Blake Sims Briefly Left UF Game Due To Bruised Shoulder

Blake Sims will need to take a break following Alabama's hectic 42-21 victory over Florida on Saturday, and it isn't just to take a breather after his near record-breaking performance.

Sims, who had Alabama's second-most passing yards ever in a single game with 445 yards, briefly left late in the third quarter against the Gators with a bruised AC joint -- the joint at the top of the shoulder -- on his throwing arm. Sims throws with his right arm.

But if there is ever a good time for an injury to occur, Saturday's game may be it as Alabama will have two weeks to prepare for its trip to Oxford, Mississippi on Oct. 4 to face Ole Miss.

"It will probably be a good week for us to heal up and improve on some things," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "It will probably be something that's sore for him for a while. Hopefully that second week he'll be able to get back to being normal and practice."

Sims sustained the injury when he took a hard hit in the open field on a 24-yard run, forcing him to immediately head to the sideline and, soon after, into the locker room. He returned for Alabama's next drive, in the fourth quarter, which concluded with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper, the last score of the game.

"We were concerned if he would be able to throw the ball, but he settled down to where he could throw it OK," Saban said.

Jake Coker filled the void at quarterback in the six offensive plays that Sims missed due to injury. Coker's lone completion of the game was a 4-yard touchdown pass to Cooper to put the Crimson Tide up 35-21.

In his postgame interview, Sims did not seem too worried about the injury.

I'll be all right," said Sims, who also threw for a career-high four touchdown passes in the win. "I'm going to get with the training staff and ice it, ice it, ice it."