Tennessee’s injury report before the Mississippi State game is quite telling. The Vols will be without one of their key contributors on Saturday.
The Vols’ second-leading tailback, DeSean Bishop, is listed as “out” for the No. 7 Vols’ match up against Mississippi State on Saturday. Bishop has been the primary backup to starting running back Dylan Sampson, who has had a record-setting season this fall and has handled the lion’s share of carries for the Vols this season.
Bishop’s absence would seem to indicate that freshman tailback Peyton Lewis will receive more carries this week based on last week’s running back rotation against Kentucky.
Lewis ran the ball eight times for 24 yards and a touchdown last week against the Wildcats when Bishop was forced out of the game due to an injury and starting running back Dylan Sampson was shown the bench after his second first-half fumble in two weeks. Sampson eventually returned to the game.
The Vols could also go with Cameron Seldon, who was the primary go-to when games got out of hand earlier this season. However, Lewis seems to have supplanted him. Lewis has 25 carries for 142 yards and a touchdown. Seldon has eight carries for 48 yards this season. However, the former receiver is still learning the tailback position while Lewis is considered a more natural runner.
Lewis was mostly a short-yardage runner for the Vols when they were in the red-zone against Kentucky. However, he’s thought to have elite speed after overcoming a shoulder and pelvis injury during the offseason. Lewis told Off The Hook Sports in July that he was 100-percent and had been cleared for contact.
Defensive end Tyre West, who has been a solid contributor to the Vols’ defense this season, is listed as questionable for the Mississippi State contest at 7 p.m. EST on Saturday in Neyland Stadium.
