Tennessee running back Daune Morris is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a leg injury in a car accident Thursday night, CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reports through sources. The Vols' second-leading rusher behind DeSean Bishop with 434 yards and three touchdowns, Morris rushed for 86 yards on five carries in last week's win over Kentucky, including a 66-yard touchdown burst in the first quarter.
"Tennessee running back Daune Morris was involved in a one-vehicle accident off campus early Friday morning," a Tennessee spokesperson told CBS Sports. "He sustained non-life-threatening injuries, including a broken leg, and is resting comfortably. We wish Daune the best in his recovery."
According to a police report obtained by the Knoxville News Sentinel, Morris, "struck a fire hydrant and four parked cars in a collision that flipped his vehicle on its roof."
Morris is expected to be listed as out on Friday night's updated injury report ahead of Saturday's game at Texas A&M. The eighth-ranked Vols are 2.5-point favorites in need of a win to keep pace in the College Football Playoff picture.
The sophomore from Chattanooga is averaging 6.6 yards per carry for a Tennessee offense skewed heavily toward its rushing prowess. Morris rushed for a career-best 98 yards at Georgia Tech in Week 2, then followed that up with a 116-yard outing against Kennesaw State. With Bishop handling the heavy lifting in the ground game as the SEC's second-leading rusher with 1,066 yards and 13 scores, Morris became a reliable change-of-pace option for the Vols in his second campaign.
"Young guy that through the course of spring, you guys know that we have liked, I've liked where he's grown and matured and what he's done," Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said of progress he's seen from Morris earlier this season. "And through training camp as well. So I'm not surprised with anything that he did tonight, and I say that as a compliment to him. He's ready to play at a really high level, so I love what we saw from him,"
Tennessee leads the SEC in rushing this season at 216 yards per game, and the Vols' 24 rushing touchdowns are tied for fourth-most in FBS. Tennessee's production in the backfield has bested last season's numbers and rivals the Vols' dominance between the tackles in 2024 -- the program's only CFP appearance.
Moving forward, Javin Gordon, Hunter Barnes and Justin Baker should see more work in the run game to assist Bishop. Gordon, a sophomore, had two carries for nine yards last time out against Kentucky and 41 yards on six tries at South Carolina on Oct. 24.
