Vols Football: Butch Jones Unsure About Justin Worley’s Status
By Zach Ragan
Last season, Vols quarterback Justin Worley was unable to finish Tennessee’s game against Alabama.
This season, it’s not even a certainty that Worley will suit up against the Crimson Tide.
Worley was injured in the Vols’ loss to Ole Miss last Saturday and left the game. Redshirt sophomore Nathan Peterman came in to relieve to Worley.
The injury immediately cast doubt on Worley’s availability for the Alabama game on Saturday.
Despite the fact that Worley has practiced this week, we still don’t have a clear picture of whether or not he’ll be ready for Alabama.
JONES: It’s on-going. We will have to make a decision about Justin’s (Worley) status later in the week. All of our QBs get equal reps.
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 23, 2014
This could simply be a case of Jones engaging in a bit of gamesmanship with Nick Saban and the Bama coaching staff. Without knowing for sure if Worley will start, Saban has to prepare his team to face three different quarterbacks. This thought process has been lent further credence by the fact that Tennessee did now allow media to watch any of the quarterbacks throw this week.
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The obvious thought process would be if Worley is unable to go, sophomore Josh Dobbs would get the starting nod. Dobbs finished the 2013 season as the starting quarterback, after Worley suffered a season-ending injury.
Vols offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian wouldn’t say Dobbs would start for sure, but he did say Dobbs is “always prepared to play when called upon”.
Alabama, however, will also have to prepare for Nathan Peterman, as he’s the only other quarterback to see game action this season.
When Saturday gets here, I think Justin Worley is the guy under center for the Vols.
If that’s the case, you can’t blame Jones for trying to create a competitive advantage against a team like Alabama.
However, if Worley isn’t able to go, it could be a long day for the Vols.