Missouri player ejected: Major blow for Eli Drinkwitz as Derek Meadows' injury triggers big penalty in Alabama clash

Alabama freshman Derek Meadows was the subject of a scary moment during the Crimson Tide's Week 7 clash against the Missouri Tigers. Meadows was hit by Tigers safety Marvin Burks after he attempted to catch a pass from quarterback Ty Simpson and he seemed to pass out before being attended to by the medical staff and being led away from the field.

ESPN's sideline reporter Katie George gave a comprehensive update on Meadows' scary injury.

“Jeff Allen, the head athletic trainer for Alabama, got to Meadows immediately while he was face down on the field,” Katie George said. “They stabilized his neck, rolled him over onto his back. “Once they stabilized the neck when he was face up, they started testing his mobility and movement of his hands and his legs. He was able to move both and he walked off the field under his own power.”

After the dangerous hit on Derek Meadows, Burks was ejected from the field of play, but since the incident occurred in the first half, he won't miss Missouri's Week 8 game against the Auburn Tigers.

Derek Meadows was a four-star prospect and the No. 103-ranked player in the country in the class of 2025, according to 247Sports. He still has not caught his first pass during his nascent college football career.

Alabama coach tries to stop Missouri's physicality

The Missouri Tigers under coach Eli Drinkwitz are one of the most physically dominant teams in the country, led by running backs Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts. During his weekly news conference, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer broke down how the Crimson Tide would try to deal with Mizzou's physicality.

“You can’t deny the fact that they’re physical, and great football team that’s where it starts,” DeBoer said. “And so it’s not just one side of the ball; it’s both sides of the ball. They’re controlling the line of scrimmage. They’re dominating in time of possession. So there’s doing all the things that good football teams do. “We did do a very good job of that last week and, two weeks ago on the road at Georgia. Just being resilient. Continue to fight, Continue to just keep believing and knowing that no matter what happens, you’ve got to play four quarters.”

The Alabama Crimson Tide has the best turnover margin in college football (+1.8), while the Missouri Tigers are ranked No. 93 overall (-0.5), making it a key battleground during the epic SEC clash.

Edited by Cabral Opiyo