A pair of wrist injuries will cost two Tennessee players the rest of their respective seasons.
Wide receiver Juaun Jennings and linebacker Cortez McDowell will miss the rest of the season, head coach Butch Jones announced Monday.
Jennings left Tennessee’s Labor Day victory over Georgia Tech in the second quarter after absorbing as he collected a catch over the middle, his third of the game. Jennings did not return to the game and will not for the rest of the season, forcing the 2-1 Volunteers to move forward without their top returning pass-catcher.
Additionally, McDowell was lost during the Vols loss to Florida on Saturday.
#Vols LB Cortez McDowell (#20) didn't see Florida TE Moral Stephens coming - football is a rough game pic.twitter.com/7TXgnWPoMM
— MikeGriffith32 (@MikeGriffith32) September 17, 2017
The McDowell injury is particularly brutal for Tennessee because it leaves Big Orange without all three of its protected starters at linebacker. Middle linebacker Darrin Kirkland, Jr., has already undergone season-ending surgery, and strongside linebacker Austin Smith injured his knee during the final week of fall camp.
On top of that, safety Todd Kelly, Jr., did not make the trip to Gainesville and could be lost for the season. Kick returner Evan Berry did not play against Florida either.
Oh, and Tennessee lost to Florida on a Hail Mary after having a first-and-goal inside the final minute.
Other than that, though, everything’s going great in Knoxville.