Three different players left Saturday's game pretty banged up after suffering a three-point heartbreaking loss against Ole Miss. Quarterback Will Levis broke a finger, inside linebacker Jacquez Jones left the game limping with a foot injury, and outside linebacker JJ Weaver missed the entire game after continuing to rehab an injury from the Youngstown State game. Head coach Mark Stoops gave an update on the status of each player, although, Levis did return on the following drive after his injury.
Former Ole Miss leading tackler and current defensive juggernaut, Jacquez Jones, was seen limping off the field and exiting the game this weekend, looking as clear as can be that he was dealing with a great bit of pain and a definite foot injury early in the second half of the game. Mark Stoops says he is "banged up" but "we’ll see" if he will be available this coming weekend.
After getting sacked in the opponents end zone and the TV camera dialing in on UK's quarterback, the whole country saw this horrific image of Will's middle finger on his left hand which was obviously broke and needing treatment before he could take another snap. As the drive was ended to a turnover, Will walked over to the sideline and the staff popped his finger back into place, taped it up, and sent him back out on the next drive. As for long term worries for the face of our football program, Stoops said, "It’s fine. I don’t know... How would your finger be if it was sideways and you put it back in?" The press room proceeds to break out in laughter. He continued with, "It doesn’t need surgery, let’s put it that way, so that’s a great thing."
As for junior captain JJ Weaver, who has missed the last two games after an arm injury suffered during the Youngstown State game, who was also tabbed as "week-to-week" the Monday after that game, was upgraded to, "He’s getting better. Chance is we’ll see him (this week).”
Playing SEC road games are about as tough of a degree of football as it gets, and it doesn't look like the Cats are having any let up of that in the near future. Their next six games (of the last seven) will come against conference opponents, with two of those being on the road and only one bye week fitting in the schedule. A major focal point for the rest of this season will be to do everything in our power to keep this team healthy and load-managed throughout the rest of the year. Only one can hope that it comes to light.