Tennessee keeps giving DeSean Bishop reasons to stay in the Heisman Trophy mix.
In the Vols’ 34-6 win over Kentucky on Saturday, Bishop handled 25 carries and turned them into 109 yards and two touchdowns. Another productive afternoon only pushed his award profile higher, with his odds moving to +35000 on FanDuel as of Sunday afternoon. That number ties him for the 17th-best odds in the country and leaves him third among non-quarterbacks.
Only Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (+320) and Duke running back Nate Sheppard (+8000) sit ahead of him in that group.
Bishop’s season line now reads 1,066 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 196 carries. That also puts him in a rare spot in Tennessee history. He became just the second Vol ever to post multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons, joining Johnnie Jones, who reached the mark in 1983 with 1,116 yards and again in 1984 with 1,290.
“Special player,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said about Bishop hitting the milestone again. “Represents everything that’s good about college athletics.
The growth of the man, and it certainly has played into the player, too. He’s a special competitor, tough, smart, relentless.
And he plays the game with a physical presence that is rare, and a huge part of our success tonight, but since he’s been here.”
Bishop still has three regular-season games left to pad those totals. Tennessee goes to Texas A&M next, then comes back home to face LSU before closing the regular season on the road at Vanderbilt.
Vegas has already weighed in on the next one. Tennessee opened the week as a 2.5-point favorite on FanDuel, with the Vols at -150 on the money line and Texas A&M at +126.
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET, and the game will air on ESPN.
In Other News...
Tennessee Just Took A Defensive Hit Vols Fans Feared
Tyree Weathersbys night ended early after the Tennessee defensive lineman suffered an apparent left-leg injury during the game and did not return. It was a frustrating development for a player who has been one of the Vols most important front-line pieces this season, bringing pressure and production with 8.5 sacks and 19 tackles while helping anchor a defense that has leaned on him heavily.
Even though his absence did not change the outcome of the game, it leaves Tennessee with a more immediate concern heading into the next stretch. The Vols have counted on Weathersbys ability to disrupt plays in the backfield, and any extended time without him would test a defensive depth chart that now has to prove it can hold up if the injury lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Suddenly Has A Real Opening After Wild AP Poll Chaos
The first College Football Playoff rankings already added a wrinkle to the national picture, and the AP Top 25 could be headed for its own shakeup after a chaotic weekend across the sport. USC landed at No. 20 in the CFP release even though it sat higher in the AP poll, a reminder that the two rankings can tell very different stories when the committee and voters weigh results differently.
For Tennessee fans watching the national board, the bigger takeaway is how much movement is still ahead after several top-10 teams stumbled, including Ohio State and Kentucky. USC is likely to climb a bit when the AP voters reset their ballots, but the real intrigue is how the ripple effects could open the door for teams near the top of the race as the rankings start to settle into a new order. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Miltons First Eagles Start Raised A Tough Question For Vols Fans
Joe Milton III got his first NFL start for the Philadelphia Eagles because Jalen Hurts was sidelined by injury, and it offered Tennessee fans a familiar face in an unfamiliar spot. The former Volunteers quarterback was thrust into the spotlight against the New York Giants, where he showed the same big-arm tools that made him such an intriguing pro prospect while also taking on the full weight of a starting assignment.
Milton finished 18 of 34 for 169 yards and added 64 rushing yards on nine carries, but the outing also came with seven sacks and a fumble in a loss for Philadelphia. For Vols fans, the bigger question now is whether this was just a one-game detour or the start of a longer run, since it is still unclear if Milton will keep the job for the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]