In the first half of the Tennessee Vols football showdown against Ohio State, almost nothing is going right for Josh Heupel and his team. Ohio State jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, something no one saw coming.
To make matters worse for the Vols, SEC Player of the Year Dylan Sampson hasn't been able to make much of an impact. As of this writing, Sampson has only carried the ball twice for six yards. He also has missed a large chunk of the action. According to the ESPN broadcast, Sampson is dealing with a hamstring issue.
Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson dealing with a hamstring injury vs. Ohio State
Sampson was spotted on the sidelines with his helmet on, but he's clearly in plenty of discomfort. This is the biggest game of the year for the Vols - he wouldn't be out unless this was a big enough issue for him to not play.
The standout RB was among the best backs in the country this year and people remain upset he wasn't a finalist for the Doak Walker Award. He was a First-Team All-SEC pick and the Player of the Year as well. He was fully deserving of the honor.
It's a massive bummer that he's a bit banged up against the Buckeyes. Soon enough we'll see if he's able to get back out on the field, but if he continues to miss more action, the night could somehow get even worse for Tennessee, as Ohio State has fully dominated play.
UPDATE: ESPN just showed Sampson trying to jog things out on the field, but he's just not able to move without any pain. He's dealing with hamstring tightness and things just aren't loosening up for him. Sampson, understandably, looked quite frustrated on the sideline as he tries to work his way back into the game.