Michigan's leading WR needs foot surgery; Tennessee's Jennings, McDowell out for season
Michigan will be without its leading receiver for the foreseeable future.
Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters Monday that Tarik Black suffered a broken foot in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s win over Air Force. Black will undergo surgery, Harbaugh said, and may not return this season.
“He’s going to be out. He’s going to need surgery,” Harbaugh said per the Detroit Free Press. “He’s got a crack in his foot. On the outside of his foot.”
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Black, a true freshman, has started each of Michigan’s three games this season and leads the team with 11 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown, just ahead of Grant Perry’s 10 catches for 124 yards. With Black out, another true freshman, five-star prospect Donovan Peoples-Jones, could have an increased presence on the offense. Peoples-Jones returned a punt for a touchdown on Saturday. He has two catches for 52 yards so far this year.
Harbaugh did have a positive report on Ty Isaac, however. Isaac, UM’s leading rusher, also left the Air Force game with an injury but Harbaugh said Isaac is “going to be OK.” Michigan, now 3-0 on the year, heads to Purdue (2-1) on Saturday after the Boilermakers surprisingly dominated Missouri 35-3 on the road over the weekend.
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Black wasn’t the only significant injury of the weekend.
• Tennessee coach Butch Jones confirmed that linebacker Cortez McDowell and wide receiver Jauan Jennings are both out for the season because of wrist injuries. McDowell, a senior starter, had 24 tackles through three games. He was injured in Saturday’s loss to Florida. Jennings, UT’s top returning wideout who caught the winning Hail Mary last year to beat Georgia, was injured in the opener vs. Georgia Tech.
Jones also said senior defensive back Todd Kelly is out indefinitely. Kelly led the Vols with 71 tackles and had two interceptions while starting 11 of Tennessee’s 12 games last season.
• Washington State lost top linebacker Peyton Pelluer to a season-ending foot fracture in Saturday’s win over Oregon State. Pelluer’s father confirmed the news to the Lewiston Tribune and Scout.com.
Pelluer, WSU’s starter at middle linebacker, was an honorable mention All-Pac 12 performer in 2015 and 2016. The fifth-year senior has 244 career tackles after registering 21 stops, including 14 against Boise State, so far this season. The injury will end Pelleur’s college career.
• Ole Miss offensive lineman Sean Rawlings suffered a severe ankle sprain vs. Cal, coach Matt Luke said. Rawlings, who has 18 career starts, will have surgery.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
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