Tennessee fans boo injured Purdue player during Music City Bowl
Tennessee fans have a complicated relationship with defensive injuries which dates back to the golf ball and mustard debacle against Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss. Purdue defensive lineman Lawrence Johnson went down multiple times during the second half against Tennessee in the Music City Bowl and drew a chorus of boos from the fans in their home state.
With the Volunteers’ fast-paced offense, many defenses have employed the controversial tactic of sporadic injuries to various players who check out for one play while the remaining 10 players take a brief break and catch their collective breathe.
As the fans booed Johnson’s first apparent injury, CBS Sports analyst Jerry Palm called out the fans for their skepticism, saying “Purdue does not have enough guys to be faking injuries.” Things were made more complicated by the length of the lineman’s stay on the ground.
However, when Johnson pointed to the sideline trying to communicate something and went to a knee against a few minutes later, the boos got louder. Things continued to escalate when his teammates Damarjhe Lewis and Jaylan Alexander suffered cramps and a groin injury, respectively.
As tensions continued to rise following a turnover on downs, Purdue fans responded by booing Tennessee defensive back Kamal Hadden when he went down on the first play of the following drive.
Tennessee defender insults Vanderbilt
As Tennessee prepares to face Purdue in the Music City Bowl, defensive lineman Matthew Butler is enjoying his time in Nashville — particularly, on the field of the rival Vanderbilt Commodores, where the Volunteers are holding practice this week.
Tennessee finished the regular season with a 7-5 record in Josh Heupel’s first year at the helm of the program, and their performance was good enough for an invite to the nearby Music City Bowl. Though the game itself is played in Nissan Stadium, roughly 200 miles west of Knoxville, Tennessee’s team — Butler included — seems to be enjoying the opportunity to play in rival territory.
Butler, a fifth-year senior, is playing his last game for the Volunteers in Nashville. When asked to compare the experience of his last home game to his last collegiate game, his mind quickly wandered to Vanderbilt.
“Neyland is wonderful and I love our fans, how passionate they are and everything,” Butler said of his last home game, before smiling and pausing his speech. “It’s so funny because we’re practicing in Vanderbilt Stadium. That’s just hilarious to me. There’s nothing they can do about it. Kinda just rub it in a little bit. I thoroughly enjoy just walking on this field and stomping on the V a little bit.
“But we go into the Vanderbilt game and of course that’s my last game in Neyland, there’s all kinds of good emotion, but there’s no really differentiated thing (between that and the bowl game),” Butler said, refocusing his train of thought. “They’re both very important to me, but they’re both still football games, so we’ve got to go out there and ball.”