Injury Update: Wildcats "Banged Up" Following Ole Miss Loss
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Kentucky released its week six depth chart ahead of the Cats' upcoming matchup against South Carolina, showing the same exact team as last week. That might not be the same group that takes the field against the Gamecocks on Saturday night in Lexington, however.
"We got to really improve, get back to work," head coach Mark Stoops said on Monday at his game-week press conference. "Do the things necessary to put ourselves in position, with a team that's banged up, we gotta get healed, get some rest."
The big question on the injury front for the Wildcats was the status of linebacker Jacquez Jones, who left the game against Ole Miss after going down for the second time. He was helped off the field back to the locker room and did not return for the remainder of the game.
Rumors circulated that Jones could be expected to miss a serious amount of time, but all Stoops had to say on Monday was this:
"He's banged up...we'll see."
Not exactly encouraging, but no long-term diagnosis is good news for the defense's second-leading tackler.
Starting right tackle Jeremy Flax also went down with an injury against the Rebels, leaving late in the fourth quarter. Kentucky's offensive line has been shoddy at best this season, so losing a starter would be detrimental in the trenches. Stoops again had no update, but did compliment Flax on his play over the weekend:
"It's a shame Flax went down later, because I thought he was physical as heck," Stoops said. "He was starting to really move people and play hard. I think that was coming together."
The one player that remains missing from the depth chart for the third week in a row is outside linebacker J.J. Weaver. After leaving the Youngstown State game in the first quarter due to a left arm injury, the team captain hasn't seen the field since. He was originally listed as "week-to-week," though Stoops acknowledged that he really had no chance of playing in Oxford over the weekend.
Stoops came with brief, but better news surrounding Weaver on Monday:
"Getting better...chances we'll see him."
As of now, freshman Alex Afari Jr remains the listed starter at strongside linebacker.
Kentucky has two games left before its bye week, a sight that will be more than welcomed by the Wildcats after they take on Mississippi State on Oct. 15 in Lexington.
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