R Mason Thomas injury update: ESPN reveals Oklahoma star status vs. Tennessee

Oklahoma star R Mason Thomas made the play of the week, if not the season, for the Sooners early on against Tennessee. Desperately needing a stop, he picked up a Joey Aguilar fumble and returned it for a touchdown. Thomas held off a wannabe tackler almost the entire way too.

Unfortunately, the play came at a major cost. Thomas came up limping about halfway into his run, and while he scored, he did not look comfortable. Later in the game, ESPN’s Holly Rowe said Thomas is done for the night.

“That’s right, R Mason Thomas does not look like he will return to this game right now,” Rowe reported. “He tried to get in a stance, push off, but cannot on that right leg. He’s encouraging the guys on the sideline, does not have his helmet.”

This now becomes a question about the long-term health of Thomas. Oklahoma does have a bye week coming up, giving up more time to rest up. But from there, the Sooners have a run that they will need Thomas out on the field for. A road test vs. Alabama is first up, heading to Bryant-Denny Stadium to face Kalen DeBoer‘s offense.

A couple of games then take place in Norman to close out the regular season. Missouri and LSU present tough challenges for Oklahoma, which might find itself in a position for the College Football Playoff. Hopefully, head coach Brent Venables is able to provide us with some kind of update when speaking during his postgame press conference.

Oklahoma now looking to stop Tennessee offense without R Mason Thomas

Of course, those long-term concerns will be addressed after the game. Right now, everyone wearing crimson and white is hoping to get a much-needed win in Knoxville. Many have dubbed this a CFP elimination game, with the loser dropping to three total on the season.

With or without Thomas, Oklahoma likely feels confident in what the defense can produce. Forcing turnovers has been a major struggle for the Sooners and Thomas’ scoop and score is a solid start. Maybe one or two more might be required to get this game over the finish line.

Oklahoma enters with a 6-2 overall record, losing two out of three. Venables has been searching for a marquee win for quite a while now. Getting this one would be a feather in his cap and likely stick with him the rest of the way.