Nagging injuries pile up for Tide this season

TUSCALOOSA - Whether it was good luck or superior conditioning, Alabama blew through the 2008 regular season with impeccable health.

Only losses came with less frequency than injuries to impact players last fall.

That good fortune, however, did not follow the Crimson Tide into the new year. The season hadn't even officially started before one player tore his anterior cruciate ligament and the flu swept through the team.

"Day-to-day" is the most frequent, yet unwelcomed, words uttered in Nick Saban's news conferences as nagging injuries pile up. That label was attached to three important players as the third-ranked Tide prepares for No. 9 LSU's visit at 2:30 p.m. CST Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Before the season, Saban credited the incredible amount of conditioning done in the offseason for the avoiding some of the inevitable injuries that typically come with a sport like football. The conditioning routine hasn't changed, but the injuries returned.

Colin Peek, starting tight end and the team's second-leading receiver, headlines the hobbled with a freak knee sprain suffered in the pregame warm-ups prior to the Oct. 24 Tennessee game. He was wearing a brace on his left knee in practice Wednesday while wearing a black non-contact jersey. Saban said Peek practiced "a little bit" on Tuesday and Wednesday.

But his status for Saturday's showdown with LSU: Day-to-day.

Michael Williams, second on the depth chart at tight end, took most of the snaps in Peek's place against the Vols with limited success. He caught one pass for four yards as one of four tight ends who spent time at the position.

Now with two weeks practicing on the first-team, Saban expects Williams will be more comfortable in his role Saturday if Peek isn't available.

"In the last game a guy (Peek) goes and gets hurt in a freak accident in pregame warm-up, the other guy probably isn't as prepared," Saban said. "We feel like (Williams) has done a good job and made lots of improvements."

Although mainly special teams players, Dre Kirkpatrick and Terry Grant also spent time in black jerseys again this week <0x2015> working on exercise bikes mainly instead of an LSU game plan. Nagging muscle pulls are affecting them, Saban said earlier in the week and they're availability for Saturday is questionable.

Grant's most visible role is on kickoff return team where he lines up next to Javier Arenas. Should he be unavailable, the depth chart lists Mike McCoy or Trent Richardson as backups.

Their issues are far more common this fall compared to 2008 and it started on the second week of practice when backup running back Jeramie Griffin tore his ACL in a non-contact drill. Since then, linebackers Damion Square and starter Dont'a Hightower have suffered the same injuries although Hightower's also included torn a medial collateral ligament and meniscus.

Other top performers who missed games with injures include Julio Jones, running back Roy Upchurch and cornerback Javier Arenas. All three are now fully healthy heading into the LSU game.

Major injuries

RB Jeramie Griffin: The backup running back tore his ACL in the second week of practices and will miss the entire season.

LB Damion Square: A reserve, Square also tore his ACL. The injury came late in the second game of the season with Florida International. He, too, will miss the remainder of the season.

LB Dont'a Hightower: The massive knee injury suffered in the fourth game of the season had the greatest effect on the team. Hightower tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus on a low block by Arkansas offensive lineman Michael Petrus.

DE Brandon Deaderick: The victim of shooting in a botched robbery, Deaderick never missed a game because of the wound to his forearm and hip.

Bumps and bruises

TE Colin Peek: A sprained knee suffered two weeks ago has the Tide's top pass-catching tight end questionable for Saturday's LSU game.

RB Terry Grant: A pulled muscle limited Grant, also a kickoff returner, in practice this week.

CB Dre Kirkpatrick: Also dealing with a pulled muscle, the former top high school prospect had a limited role in practice this week.

WR Julio Jones: A sprained knee kept him from playing most of the FIU game and all of the North Texas win.

RB: Roy Upchurch: The high ankle sprain suffered against FIU also kept him from playing the following week and limited his effectiveness for several that followed.

CB Javier Arenas: A rib injury kept the cornerback and kick returner from playing against South Carolina.

NG Josh Chapman: Abdominal strain kept him from backing up Terrence Cody at nose guard against South Carolina.

MICHAEL CASAGRANDE