Injury Riddled Vols Stagger Into Bye Week

Injuries left Tennessee without eight starters in their 49-10 beat down against Alabama.
And now another top player appears lost for the season. Defensive lineman Kahlil McKenzie suffered a torn pectoral muscle against the Tide.
Good thing Tennessee enjoys a bye week.
Said defensive back Rashaan Gaulden:”Giving up that many yards and losing in that fashion at our home turf. I mean that stings a lot. But from a confidence standpoint, we’re not going to hold our heads down on that.”
Reporter:”Staying with the injuries, how concerned are you that this bye week going forward that you might not have the numbers to finish out the season?”
Said head coach Butch Jones:”Very concerned. You know, but that’s football.”
Said Gaulden:”The game of football is brutal. There’s no way around it. You’re going to have guys fall. Through practice we prepare for situations like that. As a starter, you make sure that your back-up is ready to go.”
Said defensive back Todd Kelly, Jr:”Not really focused on getting to Atlanta right now. We’re focused on the next opponent. I feel like this bye week will allow us to get our bodies healthy. We played seven games in-a-row. Playing in the SEC that’s no joke.”
Said Jones:”This team will bounce back. We have a lot of football left to be played. We put ourselves in position to be playing meaningful games after the bye week. That’s the approach we’re going to take. We’re going to get better.”
Said defensive lineman Derek Barnett:”Season one over. Season two starts after this bye week. So we’ve got to keep it rolling. We can’t let one game define our whole season.”
The Vols return to action on October 29th as they visit South Carolina with a 7:15pm kickoff.