Two Alabama returnees finally got back on the field Saturday night against South Carolina, and neither one needed much time to make his presence felt.
Wide receiver Noah Rogers and running back AK Dear had spent weeks working their way back from leg injuries - Rogers from April, Dear from August - after warming up in uniform for Alabama’s first two home games without actually getting into either one. Rogers also traveled to Kentucky earlier this month and warmed up there, but his first game action of the season still had to wait.
That changed against the Gamecocks, when both players logged exactly one offensive snap.
Rogers got his chance late in the second quarter and wasted no time showing up. He immediately got loose for a 36-yard catch from Keelon Russell that carried Alabama all the way to South Carolina’s 3-yard line.
Russell was moved by the moment after the game.
"Noah Rogers, man, he brings tears to my eyes the way that he battles, the way that he fights," Russell said. "The biggest thing for him was when I seen him go down in the spring game, I was just so sad for him, but the way he fought through the whole injury -- it was hard coming back in what, eight months?
Doing the stuff that he's doing, coming out and catching the ball. I felt so glad for him.
I felt extremely proud for him.
"The way that we had cheers for him -- wish he would've gotten in the end zone right there -- just really, extremely proud for him the adversity. We had talks about it.
He never backed down from the fight. He never stopped working.
Really just want to honor him, the role that he took and coming in and doing the stuff he does."
Kalen DeBoer also singled out Rogers after the game.
"Good to see Noah Rogers out there, get a catch and involved, and excited for him. The team then was excited for him as well."
Dear’s return came much later, with his lone snap arriving in the fourth quarter. He turned it into a 1-yard gain.
"AK got back out there, fourth quarter, finished it off," DeBoer said.
Alabama also had to deal with more injury trouble during the game, as offensive linemen Jayvin James and William Sanders both exited in the second half.
CBS Sports provided Alabama’s full snap counts from the Week 4 win over South Carolina. On offense, Keelon Russell played 56 snaps and Austin Mack played one, while the backs were led by Daniel Hill with 27, Trae'shawn Brown with 11, EJ Crowell with 9, Kevin Riley with 8, and the returning Dear and Khalifa Keith with one each.
At receiver, Ryan Coleman-Williams and Rico Scott each played 48 snaps, followed by Lotzeir Brooks at 31, Cederian Morgan at 5, Derek Meadows at 4, and Rogers and MJ Chirgwin with one apiece.
The rest of the offensive distribution broke down like this: tight end Kaleb Edwards had 34 snaps, Josh Ford 25, Marshall Pritchett 17, Danny Lewis 9, and Jay Lindsey 5; at tackle, Jackson Lloyd played 56, Jayvin James 44, Tyrell Miller 13, and Nick Brooks 1; at guard, Michael Carroll had 56, William Sanders 31, Mal Waldrep 25, Kaden Strayhorn 1, and Ethan Fields 1; and at center, Racin Delgatty played 56 with Casey Poe getting one snap.
On defense, Alabama listed Devan Thompkins with 57 snaps at bandit defensive end and Fatutoa Henry with 15. At defensive tackle, Terrance Green led the way with 45, followed by London Simmons at 37, Kedrick Bingley-Jones at 22, Isaia Faga at 16, Edric Hill at 11, and Steve Bolo Mboumoua at 6.
Inside linebacker snaps went to Caleb Woodson with 53, Luke Metz with 52, Xavier Griffin with 25, QB Reese with 20, and Abduall Sanders with 3.
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