No. 14 Tennessee hosts No. 1 Texas in a Top 15 SEC clash at Neyland Stadium on Saturday. Both programs enter their conference opener with unblemished 3-0 records, setting the stage for an unprecedented campus meeting broadcast nationally on ABC at noon Eastern Time.
SEC Availability Report Highlights Roster Shuffles
The Southeastern Conference mandates public availability reports on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays ahead of conference games, followed by a final update prior to kickoff. According to the Thursday evening injury report issued by Vols Wire, Tennessee ruled out five players facing season-ending or multi-week absences, while key contributors returned to the active mix.
The Volunteers listed tight end Ethan Davis, wide receiver Joakim Dodson, linebacker Jaedon Harmon, defensive back Edrees Farooq, and defensive back Dylan Lewis as out. Davis, Dodson, Harmon, and Farooq are sidelined with long-term injuries, while Lewis sustained a foot injury during the fourth quarter of the win against Kennesaw State. Running back Javin Gordon and defensive lineman Nathan Robinson remain questionable after missing last week’s contest.
Texas travels to Knoxville without defensive lineman Justus Terry, defensive back Xavier Filsaime, offensive lineman Jordan Coleman, and tight end Nick Townsend. However, starting running back Hollywood Smothers saw an upgrade to probable on Thursday’s report. Smothers has tallied 41 carries for 198 yards and two touchdowns alongside seven receptions for 54 yards and a score through three games, highlighted by a 74-yard, two-touchdown performance against Ohio State.
DeSean Bishop and Daevin Hobbs Avoid Injury Report
Tennessee received significant roster boosts as running back DeSean Bishop and defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs were omitted entirely from the Thursday availability report. Bishop exited last week’s victory over Kennesaw State after grabbing his left side following a second-quarter run, finishing the afternoon with 43 carries for 286 yards and four touchdowns this season.
Head coach Josh Heupel noted that keeping Bishop out of the remainder of the Kennesaw State matchup was a precautionary measure designed to preserve the running back for the rigors of the SEC schedule. Hobbs, who missed the previous game due to a lower-body injury sustained during the preseason, also cleared the availability report and prepares to anchor the Volunteers’ front line against the top-ranked Longhorns.
Historic Series Moves to Knoxville
Saturday marks the first time Texas will play at Tennessee in program history. The Longhorns hold a 2-1 edge in the all-time series, with all three previous matchups taking place at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.
ESPN’s College GameDay anchors its Saturday morning pregame coverage live from Knoxville, splitting operations between Ayers Hall from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ET and Neyland Stadium from 11:00 a.m. to Noon ET ahead of the opening kickoff.
Worth a look