Tennessee availability report: Vols make two changes on eve of Alabama game

Tennessee provided the latest update to its injury situation for Saturday’s showdown at Alabama with the Friday night SEC availability report. Starting running back DeSean Bishop, who was listed as probable the previous two nights, was taken off the report and is good to go for the Third Saturday in October. But tight end Ethan Davis was ruled out for a fourth straight game due to a shoulder injury he suffered against Georgia.

Tennessee left Knoxville and traveled to Alabama on Friday afternoon and will be looking for its first win at Bryant-Denny Stadium since 2003.

The final availability report will be released 90 minutes before Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC between the Vols (5-1, 2-1 SEC) and Crimson Tide (5-1, 3-0).

Linebacker Edwin Spillman, who has gotten extensive playing time alongside and behind starters Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander, is out for the first half after getting a targeting penalty in the second half against Arkansas when he initiated helmet-to-helmet contact with sliding quarterback Taylen Green.

Bishop, the redshirt sophomore from Knoxville, leads Tennessee with 481 rushing yards on 63 carries on the season, and he’s scored five rushing touchdowns as well. The 5-foot-10, 208-pounder is sixth in the SEC in rushing (80.2 yards per game), and his 7.63-yard per-carry average leads the conference. Bishop, who also has three catches for 44 yards this season, is coming off a career-best 146-yard performance on just 14 carries against Arkansas and also scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime at Mississippi State.

Sophomore Peyton Lewis (43 carries for 200 yards and five touchdowns) and veteran transfer Star Thomas (62 carries for 328 yards and four touchdowns, plus six catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns) are the other players in the three-back rotation Tennessee has played this season.

When Bishop went down after being tackled awkwardly late in the third quarter against the Razorbacks last week, Lewis stepped up and finished with eight carries for 33 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“The reason that happened a week ago is because of who he is and how he competes on the field every day,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said Thursday on “The Mike Keith Show.” “It’s another lesson to in particular our young guys of preparing for your opportunity and being ready to go take advantage of it. The way he finished that football game in particular, the third and fourth quarters, a huge part of us winning the game.”

Lewis opened the season as the No. 2 running back behind Bishop, but Thomas, who led Duke in rushing last season, led Tennessee in rushing in the Syracuse, East Tennessee State and Georgia games. Lewis scored touchdowns in the first two games, but got just five carries against Georgia. After he had 11 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown against UAB, he got just three carries in the Mississippi State win after giving up a sack and had just one carry for 4 yards before stepping up after Bishop left the game.

“Really good vision,” Lewis said. “Understands what we’re doing in the run game, is able to press the line of scrimmage, help the guys in front of him deliver blocks. He’s got the ability with his speed to bounce and get outside and make plays, and he’s got the ability to get behind his pads and finish plus-2 (yards).”

Freshman Jack Van Dorselaer will continue in the No. 2 tight end role with Davis missing another game.

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