Heupel expects DeSean Bishop ready after bye week following ankle injury

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel offered encouraging news on running back DeSean Bishop as the Volunteers head into their bye week, saying the junior should be in good shape for the following week. Bishop took part in some work on Wednesday but was held back at times, a decision Heupel linked both to the ankle problem and to the heavy workload the back has carried through the early part of conference play.

Bishop left the South Carolina game in the fourth quarter after a hard hit from Gamecocks defensive back Peyton Williams. His absence was felt in a difficult Week 8 loss to an unranked opponent, a game Tennessee played without several of its top playmakers. The No. 16 Volunteers now get a much-needed open date to recover before returning to action.

The update matters because Bishop has been central to Tennessee's offense through the first half of the season. He leads SEC rushers with 957 yards on 171 carries, and his 11 total touchdowns make him the Volunteers' leading scorer. Few players in the league have carried as much responsibility for their team's production as Bishop has for Tennessee.

Having the bye arrive now gives Bishop extra time to heal without missing another game, and Heupel's comments suggest the staff is managing both the injury and his overall volume rather than dealing with a longer setback. If he is back at full strength next week, Tennessee's ground game should return to the form that has carried the offense for much of the year.