When it plays Ole Miss on Saturday, the Texas football team will be without one starter. But will that number swell to two?
On Thursday, Texas had two significant notes on its SEC-mandated availability report. First, the Longhorns ruled that Colin Simmons won't play against the Rebels. Texas also downgraded Hollywood Smothers' status to "doubtful."
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Simmons, who leads the country with his 10.5 sacks, was initially given a "doubtful" designation on Wednesday's availability report. Him joining freshman edge rusher Richard Wesley on the sidelines, though, isn't a huge surprise. After leaving the fourth quarter of Saturday's game with what Texas had described as a leg injury, it was reported by several outlets that Simmons may miss several weeks.
A fourth-year running back, Smothers was labeled as "questionable" on Wednesday. Despite missing last month's game at Tennessee, Smothers has rushed for a team-high 289 yards this season.
On Wednesday, Texas also listed receiver Kaliq Lockett and offensive lineman Jaydon Chatman as "questionable." Freshman running back Derrek Cooper is considered "probable" for this weekend.
Texas (4-2, 1-2) will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak and stay in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth when it hosts Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1) at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. Ole Miss and UT are respectively ranked seventh and 19th in the Associated Press' poll.
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This article originally published at Texas to play Ole Miss without Colin Simmons and possibly Hollywood Smothers.