Josh Heupel updates Tennessee's injuries after 45-14 win over UTSA

The wait continues for Tennessee’s Cooper May, who was out for a fourth straight game as the Vols beat UTSA 45-14 Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium. The senior center had surgery on August 9, has been in practice the last two weeks and has warmed up before the last three games before ultimately being a no-go each time.

Mays on Saturday afternoon was snapping to five-star freshman backup quarterback Nico Iamaleava after snapping with third-stringer Gaston Moore before the loss at Florida last week.

“We’ll see next week,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said during his postgame press conference. “End of the day, he didn’t feel he was ready for this one. So hopefully we’ll have him back.”

Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC) hosts South Carolina on Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time start at Neyland Stadium. The game will be broadcast by SEC Network.

Injuries appeared to pile up for Vols in win over UTSA

Multiple starters for Tennessee appeared to get banged up in the win over UTSA, while some left the game and did not return.

Most notable was quarterback Joe Milton III, who stayed in the game. Player that left the game and did not return included starting running back and leading rusher Jaylen Wright, starting receiver Bru McCoy, starting wide receiver Ramel Keyton, starting left tackle John Campbell, starting linebacker Aaron Beasley and starting defensive end Dominic Bailey.

Heupel didn’t sound concerned about any of the injuries after the game, though.

“Yeah, we had multiple guys,” he said. “Feel like we should have most of those guys back here next week. I’ll know more here tomorrow (when we) back in the building.”

Milton was slow to get up after being tackled late in the first half. He stayed in the game to finish the first half and played the second half with a brace on his right knee and what appeared to be a slight limp.

“I’m pretty good,” Milton said after the game when asked about his knee. “You get banged up in football. But one of the guys had my leg and the other guys tackled me. That’s part of football. Body wise, I feel great.”

Milton was also asked if the hit concerned him about his knee when it happened.

“It did at first,” he said. “When I got up I moved and I moved my leg, I was fine.”

Bailey was credited with two tackles before leaving the game in the first half. The Vol Network radio broadcast reported at halftime that Bailey had been ruled out for the rest of the game.

A UTSA defender landed on Wright in the first half and Wright appeared wobbly after holding his helmet after hitting the ground. He left the game with trainers and did not return. He had four rushes for 16 yards in the first half. 

McCoy left the game in the first half but was seen jogging on the sideline and was active and engaged in the Tennessee huddle on the sideline throughout the second half. He caught three passes for 30 yards on three targets in the first half. 

Keyton left late in the third quarter after appearing to land on the football while attempting to make a diving catch on a go route. He walked off under his own power after being checked on by the training staff on the field. 

Up Next: No. 23 Tennessee vs. South Carolina, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network

Campbell, the Miami transfer and Tennessee’s starting left tackle, left in the second half and was replaced by Gerald Mincey. Campbell was on the sideline without his helmet during the fourth quarter. 

Beasley, Tennessee’s leading tackler at linebacker, also missed time in the second half. He led the Vols with nine tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss, in the game and leads the team on the season with 29.0 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss.

Wright is Tennessee’s leading rusher on the season with 45 carries for 321 yards. McCoy leads the team in catches, with 15 for 196 yards and Keyton leads in yards, with 205 yards on 12 receptions. Bailey, a starter at defensive end, entered the game with three tackles on the season. 

Milton started Saturday’s game with an 81-yard touchdown run on the first snap, the longest touchdown run for a Tennessee quarterback in program history. After that, though, he ran just four times for eight yards.

“Some efficiency in particular early in the run game,” Heupel said, “later in the football game, too. Pocket was clean for the most part early and then got in the middle part of the game a little bit muddy right there.””