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Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson, two receivers questionable to return vs. Ohio State

IMG_3593by:Grant Rameyabout 14 hours

GrantRamey

Dylan Sampson, Tennessee Football | Tennessee Athletics
Dylan Sampson, Tennessee Football | Tennessee Athletics

Running back Dylan Sampson and wide receivers Squirrel White and Dont’e Thornton are all questionable to return for No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State while dealing with lower-body injuries Saturday night at Ohio Stadium.

Sampson, reportedly dealing with a left hamstring issue, only played the first possession of the game and only rushed twice for six yards. White caught one pass for 17 yards and was injured on the play and Thornton had one catch for 14 yards in the first half.

The ABC broadcast of the game reported that Sampson’s left hamstring was seemingly keeping him out of the game. Sideline reporter Marty Smith said Sampson worked on a stationary bike during the first half but remained sidelined, standing as a spectator with the rest of Tennessee’s offensive players.

Smith asked Tennessee coach Josh Heupel going off the field at halftime why Sampson carried only twice in the first half.

“Thirty minutes of football left, let’s go play,” Heupel said before jogging off.

Ohio State jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first 12 minutes of the game, going for 191 yards and three touchdowns on its first three possessions of the game. Tennessee got on the scoreboard in the second quarter with a 36-yard field goal from Max Gilbert and Nico Iamaleava scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with 20 seconds left in the first half.

Nico Iamaleava led Tennessee with 36 rushing yards in first half

Iamaleava ran 13 times for 36 yards to lead Tennessee on the ground in the first half, with the Vols trailing 21-10 at the break. Redshirt freshman Desean Bishop ran four times for 13 yards. Freshman Peyton Lewis carried two times for 11 yards.

Sampson met with reporters earlier this week in Knoxville and said he felt “great” after three weeks off. Sampson ran for a season-high 178 yards in the 36-23 win at Vanderbilt on November 30, when Tennessee unofficially punched its ticket to the new 12-team College Football Playoff.

“This time off has been good for my body,” Sampson said. “It’s probably the best I have felt all season. My legs feel fresh. Every day counts.” 

Sampson, the junior running back from Baton Rouge, La., carried Tennessee during the regular season. He set a new program single-season records with 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns. Travis Stephens held the previous rushing yards record with 1,464 in 2001 and Gene McEver held the previous touchdown record with 19.

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Sampson became Tennessee’s 20th running back to go over 1,000 yards for the season when he ran for 149 yards on a season-high 30 carries against Mississippi State on November 9.

He has 35 rushing touchdowns in 32 career games, tying the modern record held by James Stewart. He is just two shy of matching Gene McEver’s record of 37 between 1928 and 1931.

Sampson has rushed for 100 or more yards in 10 of 12 games this season and 130 or more yards six times. He had multiple rushing touchdowns in seven games, including three with three or more. 

‘I think he’s the best back in the country, in my opinion’

He had six touchdowns as a freshman in 2022 and seven more last season, while also catching a touchdown pass last season. 

“I think he’s the best back in the country, in my opinion,” Tennessee running backs coach De’Rail Sims said in November. “In terms of production that he’s been able to do, especially in this league. His confidence. Number one, being able to be with him every single day, from the way he goes and attacks the process. And things he’s been able to do from tenacity standpoint.

“When the team needs a spark plug, he’s able to be that guy. Coach Heupel always talks about it. It only takes one match to start a fire. And a lot of times we get in critical situations and he’s the guy that jump starts the fire and gets us rolling in the right direction. In my opinion, he’s the best back in the country.”

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