Josh Heupel updates the status of Tennessee running back Cameron Seldon
Tennessee Football coach Josh Heupel said Monday he believes running back Cameron Seldon will be “available” for the Vols Saturday night against Kent State, along with defensive back Jakobe Thomas and linebacker Kalib Perry.
Seldon and Perry were inactive against North Carolina State in the 51-10 win Saturday night in the Duke’s Mayo Classic in Charlotte. Thomas left the game in the second half with an apparent shoulder issue after a hard hit near the Tennessee sideline.
“We’ll see as the week goes on,” Heupel said during his weekly press conference on Monday, “but I anticipate all those guys being available for us this week.”
Heupel reiterated Monday afternoon while speaking at the Knoxville Quarterback Club that he expects Seldon to be back this week. No. 7 Tennessee is back home Saturday night to host Kent State, with the game scheduled for a 7:45 Eastern Time start on SEC Network.
Seldon played in the 69-3 season-opening win over Chattanooga on August 31 at Neyland Stadium, carrying seven times for 40 yards.
The Vols on Saturday night ran 44 times for 258 yards and had three rushing touchdowns as a team. Junior starter Dylan Sampson led the way with 20 carries for 124 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 37 yards.
Redshirt freshman DeSean Bishop was the No. 2 running back, carrying 10 times for 42 yards. Khalifa Keith had three attempts for five yards and freshman Peyton Lewis also ran three times for five yards.
Seldon, the 6-foot-2, 222-pound sophomore, suffered a shoulder injury during spring practice in March but was cleared for contact during fall camp. Lewis, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound freshman and former four-star prospect, underwent shoulder surgery after enrolling at Tennessee in January and was also limited during the offseason.
Seldon rushed 13 times for 55 yards in Tennessee’s 35-0 win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day, backing up Sampson after Jaylen Wright opted out to begin preparing for the NFL Draft.
No. 7 Tennessee vs. Kent State: How To Watch
Kickoff Time: Saturday, 7:45 p.m. Eastern Time
TV: SEC Network
Streaming: ESPN App
Radio: WNML-FM 99.1 in Knoxville. The Vol Network radio broadcast can be heard on local affiliates across the state of Tennessee.
Location: Neyland Stadium (101,915)
Vols open as 47.5-point home favorite
Tennessee on Sunday opened as an 47.5-point favorite against Kent State for the Week 3 game, per The Action Network. The Vols moved into the top 10 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the US LBM Coaches Poll on Sunday, too, going up to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 and No. 9 in the Coaches Poll.
Tennessee covered as a 38-point favorite against Chattanooga in Week 1, winning 69-3 at Neyland Stadium. The Vols covered a 9-point spread in the 51-10 win over NC State.
Kent State lost 23-17 to St. Francis (PA) at home on Saturday at home. The Red Flash, an FCS program in the Northeast Conference, led 20-7 late in the first half and ended the game with 402 total yards, running for 207 and passing for 195.
St. Francis was a 19.5-point underdog before winning at Kent State.
