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By Bryan Colbert Jr.
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Josh Ford caught only five passes for Alabama this season.
Two went for touchdowns, including the one that put the Crimson Tide ahead for good Saturday night at LSU.
Now Keelon Russell will have to finish the season without the tight end who caught his first go-ahead touchdown pass of the night.
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Ford is reportedly expected to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury he suffered after his touchdown catch in Baton Rouge. The junior finished with two receptions for 15 yards in Alabama’s 31-13 win.
LSU had just taken its first lead, 13-10, on a 5-yard run by Dilin Jones.
Alabama answered with a 75-yard drive that took five plays and barely two minutes. With 36 seconds left in the third quarter, Russell found Ford from 7 yards out. Russell went on to throw two more touchdown passes, the last to another tight end, Kaleb Edwards.
Ford’s value to Alabama showed up well before his first catch.
The 6-foot-6 Oklahoma State transfer blocked on the edge and out of the backfield in a September win at Kentucky. He earned his first Alabama start the following week against Florida State, when the Tide ran for 247 yards. He finished both games without a reception.
When Russell did look his way, Ford gave him a target near the goal line.
His first catch for Alabama was a one-handed grab in the back of the end zone against South Carolina. He added two catches for 23 yards against Texas A&M before scoring again at LSU.
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Alabama heads to Vanderbilt on Saturday at 7-2 overall and 5-2 in SEC play.
Russell still has two experienced targets at tight end in Edwards and Marshall Pritchett, who have combined for 37 catches, 468 yards and five touchdowns.
The harder part of replacing Ford will come on the snaps when Russell never looks his way. Alabama’s coaches named him one of their offensive players of the week after the win at Mississippi State.
That afternoon, he didn’t catch a pass.
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