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247Sports · David Eckert

5d ago
Texas football RB Hollywood Smothers removed from injury report, set to play vs Tennessee
Summary
Injury: Texas Longhorns running back Hollywood Smothers has been removed from the SEC student-athlete availability report heading into the No.
Texas Longhorns running back Hollywood Smothers has been removed from the SEC student-athlete availability report heading into the No. 1 Longhorns' meeting with No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday morning.  Smothers had been listed as questionable on Wednesday and Thursday before the Longhorns upgraded him to probable on Friday's report.  It's unclear whether he will receive a full allotment of carries, but Steve Sarkisian and the Texas coaching staff haven't been assigning him a massive workload to begin with.  Through three games so far this season, Smothers has carried the ball 41 times. Raleek Brown, the Robin to Smothers' Batman, has rushed 31 times, while various other players like Derrek Cooper, James Simon and Michael Terry have gotten some work in reserve.  (Photo: Getty) Smothers has been the most efficient of the Longhorns' regular ball-carriers, though. He's averaged 4.8 yards per carry so far this season, accumulating 198 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He's also been Texas' best receiving back, hauling in seven passes for 54 yards and an additional touchdown.  For his part, Brown has averaged 4.2 yards per carry, while Cooper — a true freshman who will serve as the Longhorns' No. 3 running back this season — has averaged 3.8 yards on 13 attempts.  Texas will be looking to take advantage of what has been the second-worst run defense in the SEC so far this season. The Volunteers are giving up 4.3 yards per rush, despite a relatively weak schedule that includes Georgia Tech, Furman and Kennesaw State. Texas' run game hasn't been particularly efficient — the Longhorns rank 11th in the SEC in yards per rush at 4.2. Tennessee didn't have as much luck with its banged-up running back. The Volunteers will be without Javin Gordon, who has carried the ball 20 times for 79 yards so far this season. Gordon, a transfer from Tulane, did not play last week against Kennesaw State, either. His absence leaves the Vols to rely on DeSean Bishop and Duane Morris, both of whom have been extremely efficient so far this season. Bishop is averaging 6.7 yards per carry as Tennessee's lead back, while Morris is posting 8.1 yards per rush in reserve.  The rest of this week's injury storylines for the Longhorns were cleared up before game day.  Justus Terry, who injured his foot while warming up before Texas' Week 2 matchup against Ohio State, is out, leaving the interior of the Texas defensive front depleted as the Longhorns look to slow the nation's fourth-most-prolific rushing attack.  Nick Townsend, who had been the No. 1 option at tight end for the Longhorns, will miss his second consecutive game after he suffered a knee injury against the Buckeyes.  Defensive back Xavier Filsaime hasn't yet suited up for Texas, and that won't change this week. Likewise, the Longhorns will also be without reserve offensive lineman Jordan Coleman.  One player to watch is offensive lineman Cole Hutson, who has not yet played for Texas this season. Steve Sarkisian said Thursday that he was awaiting clarity from the SEC as to whether Hutson would be available to play as he seeks a fifth year of eligibility.

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Teams: Texas

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