The No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers are losing some key contributors at the tail-end of the regular season. The Tennessee football team already lost sack leader Tyree Weathersby with a knee injury he suffered in their win against Kentucky. And now, running back Daune Morris has also been lost for the season with a leg injury.
Per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Morris sustained the injury after he was involved in an overnight car accident.
Morris' injury is a major loss for the Vols as they head into the final three games of their regular-season schedule. He is the team's second-leading rusher behind DeSean Bishop, with 434 yards and three touchdowns on the season.
The Vols have turned to George MacIntyre at starting quarterback over Faizon Brandon. While MacIntyre has been unspectacular (he hasn't thrown a touchdown is each of his last three games), he's led Tennessee to wins in three of the last four games. But his lack of explosiveness makes the Vols' running game all the more crucial.
Morris had a hot start to the season, racking up some big games against Georgia Tech (10 carries, 98 yards, one TD) and Kennesaw State (14 carries, 116 yards, one TD). However, he cooled off significantly at the start of SEC play. But he finally broke out with a big outing last time out against Kentucky. He rushed for 85 yards on just five carries, including one 66-yard touchdown.
With Morris out for the year, Javin Gordon is up next on the Vols depth chart. The sophomore has 28 carries for 129 yards on the season.
The Vols will face Texas A&M on Saturday looking to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. The Aggies have had a disappointing campaign and have lost each of their last three conference games.