Tennessee football WR Dont'e Thornton injured on TD catch vs Missouri, ruled out for game

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Tennessee wide receiver Dont'e Thornton suffered an injury while making a diving TD catch in the second quarter against Missouri on Saturday.

On third-and-9, quarterback Joe Milton aired out a deep pass into the end zone. Thornton got position in front of the Missouri defender and made the catch for a 46-yard TD. It was his first TD for the Vols after transferring from Oregon.

Thornton was ruled out after the injury, according to the CBS broadcast of the game. Chas Nimrod replaced Thornton in the lineup after the injury.

Dont'e Thornton injury update

Thornton remained on the ground after the catch and grabbed his right lower leg. He was helped off the field, and he didn't put any weight on his right leg.

Thornton went directly to the injury tent on the UT sideline. The Vols are already thin at wide receiver. Thornton has started the past three games after Bru McCoy suffered a season-ending ankle injury early in the season.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Dont'e Thornton injury update: Tennessee WR out after TD vs. Missouri