Last week’s game against South Carolina not only handed the Crimson Tide its first loss but also saw starting right tackle D.J. Fluker go down with a groin injury. The Tide will look to junior offensive lineman Alfred McCullough to fill the void on the line until Fluker returns.

“He’s been sort of our swing guy, third tackle and will move up as a starter,” said head coach Nick Saban.

Saturday’s game against Ole Miss will be McCullough’s first start in an Alabama uniform. The opportunity is one that McCullough said has been on his mind for a long time.

“It is always in the back of my head,” McCullough said. “The opportunities came, and I want to make the best of it.”

Having to fill in for a player on the spot in the middle of a season is always mentally difficult; however, McCullough said the Alabama coaching staff prepares the players to be ready when the time is needed.

“Playing college football is always mentally tough,” McCullough said. “I think all of our coaches do a good job of keeping our heads on straight and just keeping us into the game.”

McCullough said the depth of the Alabama offensive line is deep and he is confident he will fill the void left by Fluker without a drop off in production.

“There is really no difference between all the people,” McCullough said. “We all have our different styles, but we all have the same responsibilities on the field.”

Putting the loss behind them

The next few games will be a test of the Tide’s maturity and leadership. Whether or not the Tide will be able to put last week’s loss behind them will say a lot in how the team bounces back this season.

“We have to move on,” Saban said. “It’s over and done with. There’s nothing we can do to get it back. Whatever the players didn’t bring is gone forever, so we have to learn from it. It’s a great lesson to learn from and that’s what we’re focused on: moving forward.”

Ole Miss defensive end Jerrell Powe said in a statement that he felt last week’s loss to South Carolina “exposed” the Tide and that it made the offense seem more one-dimensional.

“People think we are more vulnerable now,” sophomore tight end Michael Williams said. “We are still as strong as we used to be, and we are moving forward. We aren’t looking at last week; we are moving forward. It is what it is, it happened, and we have to move forward.”

The legend of Julio Jones

Julio Jones, who broke a bone in his left hand in Saturday’s game, had surgery on Sunday to insert a screw and plate into his hand. The surgery, however, did not stop the star receiver from participating in practice. Despite the fact Jones cannot use his left hand in practice, Williams said Jones was still catching passes.

“I think he’s catching one-handed passes,” Williams said. “That will tell you about what kind of player he is.”

When asked how many of the one-handed attempts Jones catches in practice Williams replied, “Oh, he catches all of them.”

It is uncertain if Jones will return for the game against Ole Miss, but Williams is optimistic that he will return soon.

“Knowing Julio, I wouldn’t doubt [Jones coming back in time for the Ole Miss game],” Williams said. “I wouldn’t doubt it at all.”