Report: Tennessee Vols QB Tyler Bray out Up to 6 Weeks

According to a report by the Knoxville News Sentinel on Sunday, Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray broke his thumb Saturday night versus the Georgia Bulldogs. 

The report indicated that Bray will be in a cast and will miss at least one month. 

Following that report, the university released a statement saying that Bray fractured his right thumb and could miss up to six weeks. 

Bray injured the thumb on the Vols only touchdown drive of the night late in the fourth quarter. Senior backup Matt Simms finished that drive for the Vols and went 4-for-6 for 39 yards following the injury to Bray. 

Simms started against LSU in Baton Rouge last season when the Vols actually had the Tigers beat until the Vols sent out 14 men to defend on the final play of regulation allowing LSU to win on an un-timed down. 

As luck would have it, the Vols host LSU this weekend. Simms will presumably get the starting nod. This time around, however, the No. 1 Tigers are much tougher than one year ago at this time. 

After hosting the No. 1 team in the country, the Vols will travel to Tuscaloosa to play No. 2 Alabama next week.  

It was going to be a tough month with Bray. Facing this stretch without him could prove detrimental to any efforts at besting last year's 6-6 regular season mark. 

This year alone, Tennessee has lost four of its best players to injury or off the field issues.

Starting linebacker and top tackler Herman Lathers fractured his foot in seven-on-seven drills in late May. Arguably the Vols best player, safety Janzen Jackson was dismissed from the team in August. Top receiving target Justin Hunter tore his ACL at Florida in September. And now, Tyler Bray will be out until at least November. 

That's a ton of adversity for a young, rebuilding program.