Report: Kellen Stewart injury appears to be concussion, spinal board only precautionary
Some positive news emerged from the press box on Wednesday evening regarding Middle Tennessee State wide receiver Kellen Stewart’s injury he suffered in the second quarter that sent him to a local hospital.
According to Sam Doughton, a staff writer for MTSU athletics, the injury after the hit he sustained in the second quarter appears to be a concussion. He was put on the spinal board only as a precautionary measure due to some numbness he was experiencing after being initially hit.
With 4:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, the broadcasters on ESPNU broadcast updated fans on the status of Stewart with a similar update, but some additional context from the MTSU sports information staff.
“Wide receiver Kellen Stewart took a really hard hit, went down, was stretchered off. The game was stopped for a good 15 minutes. Well, we have the latest from the Middle Tennessee sports information staff. That Kellen Stewart was transported to a local hospital. Appeared to be in concussion protocol. Was put on a spinal board as a precautionary measure due to some numbness initially felt after the hit. But all indications….he should be okay.”
Check out the video of the play below.
He had one catch for seven yards in Wednesday night’s C-USA matchup, before exiting the game with his injury.
In 2022, Stewart played for the Austin Peay Governors, before transferring to the Blue Raiders. Last year for Austin Peay, he hauled in 12 catches for 181 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He also tacked on a 19-yard rushing touchdown. Stewart also had a limited role on kick return, with 5 attempts for 123 yards.
This year for MTSU, he had one catch, one carry, and returned two kickoffs for twenty yards.
Jacksonville State sent a message of support to Stewart
Once he left the game, Jacksonville State football’s Twitter page sent a message of support.
“Wishing the best for MTSU’s Kellen Stewart, we stand together as brothers on this competitive field.”
In high school, Stewart played as a quarterback for B.F. Terry High School, racking up 2,239 all-purpose yards and 27 total touchdowns in 2020. He racked up 1,360 yards on the ground and 879 yards passing through the air.
A versatile track athlete, Stewart also competed in the triple jump in high school, the 4×100 meter relay, the 4×200 meter relay, and the 200-meter dash.
The Blue Raiders led the game 23-7 at halftime. The Gamecocks could found no answer to stop the connection between quarterback Nicholas Vattiato and wide receiver Elijah Metcalf. Metcalf hauled in 90 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Vattiato had over 270 passing yards in the first half, and that’s not even counting a deep ball that was dropped by one of his receivers.
The Gamecocks caught fire in the second half
The Gamecocks picked off a pass from Vattiato in the third quarter, which ultimately led to them scoring a touchdown. Jacksonville State cut the MTSU lead to 23-14, after quarterback Zion Webb connected with tight end Sean Brown on a couple of critical passes. One of those was a 10-yard touchdown toss, after a MTSU defender was ejected from the game for targeting.
Jacksonville State continued to mount their comeback, cutting the MTSU lead to 23-21 with 5:21 in the third quarter after a muffed punt.
The Gamecocks continued to pour on the points, taking a 38-23 advantage with 5:13 remaining in the fourth quarter. Jacksonville State scored 38 unanswered points in the second half, completely flipping the game around, leading 45-23 with 3:42 left in the game. Then MTSU countered with one more score to make it 45-30 with 3:29 left in the fourth quarter.
That would be the final as the Gamecocks prevailed with the 45-30 win, thanks to their dominant showing in the second half.