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday afternoon against Georgia, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Friday afternoon.
Miller was knocked out of the Iron Bowl last Saturday night and seen on crutches after the game. He is dealing with a lower leg injury, according to Thamel’s report, which also said that Miller is expected to return for the postseason and that “the injury isn’t considered serious.”
The latest SEC availability report that was released on Friday night listed the senior running back as questionable, which is what he was listed as on the first availability report on Wednesday night. But Thamel’s report makes Miller’s status for Saturday sound a lot more dire, and if he can’t play then Alabama will have to scramble to get something out of a rushing attack that’s been feeble for most of the season.
Miller has been hampered by injuries since dislocating his collarbone during fall camp and missing the first 3 games of the season. Since returning against, ironically, Georgia in the SEC opener in Week 5, Miller has shown flashes of his old self but also struggled for long stretches. He’s still managed a team-leading 493 yards rushing this season with 3 touchdowns.
Making matters worse for the Bama rushing attack is that 2nd-leading rusher Kevin Riley is out for Saturday’s game.
On the other side of the field, Georgia safety Zion Branch remained questionable on Friday night’s availability report.
Branch was added to the availability report on Thursday night, when he was also listed as questionable. Not having Branch against Alabama would be a big blow to the Bulldogs’ secondary. He has 22 tackles, 16 of them solo, 1 tackle-for-loss and 1 pass deflection this season.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
