CBS provides Jalin Hyatt injury update after he gets tangled up with referee

Tennessee football got quite the scare in the first quarter when its superstar receiver nearly caught a terribly unlucky break. But Jalin Hyatt avoided injury, at least serious injury, after stepping on a referee on the sideline.

Hyatt collided with the official and rolled his ankle, limping off to the Volunteers sideline. But he returned to action shortly after.

“You see Jalin Hyatt running in right now, he did step on a ref’s foot, twisted that ankle a little bit,” CBS sideline reporter Jenny Dell said. “Came off, he spoke with a couple coaches before going back into Hendon Hooker’s huddle with the offense. I’m told he’s going to be fine.”

Hyatt has been an absolute monster for the Volunteers in recent weeks, absolutely exploding in the team’s 52-49 win over Alabama a few weeks back.

In the last three games, dating back to that Alabama game, Hyatt has racked up 18 catches for 519 yards and nine touchdowns. On the season he’s posted an eye-popping 45 catches for 907 yards and 14 touchdowns.

He’s been a machine.

Luckily, the Volunteers should still have him available after that heart-stopping moment on the sideline.

With Jalin Hyatt injury minor, Vols trying to settle in

Settling into the game was one of the real keys that coach Josh Heupel outlined in one of the most anticipated SEC East showdowns in years.

He illustrated how important that was just prior to kickoff, outlining his keys to the game to Dell on the field.

“You’ve got to be smart, you’ve got to handle the emotion of the ballgame early and you’ve got to compete for 60 minutes, one play at a time,” Heupel told Dell.

He also underscored the importance of making adjustments quickly and effectively in the game.

“The communication, being able to adjust quickly within a drive or certainly after a drive and at halftime,” Heupel said. “It’s a huge part of putting our kids in, hopefully, the best position to be successful.”