Ole Miss may have lost more than the game on Saturday in College Station.
Running back Scottie Phillips rushed for just four yards on three attempts before going down with an ankle injury in the first quarter on Saturday. Isaiah Woullard replaced Phillips and rushed for 64 yards on 16 carries, both season highs for the freshman.
Head coach Matt Luke provided an update on Phillips at his weekly press conference on Monday.
“(Phillips) sprained his ankle, he’s going to be day-to-day,” Luke said. “I don’t know if he’s going to be back or not. There’s still some swelling in there as of this morning, but we’ll try to get him ready to go.”
Running back Scottie Phillips looks for an opening around Auburn defensive backs Daniel Thomas and Jordyn Peters. Auburn won the game 31-16. File photo by Christian Johnson
In the event that Phillips can’t go against Vanderbilt, Woullard and Eric Swinney will be expected to fill his role. Woullard, who has shown flashes of ability in his limited playing time, will likely be the main guy in the backfield for the Rebels.
“You miss Scottie’s feet some, but very impressed. Isaiah (Woullard) broke some tackles. He did put one ball on the ground, he’s got to be better with ball security, but proud of the way he stepped up,” Luke said.
On the other hand, Swinney hasn’t seen as much action in 2018 as Woullard has. He missed the first three games of the season with Mononucleosis and has registered just 11 carries in the seven games he’s appeared in.
“Eric (Swinney) got six or seven plays and did well when he was in there,” Luke said. “(He and Woullard) did well.”
As of now, Scottie Phillips has not been ruled out of Saturday’s game at Vanderbilt. If he does miss the game with the ankle injury, it will certainly be a big loss for the Rebels. However, Woullard’s limited experience will be a welcome sight for Luke and Co.
