Oliver still day-to-day with bruised knee
Houston All-America defensive tackle Ed Oliver could be on track to return Saturday against Temple.
Oliver, widely projected as a top-5 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, still is listed as day-to-day after missing games against South Florida and SMU with a bruised right knee.
“We still continue to trust the team doctors on Ed and what's best for him, ultimately,” coach
Major Applewhite said. “We're just going to continue to monitor him."
Oliver originally was expected to play against SMU. But he did not feel comfortable after going through pregame warm-ups and was ruled out just before kickoff. He suffered the injury Oct. 20 against Navy.
“He didn’t feel 100 percent,” Applewhite said of the decision to hold out Oliver for a second week. “We’re not going to put somebody out there that does not feel like they are in best position to play safely.”
Oliver is listed No. 2 on ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest Big Board of 2019 draft prospects.
UH’s defensive line is thin with injuries as two more starters — Jerard Carter and Aymiel
Fleming, Oliver’s replacement — were in medical boots after Saturday’s game. The players were scheduled to undergo treatment on the player’s day off Monday.
“We will have more information (Tuesday),” Applewhite said. “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.”
Applewhite did not have updates on running backs Mulbah
Car, who was carted off the field with an apparent foot injury, and Terence Williams. Joseph Duarte
Texas will prepare for both Tech QBs
Texas travels to Lubbock this weekend to face a Texas Tech team that just put a legitimate scare into seventh-ranked Oklahoma, falling 51-46 at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury has remained coy about the status of freshman quarterback Alan
Bowman (partially collapsed lung), but sophomore Jett Duffey was no slouch in relief duty against the Sooners.
Playing the entire second half, Duffey threw for 139 yards and two scores and ran for 47 yards and a touchdown.
The Longhorns will prepare as if both could play.
“Duffey, when he's in there, I think you'll see us in more nickel personnel,” coach Tom Herman said. “When Bowman is in there, we'll probably be in a little bit more dime or lightning.
“These guys that have played for us on defense, they kind of know the ins-and-outs, the strengths and weaknesses of each call. I think we'll have a good package of both available to us. Nothing will be completely foreign or new for our guys.” Nick Moyle
UT defensive starters dealing with injuries
Three Texas defensive starters are nursing injuries that may prevent them from playing Saturday against Texas Tech.
Safety Brandon Jones, who aggravated an ankle injury the morning of Texas’ loss to West Virginia, is “doing everything he can to try to get back, but if we played today would not play,” coach Tom Herman said.
Cornerback Davante Davis continues nursing the neck sprain he suffered in the first quarter against the Mountaineers. If he is not cleared to play, freshman Anthony Cook likely would draw the start. Senior defensive end Breckyn
Hager also exited last weekend’s game in the first quarter with what appeared to be a severe shoulder injury. He has been diagnosed with a “dislocated radius” and is questionable. Sophomore defensive lineman
Marquez Bimage will sit out this week’s game as he heals from a dislocated shoulder. Nick Moyle
A&M receiver Ausbon gets OK to practice
Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said wide receiver Jhamon
Ausbon should return to practice this week.
Ausbon, the leader of the receiving corps, has missed the last four games with a foot injury after starting the season’s first five games. Fisher added that starting offensive lineman Jared
Hocker is week-to-week with a leg injury that sidelined him in the Aggies’ 28-24 loss at Auburn on Saturday, and starting center
Erik McCoy, who hurt his leg in the Auburn game but later returned, likely will sit out practice early in the week as A&M prepares to host Mississippi at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Fisher said senior kicker Daniel LaCamera will not return season year from a foot injury but could treat this year as a redshirt season if he chose to. Freshman kicker Seth Small has made 13 of 19 field goals in his place but has at least one miss in each of the last five games. Brent Zwerneman