Mississippi State suffered an early blow against Alabama on Saturday as starting running back Fluff Bothwell was forced out of the matchup with a lower-body injury.
Fluff Bothwell injury update
Bothwell touched the ball just once during the Bulldogs’ opening possession, gaining one yard before leaving the game. He was later spotted on the sideline wearing shorts and a walking boot on his left foot.
ESPN’s Katie George provided an update during the ABC broadcast, saying the issue was related to an injury Bothwell had previously been dealing with.
“He’s now on the sideline in shorts and wearing a walking boot on his left foot,” George reported on the ABC broadcast. “I’m told it was a prior injury. They wanted to see how it felt. Clearly not good enough,” she added.
George later confirmed that Bothwell would not return to Saturday’s contest. The Mississippi State running back was no longer in uniform and remained on the sideline with the boot.
What happened to Fluff Bothwell?
Bothwell was initially listed as probable on Mississippi State’s Sept. 30 injury report after picking up an issue in the team’s previous matchup against Missouri. However, his name was removed from the report ahead of Saturday’s game against Alabama.
The Mississippi state running back was seen during warmups with significant taping around his cleats, along with a compression sleeve covering his left leg.
Mississippi State has yet to disclose the exact nature of Bothwell’s injury. Although he was cleared to take the field, the running back was unable to continue after making just one appearance against Alabama.
Mississippi State’s running back options
With Bothwell unavailable, Mississippi State can turn to Kolin Wilson and Xavier Gayten, who are listed as the team’s co-backups at running back.
Wilson entered the Alabama game with 21 carries for 104 rushing yards this season, ranking third on the team in rushing attempts. Quarterback Kamario Taylor also provides another option in the ground game, having recorded 185 rushing yards this season.
Bothwell had been Mississippi State’s leading rusher entering Saturday. Before the Alabama game, he had recorded 402 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 73 carries, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt. He had also added nine receptions for 96 yards and one receiving touchdown.
Bulldogs trail Alabama at halftime
Mississippi State entered the matchup ranked No. 16 with a 4-0 record and a 2-0 mark in SEC play, while No. 7 Alabama was also 4-0 overall and 2-0 in conference action.
The Bulldogs were seeking their first win over Alabama since 2007, but they found themselves trailing 28-17 at the end of the first half.