Isaac Smith, Fluff Bothwell Probable For Alabama Oct. 3

The first SEC availability report of the week dropped Wednesday night, and it was the one Bulldogs fans were hoping for.

Pete Nakos

@PeteNakos

Positive news for Mississippi State: Starting safety Isaac Smith and running back Fluff Bothwell are listed as probable after exiting the Missouri game. t.co/6nP3L95qs6

Pete Nakos@PeteNakos

Alabama starting offensive lineman Jayvin James is questionable for Saturday at Mississippi State. t.co/rs41CHG0PY

The big name is Isaac Smith. He's no random depth piece in the secondary. Smith led the entire SEC in tackles in 2024, and he's the guy the Mississippi State defense runs through. He left the Missouri game in the first half and spent the rest of the afternoon on the sideline with his right arm wrapped up. That's the kind of image that makes a fanbase assume the worst for a month, not a week.

Chris Low went right at why Smith matters beyond the box score: the arm was in a sling last week, and the Bulldogs need him in the huddle as much as they need him making tackles.

Chris Low

@Clowfb

Good news for Mississippi State with S Isaac Smith and RB Fluff Bothwell both being probable for the Alabama game. Smith had his right arm in a sling after being injured last week. He’s invaluable on the field and in the locker room for the Bulldogs.

Bothwell is the easier one to feel good about. He also got hurt against Missouri, but he came back into the game and told reporters afterward he felt "good." Probable fits that. Getting the starting running back and the starting safety back in the same week is a huge break for a team that is not exactly swimming in healthy bodies.

Not everybody made it. Mississippi State has WR Ayden Williams and defensive linemen Trevion Williams and Diesel Moye ruled out, and linebacker Zakari Tillman is questionable. Losing 2 defensive linemen against Alabama is bad enough. Losing Smith too would have been brutal, which is why this news lands the way it does.

As for the stakes, it doesn't get much bigger. No. 16 Mississippi State hosts No. 7 Alabama at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday, October 3, at 11 a.m. on ABC. Both teams are 4-0 and 2-0 in the SEC. Alabama has its own problems, too: starting right tackle Jayvin James, a Mississippi State transfer, is questionable, and the Tide have a long list of players out on defense.

Here's the catch: probable still isn't a guarantee, especially with a shoulder or arm injury on a guy whose whole job is hitting people. Watch the updated reports Thursday and Friday. If Smith holds at probable and plays without restrictions, Mississippi State gets its best defender and its loudest voice back for the biggest home game it has had in years. Considering the sling, that's about as good as it gets.