How healthy is Tennessee football for Ole Miss game? Better than it has been
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel had some good news and some bad news on the injury report heading into this week’s game against No. 14 Ole Miss.
Linebacker Juwan Mitchell, a Texas transfer, will have season-ending shoulder surgery. He had missed three games since starting the season opener.
But Heupel said Monday the remaining Vols (4-2, 2-1 SEC) who did not play in the win over South Carolina last week will return against Ole Miss (4-1, 1-1) on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network) at Neyland Stadium.
That includes running backs Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright, defensive backs Theo Jackson, Doneiko Slaughter and Christian Charles, offensive linemen Cooper Mays and Kingston Harris and defensive lineman Elijah Simmons.
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“Of the guys that weren’t able to play last week, (Mitchell) is the one guy that won’t be with us on Saturday,” Heupel said. “I believe the majority of them have an opportunity to get back and play for us.”
The asterisk is that running back Tiyon Evans did not miss the game against South Carolina, but he left in the third quarter due to injury after rushing for 119 yards. Heupel did not clarify Evans’ status.
Evans leads UT with 486 rushing yards and eight total TDs in five games. Small has rushed for 232 yards and two TDs in four games. They have played together only three games, an example of the Vols managing injuries well enough to function.
Are Vols good or just lucky in managing injuries?
UT started the season with depth issues, but it’s weathered some intense storms already in dealing with injuries.
When Joe Milton suffered an injury, the Vols found a better quarterback in Hendon Hooker and never turned back. Hooker now leads the SEC in passer rating and ranks fifth in FBS.
When starter Jackson and backup Slaughter were both out at Star position against South Carolina, Alabama transfer Brandon Turnage had the game of his life. He was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week after recording a career-high 14 tackles, including two for loss.
Against Missouri, safety Trevon Flowers was out with an injury. And his replacement, Christian Charles, left with an injury in the first quarter. The Vols recovered quickly, holding Missouri to its worst offensive output of the year with a season-low 24 points and 396 yards of total offense (its lowest in a regulation game).
With Mitchell sidelined, Aaron Beasley and Jeremy Banks filled in at middle linebacker. Two of Beasley’s three highest grades this season came at middle linebacker in the Missouri and South Carolina games, according to Pro Football Focus. Banks, who normally plays outside linebacker, had a career-high two tackles-for-loss and a season-high three pressures in his only start at middle linebacker against Missouri.
Numerous injuries have reshuffled the offensive line all season. But the Vols had their best offensive performances when the unit was thinnest. UT scored 107 points and gained 1,155 yards of total offense against Missouri and South Carolina with Jerome Carvin moving to center and backup Ollie Lane starting at left guard.
“If you’re not overly excited about what your role was this past week, you’ve got to keep investing,” Heupel said. “The more you put into it, the more you’re going to get out of it.”
Reserve players get pop quizzes on sideline
Starting cornerback Alontae Taylor said sideline pop quizzes exemplify UT’s focus on building depth.
“(When) the first-string guys come off the field and the second string goes on, we’re asking the third string what their responsibility is as the play is going on,” Taylor said. “We just make sure everyone knows what they’re supposed to do so whenever their number is called.”
Taylor said that standard is especially high in the defensive secondary, which will be strained against the up-tempo attack of Ole Miss.
Under coach Lane Kiffin and quarterback Matt Corral, a Heisman Trophy candidate, the Rebels lead the SEC in scoring (46.2 points) and total offense (561.6 yards). But the key elements to the Vols’ pass defense should be back for the matchup.
Reach Adam Sparks at [email protected] and on Twitter @AdamSparks.
